elsie item issue 78 - USS Landing Craft Infantry National Association

What do youknow aboutCharleston?If you’ve never visited Charleston, you’re in for a treat!Recently named as the top vacation destination in the United States, it’s a wonderful combination of history, beauty and charm.Here’s a bit more about this beautiful city:Charleston is the second largest city in South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 whenCharleston County was founded. The city’s original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location (OysterPoint) from a location on the west bank of the Ashley River (Albemarle Point) in 1680. It adopted its present name in 1783. In 1690,Charleston was the fifth largest city in North America, and remained among the ten largest cities in the United States through the1840 census.Charleston is known as “The Holy City” due to the prominence of churches on the low-rise cityscape, particularly the numeroussteeples which dot the city’s skyline.The population was counted by the U.S. Census in 2010 at 120,083, making it the second most populous city in South Carolina,closely behind the state capital Columbia. Current trends put Charleston as the fastest-growing municipality in South Carolina.Charleston is located just south of the mid-point of South Carolina’s coastline, at the confluence of the Ashley and Cooper rivers,which flow together into the Atlantic Ocean. Charleston Harbor lies between downtown Charleston and the Atlantic Ocean.Charleston’s name is derived from Charles Towne, named after King Charles II of England.America’s most-published etiquette expert, Marjabelle Young Stewart, recognizedCharleston 1995 as the “best-mannered” city in the U.S, a claim lent credibilityby the fact that it has the first established Livability Court in thecountry. In 2011, Travel and Leisure Magazine named Charleston“America’s Sexiest City”, as well as “America’s Most Friendly.”Subsequently, Southern Living Magazine namedCharleston “the most polite andhospitable city in America.”8 | ELSIE ITEM | March 2012