A century on King Street.
Three generations of one family, one historic building, and an unwavering eye for English antiques.
An authority on Georgian furniture and silver.
George C. Birlant became one of the foremost authorities on English Georgian furniture and silver. While building an established retail business, he kept holding estate auctions — both in the King Street saleroom and on location throughout the Southeast.
Today the business he founded offers the finest in antique furniture, silver, porcelain, crystal, brass, fireplace accessories, longcase clocks and exceptional reproductions — with the same unparalleled service, quality and integrity.
From auction block to King Street landmark.
An estate out West
A realtor with a gift for gab, George Birlant becomes one of the Southeast’s most celebrated estate auctioneers. Unsold pieces from a silent-film star’s California estate are shipped home to Charleston on consignment.
The first shop
Those pieces become the nucleus of Geo. C. Birlant & Co., first in a warehouse on East Bay Street, then a small shop on upper King Street.
The Enston Building
After a few years at the corner of King and Clifford, Mr. Birlant purchases the four-story Enston Building at 187–191 King Street — our home ever since.
The next generation
George Birlant works until the day he dies. His daughter Marian and her husband Phil Slotin carry on the business — and Phil continues the estate auction tradition.
Andrew joins the firm
Their son, Andrew Birlant Slotin, joins the family business, upholding the standard of quality and value set by his grandfather.
Still family-owned
Birlant’s and its subsidiary, Charleston Battery Bench, Inc., continue at 191 King Street — still offering “Enormous Selection and Extraordinary Value.”
Every piece, hand-selected.
For more than 75 years we’ve traveled throughout England and the Continent to choose each antique ourselves — some from vendors we’ve done business with for decades, others from antiques fairs and auctions.
That firsthand sourcing is why you can be certain antiques from Birlant’s are authentic, exquisite and rich in history.
See the latest arrivals“At Birlant’s, you always get Enormous Selection and Extraordinary Value.”— The Birlant family motto