Get a Dose of History in South Carolina

South Carolina is a beautiful state with a lot of history to discover and explore. In fact, you may be surprised at just how historically significant the state really is. Almost everywhere you turn, you’ll find some sort of monument or landmark with notable importance pertaining to both South Carolina and the United States as a whole.

Here’s a quick breakdown of some interesting places where you can get a dose of history in South Carolina.

Charleston

No list of this nature would be complete without mentioning Charleston. The entire city is basically a huge historic landmark. With so many things to see and learn, it would be impossible to do it all in a single day. Spend as much time here as you can and discover sites such as:

• The Dock Street Theatre
• The Charleston City Market (one of the most popular shopping and tourist spots in the state)
• Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum
• The Old Slave Mart Museum
• Magnolia Plantation
• The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon
• Fort Sumter National Monument
• Charles Towne Landing
• Middleton Place House Museum
• Edmondston-Alston House
• Fort Moultrie
• Drayton Hall
• Avery Research Center For African American History and Culture

Additionally, you can tour houses that were once owned by former United States presidents, take carriage tours around the city, and even walk down the infamous Dueler’s Alley, where the gentlemen of old used to settle disputes by participating in sword fights.

Harbour Town Lighthouse

The Harbour Town Lighthouse is a lesser-known historic attraction. The location includes a museum and offers insight into the world of maritime navigation before modern tools became available to sailors. Interestingly, even with all of the advanced equipment in use today, beacons like the Harbour Town Lighthouse are still critical for guiding sailors safely through dangerous waters. Learn all about this and more by visiting this beautiful site as soon as you get a chance.

The Peachoid in Gaffney

The Gaffney Peachoid is an unique landmark with an equally unique origin. This particular attraction doesn’t have nationally historic significance, but it is very important to the local population and has become a popular photo op for visitors. The Peachoid is actually a large water tower that was designed in the shape of a peach. Constructed in 1981, the idea to make it look like the official state fruit was originally brought up by Jack Millwood, who was known at the time as the “Peachiod King.”

The concept arose because the Board of Public Works was working late one night. Jack was so tired that he simply said the first things that came to his mind. Eventually, the proposal caught on and what started as a joke turned into a local historic landmark.

South Carolina is filled with historic sites of national significance like those found in Charleston and others that are equally important to the locals. With so much to explore, it’s time to hit the road and see what you can discover.

Image by James Willamor, Licensed via CC BY-SA 2.0

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