About the Area > Historic Charleston

Charleston is a place where the past and present are forever intertwined.  With its historic homes, timeless southern charm, and Lowcountry grace, the city epitomizes an appreciation of its heritage and rich tradition of culture and sophistication.

Charleston history has been shaped by many things: the exuberant and artful influences of King Charles II himself, "The Merry Monarch" for whom the city was named; periods of great wealth and prosperity followed by generations of great poverty; two major wars being fought within its boundaries and countryside, followed by the occupation of invading armies; uncounted skirmishes with pirates, Indians and foreign powers; catastrophic fires that obliterated entire blocks of the city in just a day; the punishing winds and waters of numerous hurricanes; and the largest earthquake ever to rock the U.S. east coast.

So genteel and gracious, it's no wonder Charleston , South Carolina has consistently ranked among the country's most elegant and mannerly cities. Founded in 1670, Charleston currently still boasts 73 pre-Revolutionary buildings - 136 from the late 18th century and more than 600 others built prior to the 1840s. Visitors can wander cobblestone streets lined with antique shops and boutiques, browse the Old City Market where Gullah basket ladies are among the vendors that peddle their wares, and peek at private gardens tucked serenely behind iron gates. House museums and monuments to wealthy Colonial merchants are open to visitors, as are the plantations and gardens that line the Ashley River .

There is nowhere else in the Southeast that offers the charm and history of Charleston while also offering wonderful weather, and the sophistication a city needs to become a cultural and professional center.

View Photo Gallery of Historic Downtown Charleston