As one of the 13 original colonies, South Carolina has a long and storied history, rich with Native Americans, swashbuckling adventures, and wartime tragedies. We’ll unroll a few facts you may not know about the coastal communities.
1. Founded in 1670, Charleston was the fourth largest city in colonial America, as well as the richest.
2. The region is home to one of the country’s oldest living trees —The Angel Oak. Located on Johns Island, this live oak is about 500 years old. The oak stands 66.5 feet tall and measures 28 feet in circumference. From tip-to-tip, its longest branch is 187 feet long.
3. Legendary pirate Blackbeard, aka Edward Teach, was known to sail the waters around Charleston, as did many other pirates from 1670-1720. The gentleman pirate, Stede Bonnet, also spent time in the region. He was eventually captured on Sullivan’s Island and hanged in Charleston. Anne Bonney grew up in Charleston.
4. Ever heard of the Boo Hag? This mythical creature of Gullah folklore is said to inhabit the swamps of the coast. The boo hag uses witchcraft to steal energy from the living, gaining sustenance from a person’s breath.
5. From 1827-1828, poet and author Edgar Allan Poe was stationed at Fort Moultrie. He was only 18 when the Army assigned him to Fort Moultrie in November 1827. Already a published poet, he enlisted as Edgar A. Perry. Sullivan’s Island stayed with him, serving as the setting for three of his stories: “The Gold Bug,” “The Balloon Hoax,” and “The Oblong Box.”
6. The first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter on James Island on April 12, 1861. Sullivan’s Island was a first line of defense in the colonial days when Fort Moultrie was constructed.
7. The CSS H.L. Hunley, a Civil War submarine, was discovered in 1995, four miles off the coast of Sullivan’s Island. The Hunley was raised in 2000 and is on display at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center in Charleston. The Hunley is the first submarine in history to sink an enemy ship, the Housatonic. The Hunley did not survive the attack and sank, killing all eight crewmembers. The remains of the crew were found at their stations.
8. Several films and TV shows have been filmed in Charleston, Kiawah Island, and Isle of Palm, including “The Notebook,” “Dear John,” “The Patriot,” “Swamp Thing,” and “Outer Banks.”
9. An unusual natural occurrence occurs between April and November when dolphins strand feed in shallow waters. They communicate through high pitch whistles to work as a team and herd fish. Seabrook Island or Kiawah Island visitors occasionally witness a pod of dolphins during a strand feed.
Want to learn more? Come visit for a legendary adventure of your own.