The Charleston Community
Charleston and the surrounding countryside are steeped in history. Beneath the current of daily life is an awareness that we are just the latest generation to enjoy living here. One of the city’s names is the Holy City. From the sea it is easy to see why, with its many church steeples defining the skyline of what many believe to be the most charming and livable city in the United States. The Huguenot Church is a vibrant example of this historical and modern synthesis.
Charleston was founded in 1670 as Charles Towne, and is the earliest European colonial city in the grant issued by King Charles II in 1663 to the Lords Proprietors of Carolina. The earliest settlement was on the west side of the Ashley River, but by 1672 some of the early settlers had moved to Oyster Point, the part of town now known as the Battery.
Traditionally, Charleston has been known for agriculture, shipping, military and government
installations, and higher education. The city was one of the early colonial centers of culture,
sharing that role with Philadelphia, Boston, and New York. Charleston was the richest of the four because of the wealth created through the cultivation and sale of rice. Just as white settlers like the Huguenots populated the area seeking economic opportunity and religious freedom, Charleston was becoming very active in the English-American slave trade. A great majority of Black Americans can trace their families to Charleston as their ancestors’ port of entry into the New World.
Charleston has played a pivotal role in the two major military conflicts staged on American soil. During the American Revolution, all of South Carolina saw decisive revolutionary battles from the upcountry backwoods to the plantation lowlands surrounding Charleston. Francis Marion, a native-born Huguenot known as The Swamp Fox, made a name for himself tormenting and raiding the British regulars. Charleston Harbor was the site of the famous surprise victory of an ill-prepared militia, which turned back the British Naval contingent in what is known as the Battle of Ft. Moultrie. Just over a hundred years later, on December 20, 1860 the announcement was made in Charleston that the State of South Carolina had seceded from the Union, leading all of the other Southern states into a Confederacy that lasted four years. The first shots of that war were fired in April 1861 in the bombardment of Ft. Sumter by Confederate batteries located on nearby James Island.
Today, Charleston is enjoying yet another of its many periods of renaissance. The area sees over five million visitors a year, making tourism and hospitality one of the chief industries in the area.
Culture is flourishing here with a world-class symphony, theatre and dance groups, as well as Spoleto Festival USA. Tourists fill the city for the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, house and garden tours, and lectures in arts and sciences. They also come to enjoy the area beaches, state and local parks and the aquarium. Charleston’s list of attractions is long, the climate is temperate and many people relocate here. The Medical University of South Carolina is the state’s main medical teaching center, and attracts researchers from all over the world. High tech companies also enjoy the quality of life in the area, with Blackbaud and Automated Trading desk as two examples. Most recently, aerospace giant Boeing made headlines worldwide by selecting North Charleston as the location of its assembly center for the Boeing Dreamliner. Charleston is simply an amazing place to live.
Copyright 2022 French Huguenot Church
Charleston was founded in 1670 as Charles Towne, and is the earliest European colonial city in the grant issued by King Charles II in 1663 to the Lords Proprietors of Carolina. The earliest settlement was on the west side of the Ashley River, but by 1672 some of the early settlers had moved to Oyster Point, the part of town now known as the Battery.
Traditionally, Charleston has been known for agriculture, shipping, military and government
installations, and higher education. The city was one of the early colonial centers of culture,
sharing that role with Philadelphia, Boston, and New York. Charleston was the richest of the four because of the wealth created through the cultivation and sale of rice. Just as white settlers like the Huguenots populated the area seeking economic opportunity and religious freedom, Charleston was becoming very active in the English-American slave trade. A great majority of Black Americans can trace their families to Charleston as their ancestors’ port of entry into the New World.
Charleston has played a pivotal role in the two major military conflicts staged on American soil. During the American Revolution, all of South Carolina saw decisive revolutionary battles from the upcountry backwoods to the plantation lowlands surrounding Charleston. Francis Marion, a native-born Huguenot known as The Swamp Fox, made a name for himself tormenting and raiding the British regulars. Charleston Harbor was the site of the famous surprise victory of an ill-prepared militia, which turned back the British Naval contingent in what is known as the Battle of Ft. Moultrie. Just over a hundred years later, on December 20, 1860 the announcement was made in Charleston that the State of South Carolina had seceded from the Union, leading all of the other Southern states into a Confederacy that lasted four years. The first shots of that war were fired in April 1861 in the bombardment of Ft. Sumter by Confederate batteries located on nearby James Island.
Today, Charleston is enjoying yet another of its many periods of renaissance. The area sees over five million visitors a year, making tourism and hospitality one of the chief industries in the area.
Culture is flourishing here with a world-class symphony, theatre and dance groups, as well as Spoleto Festival USA. Tourists fill the city for the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, house and garden tours, and lectures in arts and sciences. They also come to enjoy the area beaches, state and local parks and the aquarium. Charleston’s list of attractions is long, the climate is temperate and many people relocate here. The Medical University of South Carolina is the state’s main medical teaching center, and attracts researchers from all over the world. High tech companies also enjoy the quality of life in the area, with Blackbaud and Automated Trading desk as two examples. Most recently, aerospace giant Boeing made headlines worldwide by selecting North Charleston as the location of its assembly center for the Boeing Dreamliner. Charleston is simply an amazing place to live.
Copyright 2022 French Huguenot Church