H.L. Hunley was a Confederate submersible that demonstrated the advantage of undersea warfare. The Hunley was the first submarine to engage and sink a warship. |
Founded and settled by English colonists in 1670. Charleston grew from
a colonial seaport to a wealthy city by the mid-eighteenth century. Through
the mid-nineteenth century, Charleston prospered from cultivation of rice,
cotton, indigo and its port activities. In April of 1861, Confederate
soldiers fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, thus signaling the
beginning of a devastating war. Charleston was slow to recover from the
events of the War Between the States; but its pace of recovery became the
foundation of the City's greatest assets. Short on capital through the
mid-twentieth century, Charleston hung on to its vast inventory of buildings,
using and reusing them instead of replacing them with newer structures.
After the war, the City gradually lessened its dependence on agriculture
and rebuilt its economy through trade and industry. Construction of the
Navy Yard in 1904, just north of the City's boundaries, pushed Charleston
vigorously into the twentieth century. During the first few decades of
the 1900's, industrial and port activities increased dramatically. Later
the major sources of capital came from the U.S. Naval Base, the medical
complex, the College of Charleston and growing tourism. In 1980 an estimated
2.1 million tourists visited Charleston and by 1995 that figure soared
to 5 million, infusing the county with an estimated 1.5 billion visitor
dollars.
For more Detailed History click here: http://www.segetaway.com/Charleston/Histoids.html
The City of Charleston is located on the shores of the Atlantic
Ocean at the juncture of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers. Occupying 88.14
square miles, Charleston has 7.6 square miles of a vital, bustling downtown
which is home to the City's central business district. The Peninsula's
dense urban streets set in dramatic contrast to the vast expanses of
marsh which lay in buffer around the highlands. Over half of the City's
population lives in West Ashley and James Island which lie just to the
west of the Peninsula. West Ashley and James Island are a mixture of old
and new; older neighborhoods with brick homes and graceful oak trees settle
in with newer subdivisions and commercial centers. Johns Island, more
rural in character, combines an intricate network of waterways with fertile
farmland, residential property and limited commercial development. Daniel
Island and the Cainhoy Peninsula, which lie east and north of the Peninsula,
are among the most recently annexed areas of the City. The pristine Daniel
Island, a full 4,500 acres in size, is just beginning to reflect the thoughtfully
planned, environmentally sensitive community mapped out in the Daniel
Island Master Plan. It is sure to be the future's complement to Charleston's
historic downtown.
Charleston is the second largest city in South Carolina with an estimated
1998 population of 100,122. Between 1980 and 1990 Charleston grew 15
percent while the nation as a whole grew 9.8 percent. The City's growth
is due to the annexed lands in West Ashley, James Island, Johns Island
and the Cainhoy Peninsula.
The Charleston Metropolitan Statistical Area encompasses three counties:
Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester. In 1990, the population of this tri-county
region was 506,875. More than 95 percent of the region's growth during
the past ten years occurred in the Metro Charleston area. The projected
population growth to the year 2015 is an additional 600,000 for the tri-county
area.
Charleston has a warm climate. In January the average temperature is 55 degrees F; in July, the average is 82 degrees. Humidity averages 86 percent; rainfall, 52 inches per year. The first frost typically occurs around December 10; the last usually occurs in mid-February.
Charleston offers a wide range of educational opportunities for
both children and adults. Charleston and Berkeley Public Schools System
consists of 110 schools and approximately 72,000 students. A nationally
recognized Business Education Partnership Program links public schools
with business leaders who help shape the schools' career education programs.
A bevy of private and parochial schools offer additional educational choices.
Since the founding of the College of Charleston in 1770, the City has been
a site of higher education. Today, the College of Charleston is a state-supported
liberal arts college and university with an enrollment of almost 10,000.
The Medical University, founded in 1824, includes the colleges of
Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Dentistry, Graduate Studies and Health Related
Professions. The Medical University's enrollment is 2,500. The Citadel
offers military education to 2,000 cadets and holds evening classes at
both undergraduate and graduate level for the general public. Trident Technical
College, with an enrollment of approximately 9,000, offers two-year technical
and college transfer programs. The internationally recognized Johnson
and Wales University grants degrees in the culinary arts. Other educational
institutions in the Charleston area include Charleston Southern University,
Webster University, Nielson Electronics Institute, Devry Institute of
Technology, Limestone College and Central Wesleyan College.
Throughout its history, Charleston has stood as a cultural capital of
the South. The performing arts are well represented here with a symphony
orchestra, community theater groups and several local ballet companies
performing regularly. The Gibbes Museum of Art and numerous art galleries,
along with the abundant examples of architectural excellence and craftsmanship,
expose residents and tourists to the visual arts. The Charleston Museum,
the oldest museum in North America, offers a captivating collection of
artifacts depicting lowcountry life from the time of the first settlers
through the twentieth century.
Each spring, Charleston hosts Spoleto Festival U.S.A., the most
comprehensive arts festival in the country. For two and one-half weeks,
the world's finest dancers, musicians and actors take to the stage in
a spirited homage to the arts culminating in a in a splendid finale at
Middleton Plantation - complete with symphonic fanfare and fireworks. Simultaneous
with Spoleto, the City's Office of Cultural Affairs offers a highly evolved
and sophisticated fringe festival, Piccolo Spoleto, which showcases the
best of regional talent. Informal, affordable and often a little zany and
off-beat, the typical Piccolo program includes sidewalk art shows, jazz,
classical music, film, crafts, theater, dance and much more, including
a long list of daily arts activities for children. Piccolo's tickets
average $5.00 but many events are free.
Other cultural events bringing visitors from afar are the annual
Moja African-American Arts Festival, Southeastern Wildlife Exposition,
Worldfest Charleston International Film Festival, and biannual House and
Garden Tours. Other events which attract visitors are the Harvest Festival
at the Charleston Farmers Market, the Christmas Parade of Boats in Charleston
Harbor and the Christmas in Charleston Celebration on King Street.
