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Charleston (Latin Carolopolis) is a city in the counties of Berkeley and Charleston in the U.S. state of South Carolina; the city serves as the county seat and largest city of Charleston County. The city was founded as Charlestown or Charles Towne, Carolina in 1670, and moved to its present location in 1680. Up until 1800, Charleston was the fifth largest city in North America, behind Philadelphia, New York City, Boston, and Quebec City. It adopted its present name in 1783. Also known as The Holy City (due to the prominence of churches on the low-rise cityscape, particularly the numerous steeples which dot the city's skyline), Charleston brims with the culturally unique, such as the joggling board. As of 2005, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population of the city proper as 115,540; making it the 2nd most populous city in South Carolina behind the state capital Columbia. Current trends put Charleston as the fastest growing central city in South Carolina. The metropolitan area population of Charleston and North Charleston was estimated to be 594,899 in 2005 (includes entire populations of Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties). This ranks Charleston-North Charleston as the 2nd largest individual metropolitan statistical area in the state (behind Columbia). Nearly 80% of the Charleston metro population lives inside the city and its surrounding urbanized area (2000 pop.: 423,410). The city of Charleston is located roughly at the mid-point of South Carolina's coastline, at the junction of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers. Charleston's name is derived from Charles Towne, named after King Charles II of England. America's most-published etiquette expert, Marjabelle Young Stewart *, has recognized the city since 1995 as the "best-mannered" city in the U.S, a claim lent credence by the fact that it has the only Livability Court in the country.
Early history of Charleston After Charles II (1660-85) was restored to the British throne after Oliver Cromwell's Protectorate, he granted the chartered Carolina territory to eight of his loyal friends, known as the Lords Proprietor, in 1663. It took seven years before the Lords could arrange for settlement, the first being that of Charles Town. The community was established by English settlers in 1670 on the west bank of the Ashley River, a few miles northwest of the present city. It was soon chosen by Anthony Ashley-Cooper, one of the Lords Proprietor, to become a "great port towne", a destiny which the city fulfilled. By 1680, the settlement had grown, joined by others from England, Barbados, and Virginia, and relocated to its current peninsular location. The capital of the Carolina colony, Charleston was the center for further expansion and the southernmost point of English settlement during the late 1600s. The settlement was often subject to attack from sea and from land. Periodic assaults from Spain and France, who still contested England's claims to the region, were combined with resistance from Native Americans as well as pirate raids. Charleston's colonists erected a fortification wall around the small settlement to aid in its defense. Two buildings remain from the Walled City, the Powder Magazine, where the city's supply of gunpowder was stored, and the *Pink House an old colonial tavern. A 1680 plan for the new settlement, the Grand Modell, laid out "the model of an exact regular town," and the future for the growing community. Land surrounding the intersection of Meeting and Broad Streets was set aside for a Civic Square. Over time it became known as the Four Corners of the Law, referring to the various arms of governmental and religious law presiding over the square and the growing city. St. Michael's Episcopal, Charleston's oldest and most noted church, was built on the southeast corner in 1752. The following year the Capitol of the colony was erected across the square. Because of its prominent position within the city and its elegant architecture, the building signaled to Charleston's citizens and visitors its importance within the British colonies. Provincial court met on the ground floor, the Commons House of Assembly and the Royal Governor's Council Chamber met on the second floor. While the earliest settlers primarily came from England, colonial Charleston was also home to a mixture of ethnic and religious groups. In colonial times, Boston, Massachusetts and Charleston were sister cities, and people of means spent summers in Boston and winters in Charleston. There was a great deal of trade with Bermuda and the Caribbean, and some people came to live in Charleston from these areas. French, Scottish, Irish, and Germans migrated to the developing seacoast town, representing numerous Protestant denominations, as well as Catholicism and Judaism. Sephardic Jews migrated to the city in such numbers that Charleston became one of the largest Jewish communities in North America *. The Jewish Coming Street Cemetery, first established in 1762, attests to their long-standing presence in the community. The first Anglican church, St. Philip's Episcopal, was built in 1682, although later destroyed by fire and relocated to its current location. Slaves also comprised a major portion of the population, and were active in the city's religious community. Free black Charlestonians and slaves helped establish the Old Bethel United Methodist Church in 1797, and the congregation of the Emanuel A.M.E. Church stems from a religious group organized solely by African Americans, free and slave, in 1791. The first American museum opened to the public on January 12, 1773 in Charleston. By the mid-18th century Charleston had become a bustling trade center, and the wealthiest and largest city south of Philadelphia. By 1770 it was the fourth largest port in the colonies, after only Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, with a population of 11,000, slightly more than half of that slaves. Rice and indigo had been successfully cultivated by gentleman planters in the surrounding coastal low-country. Those and naval stores were exported in an extremely profitable shipping industry. It was the cultural and economic center of the South. From the mid-18th century a large amount of immigration was taking place in the upcountry of the Carolinas, some of it coming from abroad through Charleston, but also much of it a southward movement from Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, until the upstate population was larger than the coastal population. The upstaters were viewed by Charlestonians as being not as polished in many ways, and had different interests, setting the stage for several generations of conflicts between upstate and the Charleston elite. American Civil War and Reconstruction
Modern-day Charleston is a notable tourist destination, with streets lined with grand live oaks draped with Spanish moss. Along the waterfront are many beautiful and historic pastel-colored homes. 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. It is also the second most productive port in the World behind Hong Kong. Charleston is becoming a prime location for technology jobs and corporations. In the city's downtown area, the medical district is experiencing rapid growth of biotechnology and medical research coupled with substantial expansions of hospital facilities at the Medical University of South Carolina and Roper Hospital. It is also home to the very prestigious all-girls school named Ashley Hall, which was founded in 1909 and the Porter-Gaud School, founded in 1867. Hurricane Hugo hit Charleston in 1989, and though the worst damage was in nearby McClellanville, the storm damaged three-quarters of the homes in Charleston's historic district. The hurricane caused over $2.8 billion in damage. In 1993, the world's first squadron of the significant C-17 Globemaster III aircraft was established at Charleston Air Force base. In 2004, SPAWAR (US Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command) became the largest employer in the Charleston metropolitan area. Until 2004, the Medical University of South Carolina was the largest employer. Charleston is the home of a Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP). It is part of an initiative by the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide mail order prescriptions to veterans using computerization at strategic loactions throughout the United States. Geography and climate Charleston is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 347.5 km² (147.1 mi²). 251.2 km² (97.0 mi²) of it is land and 44.3 km² (17.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 15.00% 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 or unusually high tides. The city limits have expanded across the Ashley River from the peninsula and 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 and the end of the ice age. In recent decades, the urban area of the city has become elongated along Interstate 26, while being fairly short from east to west. Today areas with a population density of over 1,000 people per square mile extends continuously from the tip of the peninsula out to the Summerville area. Climate It is also the wettest season with almost half of the annual rainfall occurring during the summer months. Fall remains relatively warm through November. Winter is short and mild, and is characterized by rain and occasional snow flurries between December and February. The highest temperature recorded was 104.0°F (40.0°C), on June 2, 1985, and the lowest temperature recorded was 10.0°F (-12.2°C) on January 21, 1985. Metropolitan area The Charleston Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of three counties: Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester. It is also made up of portions of Georgetown, Williamsburg, and Colleton Counties. As of 2005, it was estimated that the center three Counties in this metro had a total population of about 600,000 people. Charleston has several large suburbs. North Charleston is nearly as populated as Charleston itself and ranks as the 3rd largest city in the state. Mount Pleasant and Summerville are the next largest suburbs. 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. In the more detailed results of Census 2000, the Charleston-North Charleston metropolitan area had a population of 549,033, of which about 78% lived inside the central city and its surrounding urban area. At that time, the Charleston-North Charleston Urbanized Area proper consisted of 423,410 people (including the suburbs listed below). This population makes Charleston-North Charleston and Columbia essentially tied as the two largest individual urbanized areas within the state. The Charleston MSA also includes a separate and much smaller urban area within Berkeley County, Moncks Corner (2000 pop.: 9,123). Cities and towns in the metro area Other unincorporated areas Military bases Economy Charleston's economy is mainly based on its busy port and tourism. Shopping Dialect Charleston's unique (though vanishing) dialect has long been noted in the South and elsewhere, for the singular attributes it possesses. Alone among the various regional Southern dialects, Charlestonian speakers inglide long mid vowels, such as the raising for /ay/ and /aw/. 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 more than likely were majorly 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. Two important works which shed light on Charleston's early dialect are "Charleston Provincialisms" and "The Huguenot Element in Charleston's Provincialisms," both written by Sylvester Primer. Further scholarship is needed on the influence of Sephardic Jews to the speech patterns of Charleston. Religion The city has long been noted for its numerous churches and denomination. It is the seat of both the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston and the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina. One of the only remaining Hugeounot Congregations in America is located in the city. It also has a large and historic Jewish population. The city is home to many well known churches, cathedrals, and synogauges. The churchtower 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 Episcopal diocese has been one of the key players in potential schism of the Anglican Church. Annual cultural events and fairs Charleston annually hosts Spoleto Festival USA, a 17-day art festival featuring over 100 performances by individual artists in a variety of disciplines. Charleston's "other" festival is the MOJA Arts Festival, which is a major, two-week celebration of African-American and Caribbean arts, music, and culture. The Southeastern Wildlife Exposition is also held in the city, as well as the Charleston Food + Wine Festival, Family Circle Tennis Cup, Cooper River Bridge Run and the Charleston Maritime Festival, which is held annually in May and features tall ships, boatbuilding, and the Charleston to Bermuda Race. Media The local daily newspaper in Charleston is The Post and Courier. Other newspapers include the Charleston City Paper and The Charleston Regional Business Journal. A monthly magazine, "Charleston," explores the cultural life of the city and the surrounding area. Charleston is also served by many local television and radio stations, and is the nation's 100th largest Designated market area (DMA), with 285,730 households and 0.257% of the U.S. Charleston's major network television affiliates include WCBD 2 (NBC), WCBD 2.2 (CW),WCIV 4 (ABC), WCSC 5 (CBS), WITV 7 (SCETV/PBS), WTAT 24 (FOX), WMMP 36 (UPN), WJRB-CA 18 (Telefutura), W21BX 21 (TBN), WAZS-LP 22 (Azteca América), W26CF 26 (Dove Broadcasting), and WJNI-LP 42 (America One). Radio See also: List of radio stations in Charleston Museums and historical attractions
Sports
Charleston in fiction See also: List of television shows and movies in Charleston, South Carolina Several books have been written which utilize Charleston as a setting. In addition, Citadel alumnus and novelist Pat Conroy often writes about Charleston. The Gullah opera Porgy and Bess is set in Charleston. Clive Barker's novel, Galilee, takes place partly in Charleston, as does Josephine Humphreys's 1987 novel Rich in Love. In Harry Turtledove's Timeline-191 alternate history series about a Confederacy that won the Civil War, Charleston suffers an airstrike from an American aircraft carrier in the summer of 1941, in response to the Confederate invasion of Ohio. Rafael Sabatini's novel, The Carolinian, takes place mostly in Charles Town between the years 1775-9. The 1991 bestseller Scarlett, sequel to Gone With The Wind, was partially set in Charleston, where Scarlett goes in the hope of getting her husband back. Rhett Butler, in both the original and in the sequel, is originally from Charleston. In fact, Alexandra Ripley, authoress of 'Scarlett', derived inspiration from the city for her novel Charleston and its sequel On Leaving Charleston. Government
Transportation
Schools, colleges, and universities See also: List of schools in Charleston, South Carolina. Charleston is served by the Charleston County School District, which is divided into eight Districts. These eight districts educate approximately 48,500 students from kindergarten through 12th grade, and contain 42 elementary schools, 13 middle schools, 8 high schools, 12 magnet schools, and 4 charter schools. Charleston is also 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. To name a few: Porter-Gaud School, Bishop England, Ashley Hall, First Baptist, Charleston Day, Mason Prep, James Island Christian School, and Charleston Collegiate. Public institutions of higher education in Charleston include the College of Charleston (the nation's thirteenth oldest university and first public university) and The Citadel. The city is also home to Charleston Southern University (affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention), and Springfield 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 and Trident Technical College, and branches of Webster University are also located here. Neighborhoods and divisions of the city Charleston is made up of a main peninsula surrounded by numerous islands and barrier islands that are also part of the Charleston Metro Area. The City of Charleston proper includes the main peninsula, an area west of the Ashley River known as West Ashley, and and an area east of the Cooper River known as East Cooper. Peninsula neighborhoods West Ashley neighborhoods Cainhoy Peninsula/East Cooper neighborhoods Squares in downtown Charleston Parks in the Charleston Marinas The Charleston area has a rich maritime heritage, and this is evidenced by the vast number of boats visible in the area's waterways. Marinas in the Charleston area include: Sister cities Charleston has two sister cities: See also Further reading | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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