Charleston, South Carolina

Located in the state of South Carolina, Charleston the second largest city of South Carolina and is also known as the holy city due to its many churches. The place offers a great sub-tropical climate that allows for very mild winters and a long summer period. The city is filed with Southern hospitality and charm that attracts tourists to this city.

Enjoy the churches of Charleston while you take in the various other architectural wonders that the city has to offer or experience the fairs and annual cultural events of Charleston. The city also offers live theater, many historical sites and museums along with some fantastic restaurants and hotels. There more than 1500 important buildings found in the city, which are named in the National Register, making a tour to the city more compelling.

The cultural essence of Charleston is what is most attractive about it. Charleston offers a unique blend of cultures and right from the decor of the city to the dialects and cuisines here, everything reflects this interesting blend of ethnicities that reside here.

Charleston has a lot to offer those who enjoy city life as well as the outdoors. There are intriguing options in entertainment, education, affordable living and many other benefits the city offers its residents. The city is known for its ambient social atmosphere and its lively residents.

Charleston History

It was in 1670 that English settlers organized themselves under William Sayle and established a community on the west bank of the Ashley River. The town took on the name of Charles town and was soon identified by Anthony Ashley-Cooper, as a place that was to become a "great port towne". It was in 1680 that this town moved to its current location and continued with its expansion. This later came to be known as Charleston city.

Charleston opened its doors to various settlers and it was by the mid-18th century that the town took on the role of a prominent trade center and began to be seen as the center of the Atlantic trade for the southern colonies. It was now that the city managed to become the wealthiest and largest city south of Philadelphia. Continuing on its upward trend in 1770 Charleston became the fourth largest port in the colonies and housed a population of 11,000. Deerskin trade formed the core of the economic set up of the city and its records show an export of 5,239,350 pounds of deer skins. Indigo, tea and silk were some crops that were also being grown in the area.

Due to its prominent location and important status, the city was often the target of many attacks. It was twice that the city was attacked by the British during the American Revolution, once in 1776 and once in 1780. Though the city lost out its capital status it did not decline in importance and soon rose to become a major South Carolina cotton exporter. During the civil war also the city saw its fair share of destruction when on January 9, 1861, Citadel cadets opened fire on the Union ship Star of the West while entering Charleston's harbor.

The city began its downfall due to the destruction caused by the wars and it was the freed slaves who were most faced with poverty and ailments. Slowly the federal forces managed to rejuvenate the economical forces in the city and offer a better quality of life to its residents. In 1865 The Avery Normal Institute was built by the American Missionary Association and it served as a private school for Charleston's African American population. The city has since then always enjoyed a military presence and it has contributed immensely to its present wellbeing.

About Charleston, South Carolina

The county seat of Charleston County, the city of Charleston was initially known as Charles town. The city took its present name in the year 1783 and also moved to its present location in the year 1680 from the west bank of Ashley River (Albemarle Point). Charleston city houses a large number of churches and holy shrines which form a huge part of the city's skyline.

The 2010 census recorded a population of 120,083 in the city, which comprised of 45% Whites, 43.5% African Americans and 1.6% Asians. The remaining were other ethnicities like Hispanics and Latinos. Charleston is the second most populous city of all of South Carolina and the fastest growing municipality of the state too. It looks likely that the city will soon overtake Columbia and become the most populous city of the state of South Carolina.

It is no doubt the churches of the city form its core spirit. The French Protestant (Huguenot) Church, Roman Catholic Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist, St. Matthew's Lutheran Church spire that soars 255 feet above Charleston and the St. Michael's Church are a few important churches of the city. Apart from this the Rainbow Row, the Old Slave Mart Museum and Gibbes Art Gallery are also some important buildings of the city that attract a lot of visitors.

The new Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge that was constructed in 2005 and inaugurated on the 12th of the July of the same year, is a must see for anyone visiting Charleston. It is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the Western Hemisphere and offers a marvelous view of the mighty Cooper River that flows below. With 12 foot lanes for bicycles and pedestrians and eight lanes for automobiles, the bridge accommodates a lot of traffic and is used by thousands of people.

The city also offers a wide array of fests each year. The Spoleto Festival of USA that is a 17-day art festival which features numerous performances by individual artists from various regions is a huge crowd puller. There is also the annual Piccolo Spoleto festival which is hosted by the city and features local performers and artists and is a must see. The Taste of Charleston, The Lowcountry Oyster Festival, the Cooper River Bridge Run, the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (SEWE), Charleston Food and Wine Festival, Charleston Fashion Week, the MOJA Arts Festival and the Holiday Festival of Lights (at James Island County Park) are few other festivals that the city of Charleston offers.

About Charleston County, South Carolina

Charleston County is one of the original counties of South Carolina. The county's seat is Charleston city and it enjoys the position of being the third most populous city of South Carolina. The county was created in the year 1901 by the act of South Carolina State Legislature.

The county occupies an area of 1,358 square miles and the 2005 census indicated a population of 330,368. With 32.37% of water, the county is known as much for its agriculture as it is for its ports and trading centers. The population of the county is White dominated with there being about 61.9% White residents, while the African American population is 34.5%. The Native Americans have been reduced to 0.26% and there are 1.12% Asians. Pacific Islander, Hispanic and people of German and Irish ancestry also reside here. The county is classified as being 86% of urban.

Bordered by the sea on its right, the county has Berkeley County on the north while Georgetown County lies on its northeastern side. On the west is Colleton County and on the northwest is the Dorchester County. The prominent cities of the county apart from Charleston city are Folly Beach, North Charleston and Isle of Palms. The county has its fair share of towns too of which James island, Hollywood, Mount Pleasant, Ravenel, Rockville, Seabrook Island and Sullivan's Island are a few.

The county is known for its many parks and wildlife protected areas. There is the Folly Beach Fishing Pier, Folly Beach, and Mt. Pleasant Pier in Mount Pleasant for those who enjoy angling. Marinas have Cooper River Marina and Multiple county-wide boat landings to choose from. Those looking for beach parks will find the county offers them a choice between Kiawah Beachwalker County Park, Isle of Palms County Park and Folly Beach County. Splash Island at Palmetto Islands County Park, Splash Zone at James Island County Park and Whirlin' Waters at North Charleston Wannamaker County Park are the water parks of the county.