National Historic Landmark · neighborhood · Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston Historic District

Historic district in South Carolina. Added to the National Register in 1966, and a National Historic Landmark.

17 Chalmers Street (House), Charleston (Charleston County, South Carolina)29-broad-charleston-sc1Battery Place, Charleston SCCharleston South Carolina-Home in downtown Charleston-20060429163613
Photos via Wikimedia Commons · 6 in the Commons category

What it is

The Charleston Historic District, alternatively known as Charleston Old and Historic District, is a National Historic Landmark District in Charleston, South Carolina. The district, which covers most of the historic peninsular heart of the city, contains an unparalleled collection of 18th and 19th-century architecture, including many distinctive Charleston "single houses". It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The record

Property typeHistoric district
AddressAn area roughly bounded by Broad, Bay, S. Battery and Ashley and an area along Church bounded by Cumberland and Chalmers, Charleston, SC
CountyCharleston County
ListedOct 15, 1966
Listed forArchitecture
Level of significanceNational
Also known asOld and Historic Charleston
Reference number66000964
Type of placeneighborhood, historic district
DesignationsNational Historic Landmark

The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗

Visiting

AddressAn area roughly bounded by Broad, Bay, S. Battery and Ashley and an area along Church bounded by Cumberland and Chalmers, Charleston, SC
Coordinates32.7857° N, 79.9367° W · Directions ↗
Also in Charleston111 listed places in Charleston → · walking tours →
Nearest national park unitFort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park · 4 miles · on Park Atlas
Federal campgrounds nearbyBuck Hall Recreation Area 28 miles
A district listing covers the streets, not the doors. Walk it freely; the buildings inside are as private as they ever were.

Explore

Map

Local history books for Charleston

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  • The Huguenot Church in Charleston
    Margaret Middleton Rivers Eastman and Richard Donohoe & Maurice Eugenie Horne Thompson, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • St. Philip's Church of Charleston
    Dorothy Middleton Anderson and Margaret Middleton Rivers Eastman, 2015
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Charleston's longest green line
    Donald M. Williams, 2011
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Six miles to Charleston
    Bruce Orr, 2010
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Vital signs in Charleston
    Carolyn B. Matalene and Katherine E. Chaddock, 2009
    Find at Bookshop.org

Guidebooks to historic places in South Carolina

  • Classic Carolina road trips from Columbia
    Thomas M. Poland, 2014
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Columbia Civil War landmarks
    Tom (Historian) Elmore, 2011
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Touring the Carolinas' Civil War sites
    Clint Johnson, 2011
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • A tour of historic Sullivan's Island
    Cindy Lee, 2010
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

When was Charleston Historic District listed on the National Register?

Oct 15, 1966. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.

Source: National Park Service

Where is Charleston Historic District?

An area roughly bounded by Broad, Bay, S. Battery and Ashley and an area along Church bounded by Cumberland and Chalmers, Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina. The nearest national park unit is Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park, 4 miles away.

Source: Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park

Are there historic photographs or drawings of Charleston Historic District?

Yes. The Historic American Buildings Survey at the Library of Congress has drawings or photographs of it.

Source: Library of Congress

Where is the nomination form for Charleston Historic District?

The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.

Source: National Archives

Are there campgrounds near Charleston Historic District?

One federal campground is within reach, Buck Hall Recreation Area, 28 miles away.

Source: Campsite Atlas

Is there cell service at Charleston Historic District?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

Is there a wildfire near Charleston Historic District right now?

1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-10-17, nearest C-74 Fm Rx, 29 miles away.

Source: Map

Sources

Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 66000964. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA. Drawings and photographs are Historic American Buildings Survey records at the Library of Congress, public domain.