Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston is a city in the counties of Berkeley and Charleston in the U.S. state of South Carolina; the city serves as the county seat and largest city of Charleston County. The city was founded as Charlestown or Charles Towne, Carolina in 1670, and moved to its present location in 1680. Up until 1800, Charleston was the fifth largest city in North America, behind Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, and Quebec City. It adopted its present name in 1783. Also known as The Holy City (due to the prominence of churches on the low-rise cityscape, particularly the numerous steeples which dot the city's skyline), Charleston brims with the culturally unique, such as the joggling board.

As of 2007, the estimated the population of the city proper nearly 120,000, making it the 2nd most populous city in South Carolina behind the state capital Columbia. Current trends put Charleston as the fastest growing central city in South Carolina. The metropolitan area population of Charleston and North Charleston was estimated to be 601,020 in 2007 (includes entire populations of Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties). This ranks Charleston-North Charleston as the 2nd largest individual metropolitan statistical area in the state behind Columbia. Nearly 80% of the Charleston metro population lives inside the city and its surrounding urbanized area (2000 pop.: 423,410).

The city of Charleston is located roughly at the mid-point of South Carolina's coastline, at the junction of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers. Charleston's name is derived from Charles Towne, named after King Charles II of England.

America's most-published etiquette expert, Marjabelle Young Stewart [2], has recognized the city since 1995 as the "best-mannered" city in the U.S, a claim lent credibility by the fact that it has the only Livability Court in the country.

Early history of Charleston

After Charles II of England (1660-85) was restored to the British throne following Oliver Cromwell's Protectorate, he granted the chartered Carolina territory to eight of his loyal friends, known as the Lords Proprietor, in 1663. It took seven years before the Lords could arrange for settlement, the first being that of Charles Town. The community was established by English settlers in 1670 on the west bank of the Ashley River, a few miles northwest of the present city. It was soon chosen by Anthony Ashley-Cooper, one of the Lords Proprietor, to become a "great port towne", a destiny which the city fulfilled. By 1680, the settlement had grown, joined by others from England, Barbados, and Virginia, and relocated to its current peninsular location. The capital of the Carolina colony, Charleston was the center for further expansion and the southernmost point of English settlement during the late 1600s.

The settlement was often subject to attack from sea and from land. Periodic assaults from Spain and France, who still contested England's claims to the region, were combined with resistance from Native Americans, as well as pirate raids. Charleston's colonists erected a fortification wall around the small settlement to aid in its defense. Two buildings remain from the Walled City, the Powder Magazine, where the city's supply of gunpowder was stored, and the [3]Pink House, an old colonial tavern.

A 1680 plan for the new settlement, the Grand Modell, laid out "the model of an exact regular town," and the future for the growing community. Land surrounding the intersection of Meeting and Broad Streets was set aside for a Civic Square. Over time it became known as the Four Corners of the Law, referring to the various arms of governmental and religious law presiding over the square and the growing city. St. Michael's Episcopal Church's oldest and most noted church, was built on the southeast corner in 1752. The following year the Capitol of the colony was erected across the square. Because of its prominent position within the city and its elegant architecture, the building signaled to Charleston's citizens and visitors its importance within the British colonies. Provincial court met on the ground floor, the Commons House of Assembly and the Royal Governor's Council Chamber met on the second floor.

Ethnic and religious diversity

While the earliest settlers primarily came from England, colonial Charleston was also home to a mixture of ethnic and religious groups. In colonial times, Boston, Massachusetts and Charleston were sister cities, and people of means spent summers in Boston and winters in Charleston. There was a great deal of trade with Bermuda and the Caribbean, and some people came to live in Charleston from these areas. French, Scottish, Irish, and Germans migrated to the developing seacoast town, representing numerous Protestant denominations, as well as Catholicism and Judaism. Sephardic Jews migrated to the city in such numbers that Charleston eventually became, by the beginning of the 19th Century and until about 1830, the largest and wealthiest Jewish community in North America [4] [5] [6] [7]. The Jewish Coming Street Cemetery, first established in 1762, attests to their long-standing presence in the community. The first Anglican church, St. Philip's Episcopal Church, was built in 1682, although later destroyed by fire and relocated to its current location. Slaves also comprised a major portion of the population, and were active in the city's religious community. Free black Charlestonians and slaves helped establish the Old Bethel United Methodist Church in 1797, and the congregation of the Emanuel A.M.E. Church stems from a religious group organized solely by African Americans, free and slave, in 1791. The first American museum opened to the public on January 12, 1773 in Charleston. From the mid-18th century a large amount of immigration was taking place in the upcountry of the Carolinas, some of it coming from abroad through Charleston, but also much of it a southward movement from Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, until the upstate population was larger than the coastal population. The upstaters were viewed by Charlestonians as being not as polished in many ways, and had different interests, setting the stage for several generations of conflicts between upstate and the Charleston elite.

Major Atlantic port

By the mid-18th century Charleston had become a bustling trade center, the hub of the Atlantic trade for the southern colonies, and the wealthiest and largest city south of Philadelphia. By 1770 it was the fourth largest port in the colonies, after only Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, with a population of 11,000, slightly more than half of that slaves. Rice and indigo had been successfully cultivated by gentleman planters in the surrounding coastal low-country. Those and naval stores were exported in an extremely profitable shipping industry. It was the cultural and economic center of the South.

American Revolution

As the relationship between the colonists and England deteriorated, Charleston became a focal point in the ensuing Revolution. In protest of the Tea Act of 1773, which embodied the concept of taxation without representation, Charlestonians confiscated tea and stored it in the Exchange and Custom House. Representatives from all over the colony came to the Exchange in 1774 to elect delegates to the Continental Congress, the group responsible for drafting the Declaration of Independence; and South Carolina declared its independence from the crown on the steps of the Exchange. Soon, the church steeples of Charleston, especially St. Michael's, became targets for British war ships causing rebel forces to paint the steeples black to blend with the night sky.

It was twice the target of British attacks. At every stage the British strategy assumed a large base of Loyalist supporters who would rally to the King given some military support. In June 1776 General Clinton with 2,000 men and a naval squadron tried to seize Charleston, hoping for a simultaneous Loyalist uprising in South Carolina. It seemed a cheap way of waging the war but it failed as the naval force was defeated by Fort Moultrie and William Moultrie from Sullivan's Island aided in the defense of the city. Additionaly, no local Loyalists attacked the town from behind as the British had hoped. The loyalists were too poorly organized to be effective, but as late as 1780 senior officials in London, misled by Loyalist exiles, placed their confidence in their rising.

Clinton returned in February 1779 with 14,000 soldiers. American General Benjamin Lincoln was trapped and surrendered his entire 5400 men force, the greatest American defeat of the war (see Henry Clinton "Commander in Chief" section for more). Clinton returned to New York, leaving General Cornwallis with 8000 Redcoats to rally Loyalists, built forts across the state, and demand oaths of allegiance to the King. They retained control of the city until December 1782. After the British left the city's name was officially changed to Charleston in 1783.

Commerce and Expansion

By 1788, Carolinians were meeting at the Capitol building for the Constitutional Ratification Convention, and while there was support for the Federal Government, division arose over the location of the new State Capital. A suspicious fire broke out in the Capitol building during the Convention, after which the delegates removed to the Exchange and decreed Columbia the new State Capital. By 1792, the Capitol had been rebuilt and became the Charleston County Courthouse. Upon its completion, the city possessed all the public buildings necessary to be transformed from a colonial capital to the center of the antebellum South. But the grandeur and number of buildings erected in the following century reflect the optimism, pride, and civic destiny that many Charlestonians felt for their community.

As Charleston grew, so did the community's cultural and social opportunities, especially for the elite merchants and planters. The first theater building in America was built in Charleston in 1736, but was later replaced by the 19th-century Planter's Hotel where wealthy planters stayed during Charleston's horse-racing season (now the Dock Street Theatre). Benevolent societies were formed by several different ethnic groups: the South Carolina Society, founded by French Huguenots in 1737; the German Friendly Society, founded in 1766; and the Hibernian Society, founded by Irish immigrants in 1801. The Charleston Library Society was established in 1748 by some wealthy Charlestonians who wished to keep up with the scientific and philosophical issues of the day. This group also helped establish the College of Charleston in 1770, the oldest college in South Carolina and the 13th oldest in the United States.

Charleston became more prosperous in the plantation-dominated economy of the post-Revolutionary years. The invention of the cotton gin in 1793 revolutionized this crop's production, and it quickly became South Carolina's major export. Cotton plantations relied heavily on slave labor. Slaves were also the primary labor force within the city, working as domestics, artisans, market workers or laborers. Many black Charlestonians spoke Gullah, a dialect based on African American structures which combined African, French, German, English, and Dutch words. In 1807 the Charleston Market was founded. It soon became a hub for the African-American community, with many slaves and free people of color staffing stalls.

By 1820 Charleston's population had grown to 23,000, with a black majority. When a massive slave revolt planned by Denmark Vesey, a free black, was discovered in 1822, such hysteria ensued amidst white Charlestonians and Carolinians that the activities of free blacks and slaves were severely restricted. Hundreds of blacks, free and slave, and some white supporters involved in the planned uprising were held in the Old Jail. It also was the impetus for the construction of a new State Arsenal in Charleston. Recently, research published by historian Michael P. Johnson of Johns Hopkins University has cast doubt on the veracity of the accounts detailing Vesey's aborted slave revolt.

As Charleston's government, society and industry grew, commercial institutions were established to support the community's aspirations. The Bank of South Carolina, the second oldest building constructed as a bank in the nation, was established here in 1798. Branches of the First and Second Bank of the United States were also located in Charleston in 1800 and 1817. While the First Bank was converted to City Hall by 1818, the Second Bank proved to be a vital part of the community as it was the only bank in the city equipped to handle the international transactions so crucial to the export trade. By 1840, the Market Hall and Sheds, where fresh meat and produce were brought daily, became the commercial hub of the city. The slave trade also depended on the port of Charleston, where ships could be unloaded and the slaves sold at markets.

Pre-Civil War Political Changes

In the first half of the 19th century, South Carolinians became more devoted to the idea that state's rights were superior to the Federal government's authority. Buildings such as the Marine Hospital ignited controversy over the degree in which the Federal government should be involved in South Carolina's government, society, and commerce. During this period over 90 percent of Federal funding was generated from import duties, collected by custom houses such as the one in Charleston. In 1832 South Carolina passed an ordinance of nullification, a procedure in which a state could in effect repeal a Federal law, directed against the most recent tariff acts. Soon Federal soldiers were dispensed to Charleston's forts and began to collect tariffs by force. A compromise was reached by which the tariffs would be gradually reduced, but the underlying argument over state's rights would continue to escalate in the coming decades. Charleston remained one of the busiest port cities in the country, and the construction of a new, larger United States Custom House began in 1849, but its construction was interrupted by the events of the Civil War.

Prior to the 1860 election, the National Democratic Convention convened in Charleston. Hibernian Hall served as the headquarters for the delegates supporting Stephen A. Douglas, who it was hoped would bridge the gap between the northern and southern delegates on the issue of extending slavery to the territories. The convention disintegrated when delegates were unable to summon a two-thirds majority for any candidate. This divisiveness resulted in a split in the Democratic Party, and the election of Abraham Lincoln, the Republican candidate.

American Civil War and Reconstruction

See the main article Charleston, SC in the Civil War.

On December 20, 1860, the South Carolina General Assembly made the state the first to ever secede from the Union. They asserted that one of the causes was the election to the presidency of a man "whose opinions and purposes are hostile to slavery", but there are other numerous causes as well.

On January 9, 1861, Citadel cadets fired the first shots of the American Civil War when they opened fire on the Union ship Star of the West entering Charleston's harbor. On April 12, 1861, shore batteries under the command of General Pierre G. T. Beauregard opened fire on the Union-held Fort Sumter in the harbor. After a 34-hour bombardment, Major Robert Anderson surrendered the fort. Officers and Cadets from The Citadel were assigned to various Confederate batteries during the bombardment of Fort Sumter. Although the Citadel continued to operate as an academy during the Civil War, cadets were made a part of the South Carolina military department along with the cadets from the Arsenal Academy in Columbia, to form the Battalion of State Cadets. Cadets from both institutions continued to aid the Confederate army by helping drill recruits, manufacture ammunition, protect arms depots, and guard Union prisoners. In December of 1864 Citadel and Arsenal Cadets were ordered to join Confederate forces at Tullifinny Creek, South Carolina where they engaged in pitched battles with advancing units of General W. T. Sherman's army, suffering eight casualties. In all, The Citadel Corps of Cadets earned eight battle streamers and one service streamer for its service to South Carolina during the War. The city under siege took control of Fort Sumter, became the center for blockade running, and was the site of the first successful submarine warfare on February 17, 1864 when the H.L. Hunley made a daring night attack on the USS Housatonic[8]. In 1865, Union troops moved into the city, and took control of many sites, such as the United States Arsenal, which the Confederate army had seized at the outbreak of the war. The War department also confiscated the grounds and buildings of the Citadel Military Academy, which was used as a federal garrison for over 17 years, until its return to the state and reopening as a military college in 1882.

After the eventual and destructive defeat of the Confederacy, Federal forces remained in Charleston during the city's reconstruction. The war had shattered the prosperity of the antebellum city. Freed slaves were faced with poverty and discrimination. Industries slowly brought the city and its inhabitants back to a renewed vitality and growth in population. As the city's commerce improved, Charlestonians also worked to restore their community institutions. In 1867 Charleston's first free secondary school for blacks was established, the Avery Institute. General William T. Sherman lent his support to the conversion of the United States Arsenal into the Porter Military Academy, an educational facility for former soldiers and boys left orphaned or destitute by the war. Porter Military Academy later joined with Gaud School and is now a well-known K-12 prep school, Porter-Gaud School. The William Enston Homes, a planned community for the city's aged and infirmed, was built in 1889. An elaborate public building, the United States Post Office and Courthouse, was completed in 1896 and signaled renewed life in the heart of the city.

In 1886 Charleston was nearly destroyed by an earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter Scale that was felt as far away as Boston and Bermuda. It damaged 2,000 buildings and caused $6 million worth of damage ($133 million(2006 USD)) , while in the whole city the buildings were only valued at approximately $24 million($531 million(2006 USD)).^[1]

Yet, through many fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, several wars, and urban renewal in the 20th century, many of Charleston's historic buildings remain intact to this day.

Modern-day

Charleston is a notable tourist destination, with streets lined with grand live oaks draped with Spanish moss. Along the waterfront in an area known as "Rainbow Row" are many beautiful and historic pastel-colored homes. The city is also an important port, boasting the second largest container seaport on the East Coast and the fourth largest container seaport in North America.^[2] It is also the second most productive port in the World behind Hong Kong. Charleston is becoming a prime location for technology jobs and corporations. In the city's downtown area, the medical district is experiencing rapid growth of biotechnology and medical research coupled with substantial expansions of hospital facilities at the Medical University of South Carolina and Roper Hospital. It is also home to the very prestigious all-girls school named Ashley Hall, which was founded in 1909 and the Porter-Gaud School, founded in 1867.

Hurricane Hugo hit Charleston in 1989, and though the worst damage was in nearby McClellanville, the storm damaged three-quarters of the homes in Charleston's historic district. The hurricane caused over $2.8 billion in damage.

In 1993, the world's first squadron of the significant C-17 Globemaster III aircraft was established at Charleston Air Force base.

In 2004, SPAWAR (US Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command) became the largest employer in the Charleston metropolitan area. Until 2004, the Medical University of South Carolina was the largest employer.

Charleston is the home of a Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP). It is part of an initiative by the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide mail order prescriptions to veterans using computerization at strategic locations throughout the United States.

Geography and climate

Charleston is located at 32.78° N 79.93° W.^GR1

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 347.5 km² (147.1 mi²). 251.2 km² (97.0 mi²) of it is land and 44.3 km² (17.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 15% water. The old city is located on a peninsula at the point where, as Charlestonians say, "The Ashley and the Cooper Rivers come together to form the Atlantic Ocean." The entire peninsula is very low, some of it is landfill material, and as such, it frequently floods during heavy rains, storm surges and unusually high tides. The city limits have expanded across the Ashley River from the peninsula encompassing the majority of West Ashley as well as James Island and some of Johns Island. The city limits also have expanded across the Cooper River encompassing Daniel Island and the Cainhoy area. North Charleston blocks any expansion up the peninsula, and Mount Pleasant occupies the land directly east of the Cooper River.

The tidal rivers (Wando, Cooper, Stono, and Ashley) are evidence of a submergent or drowned coastline. In other words, the original rivers had a lower base line, but as the ocean rose or the land sank, the landform was changed. There is a submerged river delta off the mouth of the harbor, and the rivers are deep, affording a good location for a port. The rising of the ocean may be due to melting of glacial ice during the end of the ice age.

In recent decades, the urban area of the city has become elongated along Interstate 26, while being fairly short from east to west. Today areas with a population density of over 1,000 people per square mile extends continuously from the tip of the peninsula out to the Summerville area.

Climate

Summer is the wettest season; almost half of the annual rainfall occurrs during the summer months. Fall remains relatively warm through November. Winter is short and mild, and is characterized by occasional rain. Snow flurries rarely occur. The highest temperature recorded was 104.0°F (40.0°C), on June 2, 1985, and the lowest temperature recorded was 10.0°F (-12.2°C) on January 21, 1985.^[3]

Metropolitan area

The Charleston Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of three counties: Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester. It is also made up of portions of Georgetown, Williamsburg, and Colleton Counties. As of 2005, it was estimated that the center three Counties in this metro had a total population of about 600,000 people. Charleston has several large suburbs. North Charleston is nearly as populated as Charleston itself and ranks as the 3rd largest city in the state. Mount Pleasant and Summerville are the next largest suburbs. The traditional parish system persisted until the Reconstruction, when counties were imposed. Nevertheless, traditional parishes still exist in various capacities, mainly as public service districts. The city of Charleston proper, which was originally defined by the limits of the Parish of St. Philip & St. Michael. It now also includes parts of St. James' Parish, St. George's Parish, St. Andrew's Parish, and St. John's Parish, although the last two are mostly still incorporated rural parishes.

In the more detailed results of Census 2000, the Charleston-North Charleston metropolitan area had a population of 549,033, of which about 78% lived inside the central city and its surrounding urban area. At that time, the Charleston-North Charleston Urbanized Area proper consisted of 423,410 people (including the suburbs listed below). This population makes Charleston-North Charleston and Columbia essentially tied as the two largest individual urbanized areas within the state. The Charleston MSA also includes a separate and much smaller urban area within Berkeley County, Moncks Corner (2000 pop.: 9,123).

Cities and towns in the metro area

• Town of Awendaw
• City of Folly Beach
• City of Hanahan
• City of Isle of Palms
• Town of James Island
• Town of Mount Pleasant
• City of North Charleston
• Town of Sullivan's Island
• Town of Summerville
• City of Goose Creek
• Town of Moncks Corner
• Town of Hollywood
• Town of Rockville
• Town of Meggett
• Town of McClellanville
• Town of St. Stephen

Other unincorporated areas

• Johns Island
• Wadmalaw Island
• Morris Island
• St. Stephen
• Dewee's Island

Military bases

• Charleston Air Force Base
• Coast Guard Sector Charleston
• Charleston Navy Base - (Weapons Station & Naval Prison)It also has a Hospital at the Former Ship Yard in North Charleston.
• Charleston Army Depot - In North Charleston

Economy

Charleston's economy is mainly based on its busy port and tourism.The city is also home to many major companies.

Major Companies in the Charleston Metropolitan Area:

• Amoco-Distribution Center
• Blackbaud Corporate center
• Bosch-Plant
• Carolina First Bank - Charleston regional offices
• Hess-Distribution Center
• Nucor-Plant
• Verizon Wireless - South Eastern Corporate Center
• Vought-Plant for assembling the Dreamliner

The Port

The Port of Charleston consists of five terminals. Three are on the Harbor and the other two are on the Cooper River just north of the Charleston's bustling harbor. The port is ranked number one in North America by Supply Chain Execs.

Piers

• Columbus Street Terminal
• North Charleston Terminal
• Union Pier Terminal
• Veterans Terminal
• Wando Welch Terminal
• A new terminal will be built to accommodate the growing needs of the port. It will be located on the former Naval Shipyard Grounds.

Shopping Malls

• Centre Pointe
• Citadel Mall
• Downtown Shopping District - This includes portions of King Street, Meeting Street
• Mount Pleasant Towne Centre (An outdoor mall in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina)
• Northwoods Mall
• Tanger Outlet Mall
• The Market
• The Shops at Charleston Place

Major Department Stores

• Belk - 4 locations
• Dillard's - 2 locations
• JCPenney - 2 locations
• Saks Fifth Avenue
• Sears - 3 locations

Culture

Dialect

Charleston's unique (though vanishing) dialect has long been noted in the South and elsewhere, for the singular attributes it possesses. Alone among the various regional Southern dialects, Charlestonian speakers inglide long mid vowels, such as the raising for /ay/ and /aw/. Some attribute these unique features of Charleston's speech to its early settlement by the French Huguenots and Sephardic Jews, both of which played influential parts in Charleston's development and history. However, given Charleston's high concentration of African-Americans that spoke the Gullah language, the speech patterns more than likely were majorly influenced by the dialect of the Gullah African-American community.

Today, the Gullah language and dialect is still spoken among African-American locals. However rapid development, especially on the surrounding sea islands, is slowly diminishing its prominence.

Two important works which shed light on Charleston's early dialect are "Charleston Provincialisms" and "The Huguenot Element in Charleston's Provincialisms," both written by Sylvester Primer. Further scholarship is needed on the influence of Sephardic Jews to the speech patterns of Charleston.

Religion

The city has long been noted for its numerous churches and denomination. It is the seat of both the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston and the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina. One of the only remaining Huguenot Congregations in America is located in the city. It also has a large and historic Jewish population. The city is home to many well known churches, cathedrals, and synagogues. The churchtower spotted skyline is one of the reasons for the city's nickname, "The Holy City." One testament to Charleston's religious nature is the old city law that no building's height may exceed St. Michael's church steeple on Meeting Street. Historically, Charleston was one of the most religiously tolerant cities in the New World. Recently, the conservative Episcopal diocese of South Carolina, headquartered in Charleston, has been one of the key players in potential schism of the Anglican Church. Charleston is home to the only African-American Seventh Day Baptist Church congregation in the Seventh Day Baptist General Conference of the United States and Canada. The First Baptist Church of Charleston is the oldest Baptist church in the South and the first Southern Baptist Church in existence.

Annual cultural events and fairs

Charleston annually hosts Spoleto Festival USA, a 17-day art festival featuring over 100 performances by individual artists in a variety of disciplines. Charleston's "other" festival is the MOJA Arts Festival, which is a major, two-week celebration of African-American and Caribbean arts, music, and culture. The Southeastern Wildlife Exposition is also held in the city, as well as the Charleston Food + Wine Festival, Family Circle Tennis Cup, Cooper River Bridge Run and the Charleston Maritime Festival, which is held annually in May and features tall ships, boatbuilding, and the Charleston to Bermuda Race.

Media

The local daily newspaper in Charleston is The Post and Courier. Other newspapers include the Charleston City Paper and The Charleston Regional Business Journal. A monthly magazine, "Charleston," explores the cultural life of the city and the surrounding area. Charleston is also home to a website called "The Charleston Crystal Ball" which broadcasts live video of different music venues and pubs around the area, as well as the views of neighboring Folly Beach.

Charleston is also served by many local television and radio stations, and is the nation's 100th largest Designated market area (DMA), with 285,730 households and 0.257% of the U.S. Charleston's major network television affiliates include

• WCBD-TV 2 (NBC)(CW)
• WCIV-TV 4 (ABC)
• WCSC-TV 5 (CBS)
• WITV-TV 7
• WJRB-TV 18 (TeleFutura)
• WAZS-TV 22 (Azteca America)
• WTAT-TV 24 (FOX)
• WMMP-TV 36 (MyTV)
• WJNI-TV 42 (America One)
• WCHD-TV 49

Radio

• 1640 XSUR - 70s & 80s ("Surfside 1640")
• College of Charleston Radio COFC RADIO - Streaming on the web, playing everything underground.

See also: List of radio stations in Charleston

Museums and historical attractions

As an old colonial city, Charleston has a wide variety of museums and historical attractions. The Old Exchange and Customs House in downtown Charleston, finished in 1771, is arguably the third most important Colonial building in the nation (behind Faneuil Hall in Boston, Massachusetts and Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). The building features a dungeon which held various signers of the Declaration of Independence, and also hosted events for George Washington in 1791, and the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1788. It has also served as a U.S. post office, the first Confederate post office, and was used by the United States Coast Guard.

Charleston is the location of Fort Moultrie, which was instrumental in delivering a critical defeat to the British in the American Revolutionary War, and Fort Sumter, the reputed site of the "first shot" of the American Civil War. Patriot's Point, located across the river in nearby Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, is also home to the USS Yorktown as well as several other naval vessels. There are also several former plantations in the area, including Boone Hall Plantation, Drayton Hall, Magnolia Plantation, and Middleton Place. Charleston's premier art museum is the Gibbes Museum of Art, one of the country's oldest art organizations and home to over 10,000 works of fine art. Also the Charleston Museum was the first Museum in the Americas. Other attractions include the South Carolina Aquarium, the Audubon Swamp Garden, Cypress Gardens, and Charles Towne Landing.

Sports

There are currently no major league sports in the city of Charleston. The Charleston Battery, a professional soccer team plays in the USL First Division. The Charleston Battery play in the Blackbaud Stadium.

There are several minor league teams, including the Charleston RiverDogs, a Minor League Baseball team that play in the South Atlantic League and are an affiliate of the New York Yankees. The RiverDogs play at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. The South Carolina Stingrays are an ice hockey team that play in the ECHL and are an affiliate of the Washington Capitals. The Stingrays play at the North Charleston Coliseum. The newest addition to the city are the Carolina Sandsharks of the American Indoor Football Association.

Other notable sports venues in the Charleston area include Family Circle Magazine Stadium (home of the WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women, the Family Circle Cup) and Johnson Hagood Stadium (home of the The Citadel Bulldogs football team). Construction of the Palmetto Bowl is expected to begin in 2006 or 2007, depending on the availability of funds. The College of Charleston plans to build Carolina First Center which will seat 5,000-6,000 people for the school's basketball & volleyball teams.

Charleston in fiction

See also: List of television shows and movies in Charleston, South Carolina

Several books have been written which utilize Charleston as a setting. In addition, Citadel alumnus and novelist Pat Conroy often writes about Charleston.

The Gullah opera Porgy and Bess is set in Charleston.

Clive Barker's novel, Galilee, takes place partly in Charleston, as does Josephine Humphreys's 1987 novel Rich in Love.

In Harry Turtledove's Timeline-191 alternate history series about a Confederacy that won the Civil War, Charleston suffers an airstrike from an American aircraft carrier in the summer of 1941, in response to the Confederate invasion of Ohio.

Rafael Sabatini's novel, The Carolinian, takes place mostly in Charles Town between the years 1775-9.

The 1991 bestseller Scarlett, sequel to Gone with the Wind, was partially set in Charleston, where Scarlett goes in the hope of getting her husband back. Rhett Butler, in both the original and in the sequel, is originally from Charleston. In fact, Alexandra Ripley, authoress of 'Scarlett', derived inspiration from the city for her novel Charleston and its sequel On Leaving Charleston.

The movie The Notebook was almost entirely filmed in and around Charleston, South Carolina.

Charleston was also destroyed by a nuclear explosion in the 1983 made-for-television film Special Bulletin, which was presented as a realistic news broadcast of a terrorist event.

Infrastructure

Government

Image:CharlestonSCseal.jpg

• Mayor: Joseph P. Riley, Jr.
• Mayor Pro Tempore: Deborah Morinelli
• Council Members:

• Henry B. Fishburne, Jr.
• Deborah Morinelli
• James Lewis, Jr.
• Jimmy S. Gallant, III
• Wendell G. Gilliard
• Louis L. Waring
• Yvonne D. Evans
• Paul Tinkler
• Larry D. Shirley
• Anne Frances Bleecker
• G. Robert George

• Fire Chief: Russell Thomas
• Police Chief: Greg Mullen - Former Deputy Chief of Police in the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia.
  • Previously Reuben Greenberg — (He resigned August 12, 2005 amid controversy and unspecified health reasons at the recommendation of his personal doctor, Dr. Allen Rashford. Chief Greenberg had come under fire recently because of actions related to his temper.) Lt. Colonel Edward Hethington is Interim Chief. Greenberg, who served as Charleston's Chief of Police for twenty-three years, has occasionally made national news, if nothing else than for the most basic facts of his background and their uncommon combination in one person (Texan, African American, and Jewish), which has caused consternation in 60 Minutes correspondents (who devoted a segment to him) and Zulus (a Zulu guard is said to have barred him from entering a South African