Following Hurricane Hugo in 1989, the building was restored by the City of Charleston and received a Carolopolis Award from the Preservation Society in January 2003. The building was repainted in its original colors, which included strong ochre coloring and bright green ironwork, much to the displeasure of many locals, including the mayor of Charleston. A less colorful color scheme had been in place since 1906 when the main hall was painted "French gray and white with the door and railings a bronze green."