Established in 1670 and tracing the origin of its immense antebellum wealth to rice plantations built on the transatlantic slave trade, Charleston offers powerful insight for programming focused on documenting, preserving, and understanding history in all its forms. Programs focused on history and preservation benefit from hundreds of Charleston County sites on the National Register of Historic Places and numerous historic homes, churches, and cemeteries within a few square miles on the Charleston peninsula.
| Region | Topic |
|---|---|
| Ukraine | Holocaust and Holodomor Studies |
| Greece | Accessible Tourism |
Both state and local governments and the nonprofit sector (through organizations like the Preservation Society of Charleston) devote substantial resources to safeguarding the region's history while advising property owners seeking to modernize or restore.
From the still-standing slave cabins of Middleton Plantation to the just-lowered Confederate Flag at the State House, the legacy of slavery and the ongoing struggle for African-American civil rights is an inescapable part of South Carolina's culture.
As the anchor of the nationally-recognized Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, Charleston has multiple public and private institutions dedicated to documenting and preserving the varied cultures that constitute the Lowcountry.
Visitors met with officials from the City of Charleston to discuss the challenges of preserving historic structures while improving accessibility for tourists with physical disabilities.
The meeting also included discussion of efforts to restore Charleston's historic city council chambers.