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The Holy City

Charleston architecture

Charleston was founded in 1670 as Charles Town, named in honor of King Charles II of England, and moved to its present peninsula site in 1680. By the 1690s it had grown into the fifth-largest city in North America.

  • 15Landmarks
  • 1761Oldest · St. Michael's Church
  • 175 mTallest · Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge
  • 9Architects

Before you go

  • Fly intoCharleston Int'l (CHS)

    Charleston International is the busiest passenger airport in South Carolina, located in North Charleston about 12 miles northwest of downtown. Unusually, it shares its runways with the neighbouring Charleston Air Force Base.

  • CurrencyUS Dollar ($)
  • LanguageEnglish

    Charleston has its own distinctive accent, and many older natives drop the 'r' to call their hometown 'Chalston'. Local speech was also shaped by Gullah, a creole language of the Sea Islands and Lowcountry that some African-American residents still speak today.

  • Getting aroundCARTA

    The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) runs fixed-route buses across the urban area, all fitted with bike racks. Its Downtown Area Shuttle trolley buses link the historic district's attractions and hotels. CARTA also offers curbside pickup for riders with disabilities.

  • Where to stayFind hotels in Charleston on Expedia Vacation rentals on Vrbo

    Stamped! may earn a commission when you book through these links.

  • Tours and ticketsFind tours in Charleston on GetYourGuide More tours on Viator

    Skip-the-line tickets and guided tours of the landmarks. Stamped! may earn a commission.

15 landmarks in Charleston

  1. Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge
    Photo: Juliancolton, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge

    US 17, Charleston, SC 29401

    This cable-stayed bridge leaps across the Cooper River to link downtown Charleston with Mount Pleasant. Designed by Parsons Brinckerhoff and built using the design–build method, it opened in July 2005. Its main span of 1,546 feet (471 meters) is among the longest of any cable-stayed bridge in the Western Hemisphere, and its towers reach 575 feet. It has quickly become one of the city's most recognisable landmarks.

    Built
    2005
    Architect
    Parsons Brinckerhoff
    Style
    Cable-stayed bridge
    Height
    175 m (575 ft)
    Today
    Road Bridge
  2. St. Michael's Church
    Photo: Elisa.rolle, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    St. Michael's Church

    71 Broad St, Charleston, SC 29401

    Built between 1751 and 1761 by order of the South Carolina Assembly, St. Michael's is the oldest surviving religious structure in Charleston. Its Georgian church stands at Broad and Meeting streets, on one of the 'Four Corners of Law', where it represents ecclesiastical law. The church is a National Historic Landmark and is now an Anglican parish.

    Built
    1761
    Style
    Georgian
    Today
    Church
  3. St. Philip's Church
    Photo: AlanEisen (talk) (Uploads), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    St. Philip's Church

    142 Church St, Charleston, SC 29401

    This stuccoed brick church on Church Street was built in 1836, with its imposing steeple completed in 1850. Joseph Hyde designed the church and Edward Brickell White added the tower, which follows the Wren–Gibbs tradition. Three Tuscan porticoes with pediments give the front its stately look. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and is today an Anglican parish.

    Built
    1836
    Architect
    Joseph Hyde & Edward Brickell White
    Style
    Wren–Gibbs tradition
    Today
    Church
  4. Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon
    Photo: Charles N. Bayless, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon

    East Bay St & Broad St, Charleston, SC 29401

    Standing at the corner of East Bay and Broad streets, this Georgian building was raised between 1767 and 1771 to designs by William Rigby Naylor. Over the years it has served as an exchange and custom house and in other civic roles. During the American Revolutionary War, British forces used it to hold prisoners of war. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973, it is now a museum run by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

    Built
    1771
    Architect
    William Rigby Naylor
    Style
    Georgian
    Today
    Museum
  5. Nathaniel Russell House
    Photo: Dima Sergiyenko; Please attribute this image as the work of "DiscoverWithDima.", CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Nathaniel Russell House

    51 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29401

    Completed in 1808 for wealthy merchant and slave trader Nathaniel Russell, this house on Meeting Street is counted among the most important neoclassical homes in the United States. Its Federal-style design was built between 1803 and 1808. The house is admired for its architectural refinement. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973.

    Built
    1808
    Style
    Federal
    Today
    Historic House
  6. Aiken-Rhett House
    Photo: Elisa.rolle, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Aiken-Rhett House

    48 Elizabeth St, Charleston, SC 29403

    Built in 1820 by John Robinson in the Wraggborough neighbourhood, this mansion is best known as the home of South Carolina governor William Aiken Jr. It was first laid out as a classic Charleston double house, entered from Judith Street. The complex is considered the best-preserved group of antebellum town house buildings in Charleston. Its architecture blends Federal, Greek Revival and later Victorian elements.

    Built
    1820
    Style
    Greek Revival
    Today
    Historic House
  7. Joseph Manigault House
    Photo: ProfReader, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Joseph Manigault House

    350 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29403

    Gabriel Manigault designed this house in 1803 as a home for his brother Joseph. It is nationally significant as a well-executed and well-preserved example of the Adam style. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1973. Today it is a house museum owned and operated by the Charleston Museum.

    Built
    1803
    Architect
    Gabriel Manigault
    Style
    Adam
    Today
    House Museum
  8. Heyward-Washington House
    Photo: ProfReader, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Heyward-Washington House

    87 Church St, Charleston, SC 29401

    Built in 1772, this house on Church Street was home to Thomas Heyward Jr., a signer of the Declaration of Independence. George Washington stayed here during his visit to Charleston in 1791, which gave the house its name. Now run by the Charleston Museum, it is furnished as it would have been in the late 18th century. It holds a fine collection of Charleston-made furniture, and the grounds include a kitchen building from the 1740s.

    Built
    1772
    Today
    House Museum
  9. Fireproof Building
    Photo: ProfReader, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Fireproof Building

    100 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29401

    Robert Mills designed this Greek Revival building on the northwest corner of Washington Square to house the county's records. Completed in 1827, it was the most fire-resistant building in America at the time. It is believed to be the oldest fire-resistant building still standing in the country. It is also known as the County Records Building.

    Built
    1827
    Architect
    Robert Mills
    Style
    Greek Revival
    Today
    Historic Building
  10. Circular Congregational Church
    Photo: Historic American Buildings Survey, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Circular Congregational Church

    150 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29401

    The congregation that worships here was established in 1681. Its present church on Meeting Street was built in 1892 to designs by Stephenson & Greene. Next to it stands the Parish House by Robert Mills, a highly significant Greek Revival work that is a National Historic Landmark in its own right. Together they show two very different eras of Charleston architecture.

    Built
    1892
    Architect
    Stephenson & Greene and Robert Mills
    Style
    Romanesque / Greek Revival
    Today
    Church
  11. Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim
    Photo: John P. O'Neill, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim

    90 Hasell St, Charleston, SC 29401

    This Reform Jewish congregation is one of the oldest Jewish communities in the United States. Its synagogue on Hasell Street was completed in 1840 to designs by Cyrus L. Warner. The building is a fine example of Greek Revival architecture. It replaced an earlier Georgian-style synagogue from 1794.

    Built
    1840
    Architect
    Cyrus L. Warner
    Style
    Greek Revival
    Today
    Synagogue
  12. Charleston County Courthouse
    Photo: ProfReader, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Charleston County Courthouse

    84 Broad St, Charleston, SC 29401

    Irish architect James Hoban designed this Neoclassical courthouse, built between 1790 and 1792 on Broad Street. It was likely a model for his most famous building, the White House. Both buildings are modeled on Leinster House in Dublin, now the seat of the Irish Parliament. It is one of the finest Neoclassical buildings in the city.

    Built
    1792
    Architect
    James Hoban
    Style
    Neoclassical
    Today
    Courthouse

  13. Huguenot Church

    136 Church St, Charleston, SC 29401

    Designed by Edward Brickell White and built in 1844, this is the oldest Gothic Revival church in South Carolina. It is also called the French Huguenot Church or the French Protestant Church. The congregation traces its origins to the 1680s and is the only independent Huguenot church in the United States. The building is a National Historic Landmark.

    Built
    1844
    Style
    Gothic Revival
    Today
    Church
  14. Charleston City Market
    Photo: Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Charleston City Market

    188 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29401

    Established in the 1790s, the City Market stretches for four blocks from Meeting Street to East Bay Street. At its head stands the Greek Revival Market Hall, built in 1841 to designs by Edward Brickell White. Behind it runs a long series of one-storey market sheds. It remains one of Charleston's most popular attractions.

    Built
    1841
    Style
    Greek Revival
    Today
    Market
  15. Fort Sumter
    Photo: Bubba73 (talk), (Jud McCranie), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Fort Sumter

    Charleston Harbor, Charleston, SC

    This sea fort sits on an artificial island at the mouth of Charleston Harbor. Construction began in 1829, after the War of 1812 showed how weak America's coastal defenses were. It was still unfinished on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces attacked it in the battle that sparked the American Civil War. The fort was never completed to its original plan and is now run by the National Park Service.

    Built
    1829
    Today
    National Monument

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