“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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“C” is for Charleston Ironwork. Elements of decorative iron first appeared on Charleston buildings during the middle decades of the eighteenth century. Crafted by local blacksmiths, they closely...
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"B" is for Bennett, Thomas, Jr. [1781-1865]. Governor.
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“C” is for Charleston Library Society. The Charleston Library Society is the third-oldest institutional library in the United States. Established as a private, subscription library in 1748, it...
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“W” is for Williamson, Andrew [ca. 1730-1786]. Soldier. Williamson immigrated to Ninety Six District from his native Scotland. He was a lieutenant during the Cherokee War. An ardent patriot at the...
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“D” is for Drayton Hall [Charleston County]. Established in 1738, Drayton Hall is a historic plantation located between the Ashley River and Ashley River road—about nine miles from Charleston. At the...
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"C" is for Chamberlain, Edward Burnham [1895-1986]. Ornithologist. Herpetologist. Museum Curator.
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“D” is for Drovers. From around 1800 until the 1880s, livestock from Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina were driven through Greenville County to the seaport at Charleston—destined for...
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“C” is for Charleston Museum. Founded in 1773, the museum originated as an auxiliary of the Charleston Library Society, dedicated to the collection, preservation, and study of “materials promoting a...
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Drayton Hall, built between 1738 and 1742 by John Drayton on the banks of the Ashley River in St. Andrew's Parish, Charleston County, has been declared a National Historic Landmark. It is currently...
