Charleston

“Charleston County and the city of Charleston, its county seat, are the most historic locations in the state.”

“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.

Helen Satterley Photos | Digital Traditions
Helen Satterley Photos | Digital Traditions

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Resident of McClellanville, SC (Charleston County). She grew up learning to speak Gullah and tells jokes and stories in the Gullah language. Her house was damaged by Hurricane Hugo in 1989 but...
Jane Wineglass Photos | Digital Traditions
Jane Wineglass Photos | Digital Traditions

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A McClellanville, SC (Charleston County) resident, Ms. Wineglass has long been known for her folk medicine remedies, as well as the ability to interpret dreams. Interview conducted by Gail Matthews.
Roger Bellow Photos | Digital Traditions
Roger Bellow Photos | Digital Traditions

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Roger Bellow is a scholar, teacher and award-winning performer who has been a lifelong proponent of early country music traditions. He first learned about country music in Uptown, an area of Chicago...
Bobby Branton Photos | Digital Traditions
Bobby Branton Photos | Digital Traditions

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For over twenty years, Bobby Branton has honed a skill that is still practiced by very few people across the United States. He is a bladesmith who hand-forges blades for knives in the traditional way...
Charleston County - Harleston-Boags Funeral Home
Charleston County - Harleston-Boags Funeral Home

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In 1917 Harleston organized the first branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ( N.A.A.C.P.) in Charleston, and many meetings were held in this building. Prominent...