Charleston, SC Firsts and Oldest of The Holy City

                               Charleston, SC  First and Oldest of The Holy City

     1700:   America's first public library, located on St. Philips Street

     1706:  Oldest Surviving church, Old St. Andrew's Parish Church

     1707:  America's first woman artist, Henrietta Johnson, portrait artist

     1735:  First opera performed at the courtroom in Charles Town.

     1736:  First Fire insurance in America,

                    the "Friendly Society for Mutual Insurance of Houses against Fire"

    1736:  First building constructed solely for use as a theatre, known today as "Dock Street Theatre"

     1737:  First systematic, scientific recording of weather information, Dr. John Lining took

                 observations from his Broad St. home.

     1741:  Middleton Place, America's oldest formally landscaped gardens.

     1742:  Drayton Hall, America's oldest and finest examples of Georgian Palladian architecture built

                before the American Revoluation.

     1749:  Second Oldest Synagogue, Congregation Beth Elohim, oldest in Continuous use.

     1762:  First musical society, The St. Cecilia Society was founded.

     1764:  First cotton exported to England.  Eight bales of cotton was recorded at the custom house in

                 London, England from Charles Town.

     1780:  First prescription drug store began operation in Charles  Town.

     1773:  First public museum, now located on Meeting St.

     1773:  Oldest municipal Chamber of Commerce in continuous operation. Today it is called the

                 Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce.

    1774:   First business publication, listed 168 items bought and sold in Charlestown.

    1776:   First independent government in colonies, four months before the Declaration of

                Independence was signed, South Carolina adopted a  state constitution.

   1781:  First eminent architect born in America, Robert Mills was born in Charlestown.

    1785:  College of Charleston, chartered in 1785, is the oldest municipal college in America. 

                Additionally, it is the only college in America to have four signers of the Declaration of

               Independence as founding members. 

   1786:   First Golf Club.  Scottish merchants formed the South Carolina Golf Club in Charlestown.

   1789:   First cotton mill, a planters widow established mill on James Island, a

                 Large sea island that forms the southern shore of Charleston harbor.

   1802:  First tea planted by French botanist Francois Andre Michaux.

    1820:  Poinsettia Plant introduced by Charlestonian Joel R. Poinsett.

    1823:  First fireproof building, located 100 Meeting Street, was designed by Robert Mills to house

                state records.

    1830:  First scheduled train passenger service.  The Best Friend of Charleston,  The nations first

               regularly scheduled train offering passenger service, Originated from Charleston in 1830. 

              It was the world's largest when the 140 mile rail line was completed to Hamburg, SC.

   1851:  First artificial ice made in Charleston by John Gorrie

    1854:  The Hunley, The world's first successful submarine attack occurred in Carleston harbor in    

                   1864 when the Confederate submarine Hunley and the Union warship Housatonic. 

   TODAY :   Joye Ridgeway, your first Charleston contact for real estate services !

Source:  Charleston County