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Charleston Culture

Charleston is well-known across the United States and beyond for its unique culture, which blends traditional southern American, English, French, and West African elements.

Charleston's unique but vanishing dialect has long been noted in the South and elsewhere, for the singular attributes it possesses. Alone among the various regional Southern accents, the Charleston accent traditionally has ingliding or monophonically long mid vowels, raises /ay/ and /aw/ in certain environments, and is non-rhotic. Some attribute these unique features of Charleston's speech to its early settlement by the French Huguenots and Sephardic Jews, both of which played influential parts in Charleston's development and history. However, given Charleston's high concentration of African-Americans that spoke the Gullah language, the speech patterns were more influenced by the dialect of the Gullah African-American community.

Today, the Gullah language and dialect is still spoken among African-American locals. However, rapid development, especially on the surrounding sea islands, is slowly diminishing its prominence.

Religion in Charleston

The city has long been noted for its numerous churches and denominations. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston, the seventh oldest diocese in the United States. The well noted Bishop John England, D.D. was the first Roman Catholic Bishop of this city. The city's oldest Roman Catholic parish, Saint Mary of the Annunciation Roman Catholic Church, is the mother church of Roman Catholicism to North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. It is also the Seat of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina. The city is home to one of two remaining Huguenot churches in America, the only one that is still a Protestant congregation.The city is home to many well known churches, cathedrals and synagogues. The church tower spotted skyline is one of the reasons for the city's nickname, "The Holy City." Historically, Charleston was one of the most religiously tolerant cities in the New World. Recently, the conservative Episcopal diocese of South Carolina, headquartered in Charleston, has been one of the key players in potential schism of the Anglican Church. Charleston is home to the only African-American Seventh Day Baptist Church congregation in the Seventh Day Baptist General Conference of the United States and Canada. The First Baptist Church of Charleston (1682) is the oldest Baptist church in the South and the first Southern Baptist Church in existence. It is also used as a private K-12 school.

Charleston also has a large and historic Jewish population. The American branch of the Reform Jewish movement was founded in Charleston at Synagogue Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim. It is the fourth oldest Jewish congregation in the continental United States (after New York, Newport and Savannah).

Charleston Topography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 347.5 square kilometers (134.2 sq mi). 251.2 km2 (97.0 sq mi) of it is land and 44.3 km2 (17.1 sq mi) (15%) of it is water. The old city is located on a peninsula at the point where, as Charlestonians say, "The Ashley and the Cooper Rivers come together to form the Atlantic Ocean." The entire peninsula is very low, some of it is landfill material, and as such, it frequently floods during heavy rains, storm surges and unusually high tides. The city limits have expanded across the Ashley River from the peninsula encompassing the majority of West Ashley as well as James Island and some of Johns Island. The city limits also have expanded across the Cooper River encompassing Daniel Island and the Cainhoy area. North Charleston blocks any expansion up the peninsula, and Mount Pleasant occupies the land directly east of the Cooper River.

The tidal rivers (Wando, Cooper, Stono, and Ashley) are evidence of a submergent or drowned coastline. In other words, the original rivers had a lower base line, but as the ocean rose or the land sank, the landform was changed. There is a submerged river delta off the mouth of the harbor, and the rivers are deep, affording a good location for a port. The rising of the ocean may be due to melting of glacial ice during the end of the ice age.

Charleston Climate

Charleston has a humid subtropical climate , with mild winters, hot, humid summers, and significant rainfall all year long. Summer is the wettest season; almost half of the annual rainfall occurs during the summer months in the form of thundershowers. Fall remains relatively warm through November. Winter is short and mild, and is characterized by occasional rain. Snow flurries seldom occur, although in 2010, 3.4 inches (8.6 cm) fell on the evening of February 12, the heaviest in 20 years. The highest temperature recorded (inside city limits at the Customs House on E. Bay St.) was 104 °F (40 °C), on June 2, 1985, and the lowest temperature recorded was 10 °F (−12 °C) on January 21, 1985. Hurricanes are a major threat to the area during the summer and early fall, with several severe hurricanes hitting the area — most notably Hurricane Hugo in 1989 (a Category 4 storm).

Charleston was hit by a large tornado in 1761, which temporarily emptied the Ashley River, and sank five offshore warships.

Charleston Metropolitan area

The Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of four counties: Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester, and Colleton. As of 2005, it was estimated that the metropolitan area had a total population of about 634,568 people. North Charleston is the second largest city in the metropolitan area of Charleston and ranks as the third largest city in the state; Mount Pleasant and Summerville are the next largest cities. These cities combined with other incorporated and unincorporated areas surrounding the city of Charleston form the Charleston-North Charleston Urban Area with a population of 423,410 as of 2000. This population is slightly larger than Columbia's urban area, making the Charleston-North Charleston urban area the largest in the state. The metropolitan area also includes a separate and much smaller urban area within Berkeley County, Moncks Corner (2000 pop.: 9,123).

The traditional parish system persisted until the Reconstruction, when counties were imposed. Nevertheless, traditional parishes still exist in various capacities, mainly as public service districts. The city of Charleston proper, which was originally defined by the limits of the Parish of St. Philip & St. Michael. It now also includes parts of St. James' Parish, St. George's Parish, St. Andrew's Parish, and St. John's Parish, although the last two are mostly still incorporated rural parishes.

Charleston Government

Charleston has a strong mayor-council government, with the mayor acting as the chief administrator and the executive officer of the municipality. The mayor also presides over city council meetings and has a vote, the same as other council members. The council has twelve members who are elected from one of twelve districts.

Charleston Emergency Services

The City of Charleston Fire Department consists of 237 firefighters in 19 companies located throughout the city.The department operates on a 24/48 schedule.

The City of Charleston Police Department, with a total of 382 sworn officers, 137 civilians and 27 reserve police officers, is South Carolina's largest police department. Their procedures on cracking down on drug use and gang violence in the city are used as models to other cities to do the same.

Emergency medical services for the City of Charleston are provided by Charleston County Emergency Medical Services (CCEMS) & Berkeley County Emergency Medical Services (BCEMS). The city is served by both Charleston & Berkeley counties EMS and 911 services since the city is part of both counties.

Charleston is the primary medical center for the eastern portion of the state. The city has several major hospitals located in the downtown area alone: Medical University of South Carolina Medical Center (MUSC), Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, and Roper Hospital. MUSC is the state's first school of medicine, the largest medical university in the state, and the sixth oldest continually operating school of medicine in the United States. The downtown medical district is experiencing rapid growth of biotechnology and medical research industries coupled with substantial expansions of all the major hospitals. Additionally, more expansions are planned or underway at several other major hospitals located in other portions of the city and the metropolitan area: Bon Secours-St Francis Xavier Hospital and East Cooper Regional Medical Center.

Trident Regional Medical Center, another hospital in the lowcountry, is located at the northern end of the City of North Charleston, South Carolina and is roughly 10 miles north of the City of Charleston.

Charleston Economic sectors & major employers

Charleston is a major tourist destination, with a considerable number of luxury hotels, hotel chains, inns, and bed and breakfasts and a large number of award-winning restaurants and quality shopping. The city is also an important port, boasting the second largest container seaport on the East Coast and the fourth largest container seaport in North America. Charleston is becoming a prime location for information technology jobs and corporations, most notably Blackbaud, Modulant, CSS and Benefitfocus. Higher education is also an important sector in the local economy, with institutions such as the Medical University of South Carolina, College of Charleston, The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, and Charleston School of Law.

Charleston is also an important art destination, named a top 25 arts destination by AmericanStyle magazine.

Charleston Airport

Charleston is served by the Charleston International Airport, located in the City of North Charleston, South Carolina, (IATA: CHS, ICAO: KCHS), which is the busiest passenger airport in the state of South Carolina. The airport shares runways with the adjacent Charleston Air Force Base.

Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge

The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge across the Cooper River opened on July 16, 2005, and is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the Americas. The bridge links Mount Pleasant with downtown Charleston, and has eight lanes and a 12-foot lane shared by pedestrians and bicycles. It replaced the Grace Memorial Bridge (built in 1929) and the Silas N. Pearman Bridge (built in 1966). They were considered two of the more dangerous bridges in America and were demolished after the Ravenel Bridge opened.

Charleston Port

The Port of Charleston consists of five terminals. Three are on the Harbor and the other two are on the Cooper River just north of Charleston's bustling harbor. The port is ranked number one in customer satisfaction across North America by supply chain executives. Port activity, behind tourism, is one of the leading source of Charleston's revenue. Union Pier also includes a cruise ship passenger terminal and hosts numerous cruise departures annually. In May 2010, the Carnival Fantasy was permanently stationed in Charleston, offering weekly cruises to the Bahamas and Key West, eventually to include Bermuda. Celebrity Mercury also embarks from Charleston several times a year. With the addition of the weekly Carnival Fantasy sailings, Union Terminal will host 67 embarkations and ports of call in 2010.

Piers

  • Columbus Street Terminal
  • Union Pier Terminal

Charleston Annual Events, Museums, Historical Sites and other Attractions

  • Charleston annually hosts Spoleto Festival USA, a 17-day art festival featuring over 100 performances by individual artists in a variety of disciplines. Other notable festivals include the Cooper River Bridge Run and the MOJA Arts Festival.

  • The Exchange and Provost was built in 1767. The building features a dungeon which held various signers of the Declaration of Independence and hosted events for George Washington in 1791 and the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1788. It is operated as a museum by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

  • The Powder Magazine is a 1713 gunpowder magazine and museum. It is the oldest surviving public building in South Carolina.

  • The Gibbes Museum of Art opened in 1905 and houses a premier collection of principally American works with a Charleston or Southern connection.

  • The Fireproof Building houses the South Carolina Historical Society, a membership-based reference library open to the public.

  • The Nathaniel Russell House is an important Federal style house. It is owned by the Historic Charleston Foundation and open to the public as a house museum.

  • The Gov. William Aiken House, also known as the Aiken-Rhett House is a home built in 1820 for William Aiken, Jr.

  • The Charleston Museum was the first museum built in America, founded in 1773.

  • The Heyward-Washington House is a historic house museum owned and operated by the Charleston Museum. Furnished for the late 18th century, the house includes a collection of Charleston-made furniture.

  • The Joseph Manigault House is a historic house museum owned and operated by the Charleston Museum. The house was designed by Gabriel Manigault and is significant for its Adam style architecture.

  • The Market Hall and Sheds, also known simply as the Market, stretch several blocks behind 188 Meeting Street. Market Hall was built in the 1830s and houses the Museum of the Confederacy. The Sheds house some permanent stores but are mainly occupied by open-air vendors.

  • The Drayton family plantation began in 1676 and is the oldest public tourist site since opening its gardens to visitors in 1870. Now called Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, it exhibits the horticultural, agricultural, and engineering expertise that African slaves provided the South Carolina plantations.

Charleston Sports

Charleston is home to a number of professional, minor league, and amateur sports teams throughout the city and the metropolitan area:

  • The Charleston Battery, a professional soccer team, plays in the USL First Division. The Charleston Battery play on Daniel Island at Blackbaud Stadium.

  • The Charleston RiverDogs, a Minor League Baseball team, play in the South Atlantic League, and are an affiliate of the New York Yankees. The RiverDogs play at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.

  • The Charleston Outlaws RFC is a Rugby Union Football Club founded in 1973. The Club is in good standing with the Palmetto Rugby Union, USA Rugby South, and USARFU. The club competes for honors in Men's Division II against the Cape Fear, Columbia, Greenville, and Charlotte "B" clubs. The club also hosts a Rugby Sevens tournament during Memorial Day weekend.

  • The Lowcountry High Rollers, a flat-track roller derby team, practice at Hot Wheels on Folly Road. The Lowcountry High Rollers play Downtown at McAlister Field House at the Citadel. LCHR was founded in 2008.

Other notable sports venues in Charleston include Johnson Hagood Stadium (home of the The Citadel Bulldogs football team) and the Carolina First Center at the College of Charleston which seats 5,700 people for the school's basketball and volleyball teams.

Charleston Schools

Because most of the city of Charleston is located in Charleston County, it is served by the Charleston County School District. Part of the city, however, is served by the Berkeley County School District in northern portions of the city, such as the Cainhoy Industrial District, Cainhoy Historical District and Daniel Island.

Charleston is also served by a large number of private schools, including Porter-Gaud School, Ashley Hall, Palmetto Christian Academy, First Baptist, Charleston Day, Trinity Montessori Christian School, Mason Preparatory School, Addlestone Hebrew Academy and Bishop England High School.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston Office of Education also operates out of the city and has several parochial schools and Bishop England High School, a diocesian high school within the city.

Public institutions of higher education in Charleston include the College of Charleston (the nation's 13th oldest university) and the Citadel (the state's military college). The city is home to a law school, the Charleston School of Law, as well as a medical school, the Medical University of South Carolina. Charleston is also home to the Roper Hospital School of Practical Nursing. Charleston is also the location for the only college in the country that offers bachelors degrees in the building arts, The American College of the Building Arts. The latest school to come to Charleston is the Art Institute of Charleston located downtown on North Market Street.

Charleston Colleges

  • Charleston Southern University
  • College of Charleston
  • Charleston School of Law
  • The American College of the Building Arts
  • International Diving Institute
  • Johnson & Wales University
  • Medical University of South Carolina
  • Roper Hospital School of Practical Nursing
  • Southern Wesleyan University
  • Springfield University
  • The Citadel
  • Trident Technical College

Charleston Parks

  • Allan Park
  • Bees Ferry Landing Park
  • Brittlebank Park & Fishing Pier
  • Cannon Park
  • Charles Towne Landing (state historic site)
  • Concord Park
  • Corrine Jones Playground
  • Etwin Park
  • Hampton Park
  • Harmon Park
  • Hazel Parker Park
  • Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park (Home of the Charleston RiverDogs)
  • Hester Park
  • Lenevar Park
  • Mall Park
  • Martin Park
  • Mary Utsey Park
  • McMahon Playground
  • Mitchell Park
  • Moultrie Park
  • Parkshore Park
  • Sunrise Park
  • Waterfront Park
  • West Ashley Park
  • White Point Gardens or "Battery Park"

Charleston County Parks

The Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission (CCPRC)operates several facilities within Charleston County.

Beach Parks:

  • Kiawah Beachwalker County Park, Kiawah Island, SC
  • Isle of Palms County Park, Isle of Palms, SC
  • Folly Beach County Park, Folly Beach, SC

Fishing Piers:

  • Folly Beach Fishing Pier, Folly Beach, SC
  • Mt. Pleasant Pier, Mt. Pleasant, SC

Marinas and Boat Landings:

  • Cooper River Marina
  • Multiple county-wide boat landings

Day Parks:

  • Palmetto Islands County Park, Mt. Pleasant, SC
  • Caw Caw Nature and History Interpretive Center, Ravenel, SC
  • North Charleston Wannamaker County Park, North Charleston, South Carolina
  • Mullet Hall Equestrian Center, 2662 Mullet Hall RD Johns Island, SC 29455
  • James Island County Park, Charleston, SC

Water Parks:

  • Splash Island at Palmetto Islands County Park
  • Splash Zone at James Island County Park
  • Whirlin' Waters at North Charleston Wannamaker County Park, North Charleston, South Carolina

Off-leash dog parks are offered at James Island, Palmetto Islands, and North Charleston Wannamaker County Park.

James Island County Park, approximately 11 minutes by car from downtown Charleston, features a 50-foot climbing wall and bouldering cave; cabin, RV, and tent camping facilities; rental facilities, fishing dock, challenge course, kayaking programs, summer camps, paved trails, and many special events such as the Lowcountry Cajun Festival (usually the first weekend in April), East Coast Canoe and Kayak Festival (3rd weekend in April), Holiday Festival of Lights (mid-November through the first of the year), and the summer outdoor reggae concerts.