History

Charleston Magazine features: History, newest first.

HistoryThe Golden Age of Piracy: Lives of Infamous Buccaneers on the Carolina CoastJames Hutchisson · August 2026HistoryForging Identity: Tracing centuries of craftsmanship through Charleston’s ornamental ironworkCharleston Magazine Staff · January 2026HistoryThe Road to Independence: Charlestown, the Southern epicenter of the American RevolutionJeff Wilkinson · January 2026FlashbackOff to the Races: The History of Horse Racing in the Holy CityHolly Roberts · November 2025MilestoneWhy “Porgy” Still Resonates: A Century of ImpactHarlan Greene · November 2025FlashbackHoly Spirits: Learn the Haunted History of the Old City JailHolly Roberts · October 2025HistoryAgainst the Tide: Dive Into the Extraordinary Life of 19th-Century Novelist Susan Petigru King BowenHarlan Greene · October 2025FlashbackAhead of Her Time: The life and legacy of environmental activist Isabel “Belle” Wilcox BaruchCharleston Magazine Staff · September 2025HistoryA Golden Mystery: A Lost Ship and Gold Riches Found off the Carolina ShoreHarlan Greene · September 2025HistoryDramatic Disturbance: The utterly terrifying hurricane of August 1911 that’s immortalized in “Porgy & Bess”Harlan Greene · AUGUST 2025HistoryBid for freedom: Remembering the Workhouse rebellion of 1849Harlan Greene · July 2025HistoryHow Lucille Simmons Whipper changed the face of the College of CharlestonHarlan Greene · JUNE 2025HistoryThe Countess Who Helped Spark Spoleto: Alicia Spaulding Paolozzi’s Lasting LegacyHarlan Greene · May 2025HistoryBand Together: The musical legacy of the Reverend Daniel Jenkins and his Jenkins Orphanage BandHolly Roberts · April 2025HistoryDiscover the Beauty: How Noisette Roses Bloomed from Charleston to FameHarlan Greene · April 2025HistoryAnsonborough: Charleston’s First Suburb and Its Storied PastHarlan Greene · March 2025HistoryFamed author Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas’ 1935 Visit to CharlestonHarlan Greene · February 2025HistoryJourney to Revolution: Inside the Exchange Building’s Historical SignificanceHarlan Greene · January 2025HistoryWhy is Charleston called the “Holy City?” The answer might surprise youHarlan Greene · December 2024HistoryWilliam Enston’s Legacy: How a 19th-century Brit Shapes Modern LivesHarlan Greene · November 2024HistoryDrawn to Nature: Remembering author Herbert Ravenel Sass, who celebrated Lowcountry wildlife and habitatsHarlan Greene · October 2024History275 Years of Jewish Heritage: Celebrating Kahal Kadosh Beth ElohimHarlan Greene · September 2024HistoryHappy official 241st birthday, Charleston!Harlan Greene · August 2024HistoryMilestone: Follow the winding path of the country’s first statue to a public figureHarlan Greene · July 2024HistoryHow Charleston native Robert Furchgott’s groundbreaking research earned him the Nobel PrizeHarlan Greene · June 2024HistoryChangemaker: Author and illustrator John Bennett preserved folk stories and challenged beliefs with his writingHarlan Greene · May 2024HistoryFrench Huguenots found religious freedom in the Holy City and had a lasting impact on its cultureHarlan Greene · April 2024History How socialite Daisy Simonds attracted attention with the construction of Villa Margherita and lured a president to one of her elaborate partiesHarlan Greene · March 2024HistoryAfter a cargo ship crashed into the Grace Memorial Bridge in February 1946, drivers felt the impact for monthsHarlan Greene · February 2024HistoryRemembering St. John’s Lutheran Church pastor John Bachman’s landmark worksHarlan Greene · January 2024HistoryA pirate’s life: “Gentleman” pirate Stede Bonnet threatened social norms, as well as the property of the eliteHarlan Greene · December 2023HistoryCity of the Silent: Scenic Magnolia Cemetery followed the park-like rural cemetery movement of the 19th centuryHarlan Greene · November 2023HistoryRemembering Charleston’s Merton Simpson, who helped bring African art to mainstream cultureHarlan Greene · September 2023HistoryAuthor Nancy Colbert Friday challenged society’s expectations of women in her best-sellling nonfiction booksHarlan Greene · August 2023HistoryOne of two Black female doctors in South Carolina, Huldah Josephine Prioleau advocated for the health of Black women and their childrenHarlan Greene · July 2023HistoryAfter newspaper editor Francis Warrington Dawson was killed after defending his governess, the trial captured the attention of the nationHarlan Greene · May 2023HistoryIrish carpenter James Hoban lived and worked in Charleston before designing the White HouseHarlan Greene · April 2023HistoryExplore the tragic history of Gadsden’s Wharf, where thousands of enslaved African people landed—and its lone note of justiceHarlan Greene · March 2023HistoryThe charitable legacy of Andrew Murray, whose name remains on notable streets and buildingsHarlan Greene · February 2023HistoryJames Elford’s 19th-century maritime invention allowed sailors to communicate across distances, languages, and culturesHarlan Greene · January 2023HistoryEscaping to the now-forgotten beach haven of MoultrievilleHarlan Greene · December 2022History“In Equity & Justice”—After the Civil War, Black leaders demanded to be afforded the same rights as other menHarlan Greene · November 2022HistoryRemembering a 1958 Halloween night murder and the verdict that still haunts the cityHarlan Greene · October 2022HistoryHow a Charleston native and Jenkins Orphanage alum boosted the career of blues great Ethel Waters, and othersHarlan Greene · September 2022HistoryLearn about the juicy history of peaches in CharlestonCharleston Magazine Staff · August 2022HistoryThe legendary story of Vincent Chicco, a 19th-century immigrant restaurateur who faced down the governor over booze laws and won Harlan Greene · August 2022HistorySee the original Folly Beach pier decorated for Independence Day Holly Roberts · July 2022HistoryThe history of the oldest Jewish charitable organization in the country and its legacy of helping children and others in needHarlan Greene · July 2022