The South Carolina Historical Society

The South Carolina Historical Society More than a museum, library, or archives: a treasury of knowledge to be discovered.
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As the state's oldest historical society, our mission is to expand, preserve, and make accessible our invaluable collection, and to encourage interest in the rich history of our state.

Beat the Charleston heat this Carolina Day weekend! Stop by our free Hydration Station at the Fireproof Building, where ...
06/14/2026

Beat the Charleston heat this Carolina Day weekend! Stop by our free Hydration Station at the Fireproof Building, where we'll be serving refreshing mocktails. Come relax, recharge, and stay cool with us!

Dates: Friday, June 26 and Saturday, June 27
Time: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Location: 100 Meeting Street, Charleston

06/12/2026

A replica of George Washington’s Revolutionary War headquarters tent has arrived in Charleston as part of the First Oval Office Project! Visitors can also explore a special exhibition inside Addlestone Library featuring rare Revolutionary-era materials from our collections alongside items from the College of Charleston Special Collections and the Avery Research Center.

We’re proud to share treasures from the SCHS archives that help tell the story of South Carolina’s role in the American Revolution and connect local experiences to the nation’s founding. Visit the exhibit inside the library before or after touring Washington’s Tent on Rivers Green.

📍Addlestone Library & Rivers Green, College of Charleston
June 13-14, 10 am-6 pm
Free and open to the public

We are excited to welcome our new Education Manager, Madyson Buchalski, to the team!A native of New Hampshire, Madyson h...
06/09/2026

We are excited to welcome our new Education Manager, Madyson Buchalski, to the team!
A native of New Hampshire, Madyson has a diverse background in the humanities. She received a BA in Anthropology and Art History with a History minor from Dartmouth College in 2024. She earned her Master of Arts in Public History from the University of South Carolina in May 2026, where her thesis examined how the language used in colonial treaties in New England shaped later federal policies towards Indigenous Nations across the United States. She has worked for organizations like Historic New England and the Archaeology Division of Washington State Parks, as well as the Hood Museum of Art and the exhibition design firm Ralph Appelbaum Associates. She also taught early American and European history while studying at the University of South Carolina. Madyson is excited to share the rich resources of the Society to students, teachers, and adults across the state through educational outreach.

Check out the newest episode of From the Vault, live now!This month’s episode is a collaboration with the Massachusetts ...
06/08/2026

Check out the newest episode of From the Vault, live now!

This month’s episode is a collaboration with the Massachusetts Historical Society. Our host, Sydney Derrick, interviewed C. James Taylor, the former Editor in Chief of the Adams Papers for the MHS and co-author of several books about the correspondence of our second president, John Adams, and his family. He talked with us about the relationship between Adams and one of the founding fathers from South Carolina, Henry Laurens. Taylor also co-edited some of the published volumes of Henry Laurens’s letters, so he’s the perfect person to compare and contrast the two men.

🔗 Link to listen in our bio!

With Carolina Days and South Carolina's 250th celebrations just ahead, we're featuring a September 3, 1783 letter from B...
06/06/2026

With Carolina Days and South Carolina's 250th celebrations just ahead, we're featuring a September 3, 1783 letter from Benjamin Franklin to Henry Laurens, South Carolina planter, politician, and former President of the Continental Congress, announcing that the Treaty of Paris had been signed, bringing the American Revolution to its official close.

You can see this letter in person at our upcoming pop-up exhibition; see the 🔗 link in our bio for Programs & Events!

06/04/2026

We recently received a generous gift of five World War II ration books!

During WWII, the U.S. government rationed everyday goods like sugar, meat, butter, and gasoline to support the war effort. Every American family received ration books filled with stamps, and without them, you simply couldn't buy what you needed.

We're grateful to welcome these five books into the South Carolina Historical Society's collection, where they'll help us tell the stories of Carolinians who lived through one of history's most defining moments.

To kick off June, we’re featuring one of the most expressive elements of historical manuscripts: the flourish. A flouris...
06/02/2026

To kick off June, we’re featuring one of the most expressive elements of historical manuscripts: the flourish. A flourish is an ornamental stroke of the pen, added to a letter or signature to embellish, identify, or simply delight.

Today’s featured document is a 1773 receipt from Edward Simons to Elias Ball for two thousand two hundred pounds, signed on behalf of Lydia Simons.
This document is held in our Manuscript Collection as part of the Ball Family Papers.

We're excited to welcome our newest intern, Hayden Thompson, to the SCHS team! Hayden, from Hendersonville, NC, is a ris...
06/01/2026

We're excited to welcome our newest intern, Hayden Thompson, to the SCHS team! Hayden, from Hendersonville, NC, is a rising senior at Sewanee, where she studies Politics and Sustainability. This summer, she'll be diving into archival research, working on projects in our archives and the Fireproof Building, including updating records on our collection of colonial and early South Carolina currency. She'll also be a part of our Carolina Day and Sestercentennial celebrations!

This 1931 plan shows the Ashley Forest subdivision in the West Ashley area of Charleston, surrounded by large pieces of ...
05/30/2026

This 1931 plan shows the Ashley Forest subdivision in the West Ashley area of Charleston, surrounded by large pieces of privately owned land. While some of the street names in this neighborhood are different today, its triangular shape remains.

The early 20th century brought a boom in subdivision development across the greater Charleston area. As car ownership grew and infrastructure like the Ashley River Bridge and Cooper River Bridge made travel more accessible, rural land began transforming into the neighborhoods we know today. Throughout the month, we've been sharing plans and advertisements that trace this evolution, and this post culminates our neighborhood series.

These Chicora Park neighborhood lots were advertised for their proximity to the Naval Station in North Charleston, which...
05/28/2026

These Chicora Park neighborhood lots were advertised for their proximity to the Naval Station in North Charleston, which had just opened in 1901, a year before this plan was printed. The original Chicora Park was an actual park, designed in the late 1800s by the Olmstead Brothers, who were the sons of Frederick Olmstead, who designed Central Park in New York. However, the area was purchased by the U.S. Navy in 1900 and developed into the Charleston Naval Yard.

The early 20th century saw a boom in the development of subdivisions in the greater Charleston area, as more cars filled the roads and notable bridges, like the Ashley River Bridge and Cooper River Bridge, were built to make travel easier. Throughout the month, we will be sharing plans and advertisements for early subdivision developments, showing how land was developed from rural areas into the neighborhoods we recognize today.

Address

100 Meeting Street
Charleston, SC
29401

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+18437233225

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