budget,  travel

Old Colonial Dorchester Historical Site, SC

October 28, 2020 /

While in Charleston, I knew that I would like to visit a historical site so after a little google search I discovered Old Colonial Dorchester Historical Site in Summerville which is a 30 minute drive from Charleston. The following is a direct quote from the website.

“From 1697 until the beginning of the Revolutionary War, the trading town of Dorchester flourished along the Ashley River, inland from colonial Charleston. Today, Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site’s remarkably preserved archaeological remains give visitors a peek into the early history of colonial South Carolina.

Abandoned at the start of the Revolutionary War, the town of Dorchester has all but disappeared, leaving only a handful of original structures remaining. Visitors can stand below the towering remains of the brick bell tower of St. George’s Anglican Church, catch a glimpse of a log wharf during low tide or view the fort made of an oyster-shell concrete called tabby.” (https://southcarolinaparks.com/colonial-dorchester).

This site is a great place to see local vegetation which actually reminds me of Florida. Swampy waters (we did see one alligator in the river), palms and of course the southern iconic spanish moss in the trees.

There was a nice pamphlet giving visitors a tour with different markers. We really enjoyed our visit.

There are remnants of the fort which of course was of great interest of the kids.

This place was so green and beautfiul! The following pictures shows the tabby wall described above.

See the seashells mixed with the concrete? It was really cool to see it up close.

The bell tower dates from 1751. We enjoyed walking through the cemetery and reading the different headstone markers. It helps children understand how people did not live as long in the past due to wars, diseases and other circumstances.

Having grown up in France with century old structures at every corner, I enjoy seeing old buildings in the US.

This was a very budget friendly activity and since we did not have cash to put in the little booth, we were able to easily pay the entrance fee online. It was less than $10 for the whole family.

A bientôt!

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