Charleston, founded in 1670, was conceived as a great port town by the eight founding Lords / proprietors---most notably Lord Anthony Ashley-Cooper. Cooper lent his surnames to the two rivers that bookend the peninsula, Cooper to the east, Ashley on the west.
Pirates and patriots sailed local waters for more than a century. Merchant ships laden with low country grown rice and indigo traversed the trade winds and brought home monumental riches. The first shot of the American Civil War exploded over Charleston's harbor, while the first wartime submarine to successfully sink a ship did so just offshore--two indelible naval wartime events that shaped the nation's history.
With an anchor in the past and a reverence for all things nautical, the Charleston area is defined by its relationship with the sea and relics abound, from the Charleston Museum's H. L. Hunley submarine replica to cobblestone streets paved with centuries old ship ballast.
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| Heyward-Washington House built in 1772. This was the town home of Thomas Heyward Jr., Revolutionary patriot and signer of the Declaration of Independence. It was also George Washington's temporary residence during his Southern Tour of 1791. |
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| Pirates still roam the streets! |
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| Downtown market |
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