“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.
Video
Middleton Place, on the Ashley River near Charleston, South Carolina, was the home of the Middleton family, which included the president of the First Continental Congress and a signer of the...
Video
A Charleston native, Philip Simmons (1912-2009) was famous for his decorative ironwork pieces, which are featured throughout Charleston and in various other parts of the world. When he began his...
Video
The homes of famous people tell us many things about the people who once lived there. Visiting these homes also helps us understand what life was like during their times. Middleton Place, located on...
Video
The first of the three State House buildings was located in Charleston, South Carolina, in the mid-18th century. After the Revolutionary War, the capital of South Carolina was moved from Charleston to...
Video
Eliza Lucas Pinckney (1722–1793) Eliza Lucas, who was born in 1722 in Antigua, was 16 when she took charge of her father's plantation near Charles Town and successfully managed it. In 1738, Lieutenant...
Video
An interview with Elise Pinckney, a direct descendant of Eliza Lucas Pinckney. Eliza Lucas Pinckney (1722–1793) Eliza Lucas, who was born in 1722 in Antigua, was 16 when she took charge of her father...
Video
John M. Rivers (1903–1988) After 12 years in banking and two successful years as vice president of a securities firm, John M. Rivers surprised the Charleston business community. He accepted a job as...
Video
James Francis Byrnes (1882-1972) was born in Charleston and served in all three branches of the federal government. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives (1911–25) and in the Senate (1931–41)...
Video
Ernest “Fritz” Hollings was born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1922. He graduated from The Citadel in 1942 and served as an artillery officer in World War Two. After the war, he was elected to the...
Video
Frances Ravenel Smythe Edmunds achieved national recognition as an advocate for historic preservation. She graduated from the College of Charleston in 1939. In 1947, she founded the Historic...
