Historic Downtown Charleston SC History

Locals and Owners of Historic Downtown Charleston SC Real Estate Live Abound in History

To wander the streets of historic downtown Charleston is to walk in the footsteps of Revolutionary War heroes, signers of the Declaration of Independence, and authors of the United States Constitution. Many of the buildings of old Charleston real estate still bear their names, and their descendents still live and work here. Locals and owners of Charleston SC real estate are quick to point out that while other “Colonial towns” may be replicas, Charleston, South Carolina is the real thing: a city whose people and architecture have survived the ages and prevailed through the best – and worst – of times.

Charles Towne was founded in 1670 along the banks of the Ashley River as the first European settlement in the Carolinas. Ten years later, the community relocated to its current site on the Charleston SC peninsula overlooking the Charleston Harbor.

By the early 1700s, the port city of Charlestown was a thriving trading center, which enticed a diverse population with its promise of freedom of religion for locals and owners of Charleston real estate. Planters, tourists, and traders came to and purchased Charleston SC real estate for business and pleasure. Many built their homes here and stayed. Wealthy merchants constructed impressive homes along Charleston's narrow streets, their fortunes made in cash crops like rice, indigo, and later cotton. By the end of the 18th century, the city of Charleston was well on its way to becoming one of the wealthiest cities in the colonies.

Becoming Independent
Even as Charleston continued to thrive into the 18th century, the question of whether or not to remain loyal to their King of England split families apart. Charleston, torn between its past allegiance and an uncertain future, eventually faced a siege of British troops, which occupied the city for much of the Revolutionary War era. But when the Red Coats finally left, Charleston SC regained its footing and resumed its role as a leader in the formation of a new nation.

One hundred years later, another war would leave Charleston in shambles. On April 12, 1861, locals and owners of Charleston SC real estate gathered atop their rooftops near the tip of the great antebellum city to watch and cheer their heroes in the first battle of the “War Between the States.” For 34 hours, the Confederate troops at Fort Johnson bombarded the federally-held Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, driving Lincoln’s army from the South’s most precious shipping channel.

But the tide would turn all too soon. Charleston SC endured 567 consecutive days of bombardment, the longest in history. The opulence that once distinguished the most beautiful city in the South was tattered or destroyed, leaving the treasures of Charleston on the ash heap of history. Charleston was down, but it was not out, as plans for restoration were never far from the minds of true locals and owners of Charleston SC real estate.

Reclaiming the Past, Looking to the Future
After the turn of the 20th century, an arduous process of re-birth began as many worked to restore Charleston and its real estate to its former glory. The result of this passion to reclaim the past hailed the dawning of the “urban resort” that is Charleston today. With the glorious resurrection of the past half-decade, Charleston, South Carolina has claimed the hearts and souls of many, as city officials clamor to preserve the best of the past, while taking its citizens and owners of Charleston SC real estate into the future.

Charleston is historic and modern, European and American, bold in its planning and cautious in its execution. To its devoted citizens and owners of Charleston real estate, it is all these things and more. The “urban resort” sections of this antebellum city offers an interesting mix of old Southerners whose families have lived in Charleston for generations, and those from across the nation and around the world who were lucky enough to discover and purchase their Charleston SC real estate in order to make the city of Charleston their home.