Parks Reveal Charleston's History

By Shelia Watson

As the grand belle of the South, Charleston is decorated in exquisite style by her many parks and gardens, some of them hosting plants, trees and flowers that have been around for generations.

That they are still around today should come as no surprise. With Charlestonians' preponderance of historical matters both great and small, it seems natural that these parks are well tended so that future generations will view them as a careful preservation of historic moments — as befits a grand Southern belle.

Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site
Considered the “birthplace of the Carolinas,” Charles Towne Landing tells the story of English settlers landing at the site in 1670 and establishing a plantation-style colony through an interpretive museum, a self-guided trail and re-enactments throughout the park’s 664 acres.

Opened in 1970 as a state park, the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism acquired it from the Centennial Commission in 1971, where it had been bequeathed from the Waring family. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Charles Towne Landing includes a replica of a 17th century sailing ship, a historically authentic experimental crop garden, a natural habitat animal forest, a live oak allée and 80 acres of gardens.

Don’t Miss
The Legare Waring House at Charles Towne Landing has become a favorite venue for weddings and other elegant events. The two-story historic home sits amid an expansive garden of camellias, azaleas and Spanish moss-draped grand oaks.

Cypress Gardens
The 170-acre preserve and gardens in nearby Moncks Corner were formerly part of a rice plantation. About 80 acres of the land contain a blackwater bald cypress/tupelo swamp in the grounds of the former rice reservoir.

The gardens, viewed from either flat-bottom boats or foot paths, are ringed by plantings of indigenous flora and foliage, including dogwoods, camellias, roses, azaleas, blueberries, daffodils, daylilies and redbuds, among others.

The gardens also feature an aviary with African grey parrots and a cockatoo; a swamparium with native and exotic fish, reptile and amphibian species; and a 2,500-square-foot butterfly house with butterflies, birds, goldfish, turtles and koi.

Several movies and television shows have used the splendor of Cypress Gardens as a backdrop to authenticate the historic South.

Don't Miss
Located just minutes from Cypress Gardens is Mepkin Abbey, a community of Roman Catholic monks. Founded in 1949 by the monks of Gethsemani in Kentucky, the abbey sits on the site of the historic Mepkin Plantation on the Cooper River.

Washington Park
Known also as Washington Square, Washington Park is considered Charleston's first public park. A green space located behind City Hall at the corner of Meeting and Broad streets, it was called City Hall Park until 1881 when it was renamed in honor of George Washington.

The park's paths, large shady oaks and several benches make it a favorite spot for locals and visitors to gather for lunch. The park features several statues and monuments and is located directly adjacent to the first fireproof building in the state, which now houses the South Carolina Historical Society.

Don't Miss
The City Hall Gallery, located inside Charleston's historic city hall next to Washington Park, is home to a fine collection of portraits including those of numerous famous leaders, the most prominent being George Washington. The City Hall also features a collection of art by local oil painters.

Middleton Place
Located on the Ashley River, the gardens at Middleton Place, which were designed and planted by Henry Middleton in 1741, are considered the oldest landscaped gardens in America. Using design standards that were in vogue in European gardens like those at the palace of Versailles, Middleton drew from elements of order, geometry and balance. The original design contained walkways of trees and trimmed shrubs and ornamental canals carved with precision.

According to folklore, the gardens took 100 slaves nearly a decade to complete the expanse of lakes, terraces and vistas, including the twin Butterfly Lakes, the Reflection Pool and the Azalea Pool.

As with many historic venues in Charleston, the gardens fell into disarray after the Civil War until 1925, when a direct descendant of Henry Middleton, J.J. Pringle Smith, and his wife, Heningham, moved to Middleton Place and began a renovation project that lasted 15 years. In 1941, they were awarded the Garden Club of America's highest award for their restoration efforts.

Today swans swim in the lakes and nest on the islands, and a variety of plants bloom, including camellias in the winter; azaleas in the spring; and kalmias, crepe myrtles and roses in the summer. The gardens were planned so that something is always blooming at Middleton Place.

Don't Miss
Middleton Gardens is home to hundreds of varieties of camellias, including a 1786 Rein des Fleurs, one of the first camellias planted in America.

Battery Park and White Point Gardens
In the heart of the historic district, where East Bay Street becomes Murray Boulevard, Battery Park and White Point Gardens — known alternately as Battery Park or simply The Battery — holds the unique position of being the point where, according to local legend, “the Ashley and Cooper rivers meet to form the Atlantic Ocean.”

The area was first known as White Point or Oyster Point, named for the bleached oyster shells that were piled on the point. Two forts occupied the site — Fort Broughton up to about 1735 and Fort Wilkins during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Rocks and other materials were used to build up the walls next to the Cooper River, which became a promenade known as the Battery or High Battery. From the vantage point of the battery walls, one can view Fort Sumter, the USS Yorktown, Fort Moultrie and Sullivan’s Island.

The location was first used as a park in 1837 and later as a place for artillery during the Civil War. Some of the artillery is on display and constitutes the park, along with several large oak trees, a bandstand, and memorials and monuments. Among the monuments is one that commemorates the hanging of the pirate Stede Bonnet and his crew in 1718 as well as Richard Worley’s pirates in 1719.

Don’t Miss
Battery Park and White Point Gardens are surrounded by Charleston’s most prestigious downtown neighborhood featuring more architecturally significant 18th and 19th century buildings than any other city in America. Residents of this neighborhood, referred to as SOBs, or South of Broaders, carefully maintain their magnificent mansions reflective of the Georgian, Federal and Greek Revival architectural traditions.

Hampton Park
Hampton Park, near the “neck area” of the peninsula and adjacent to the Citadel, is the largest park in the city — nearly 70 acres — and was named for Confederate general (and later governor) Wade Hampton III.

Back in 1769, the park was part of a plantation owned by John Gibbes, which included the land where the Citadel is currently located, known as The Grove or Orange Grove Plantation, and it has had quite an illustrious history.

In 1835, part of the plantation was sold to the South Carolina Jockey Club, which developed the Washington Race Course at the location and held annual races in February.

During the last days of the Civil War, it was used as a prisoner-of-war camp, where many Union soldiers died and were buried in a mass grave. At the end of the war, thousands of people — including members of the celebrated 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry — marched around the site in what has come to be known as the first Memorial Day observance. The dead soldiers were later exhumed and given proper burials in Beaufort and Florence National Cemeteries.

After the war, the Jockey Club was unable to resume horse racing so the area was instead used for the South Carolina Inter-State and West Indian Exposition of 1901–1902, attended by President Theodore Roosevelt.

When the exposition failed financially, the City of Charleston acquired the property and began developing a park. About 200 acres of the original tract was sold to The Citadel for its relocation from its Marion Square site. When the park was developed in 1932, it included a zoo and an aviary, but by 1975, the zoo was closed and the animals were transferred to Charles Towne Landing.

The city redeveloped the park in the 1980s, focusing on landscaping efforts, including a large floral display with an old rose collection and a variety of species of trees. The bandstand from the trade exposition still stands. A physical fitness trail was added, and bikers and joggers often exercise on the perimeter roadway — the same track as the former racing circle. The park is often the venue for weddings and special events, including the Piccolo Spoleto Festival and the MOJA Festival.

Don’t Miss
Hampton Park is adjacent to The Citadel, South Carolina’s military college. Founded in 1842, The Citadel is best known nationally for its Corps of Cadets that draws students from 40 states and a dozen countries.

Check out our guide to tours, attractions and what to do in Charleston.

Saffire Charleston's Oven Saffire is located in the elegant Charleston Marriott Hotel on the Ashley River, Lockwood Boulevard. Enjoy the bold flavors of Saffire’s seasonally inspired menu which reflects a belief in “the cuisine of today,”. Always healthy, always evolving. Eclectic, imaginative and unrestricted by ethnic boundaries.... Superb selection of wine. Free parking. Warm and welcoming. Tel: (843) 723-3000.

Tommy Condon's Charleston's favorite Irish Pub. Tommy Condon’s Irish Pub and Seafood Restaurant has made its name by becoming one of Charleston's favorite local spots. Try popular Lowcountry specialties such as shrimp and grits and fish and chips. A family-oriented establishment where children are welcome as they are. Serving food and fun into the wee hours of the night. Live Irish music Wednesday through Sunday nights.

Bulldog Tours Charleston's premier walking tours with exclusive access to some locations. Behind the scenes of the Holy City's graveyards, back alleyways, and dungeon. As seen on Travel Channel's America's Most Haunted Places. Ghost Dungeon, Dark Side Charleston, Ghost Graveyard Walking Tours, Haunted Jail Tour, Charleston Strolls, Walk With History and more.