“Charleston County and the city of Charleston, its county seat, are the most historic locations in the state.” Situated in the Lowcountry, the county serves as a popular vacation destination but also relies on the business that results from its port. The area in general serves as a large cultural and economic hub for the state.
Charleston County was founded as Charleston District in 1769, and the district became smaller after some of its lands were used to create Colleton and Berkeley counties. The county and its seat were named after King Charles II.
The city and county are saturated with Revolutionary War and Civil War history. Three signers of the United States Constitution and two famous abolitionists resided in Charleston County, and the Civil War began when soldiers fired shots from the county’s Fort Sumter.
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The spring of 1863: African American troops are introduced into the Federal Army, forming the first three African American regiments, one of which is the legendary Massachusetts 54 th Infantry. The...
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As important as the growing of cotton was its marketing, and in this the Cotton Exchange played a powerful role in the local economy. All of the members of the Charleston Cotton Exchange were...
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Interior of a large ginning mill, ginning sea island cotton at Alexander Knox's plantation in Mount Pleasant, early in the 20th century. Courtesy of the Charleston Museum, Charleston, South Carolina.
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“V” is for Vesta Mills of Charleston. In 1899, Spartanburg textile manufacturer John Montgomery and New York merchant Seth Milliken purchased the Charleston Cotton Mills and renamed it Vesta Mills...
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"C" is for Charleston County. [1882 - 919 square miles, population 309,969.]
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"L" is for Lining, John [1708-1760] Physician. Scientist.
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Learn an overview history of the The Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon.
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“A” is for Audubon, John James [1785-1851]. Artist. Ornithologist. Naturalist. Born in Santo Domingo and reared in France, Audubon arrived in America in 1803. By 1820 he was supporting himself as a...
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"R" is for Ripley, Alexandra Braid [1934-2004] Writer .
