North Charleston history and landmarks

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. History comes from the City of North Charleston’s history and cultural heritage page; National Register listings and dates from the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places, linked by reference number.

North Charleston is a young city on old ground. It was incorporated on June 12, 1972, but the land between the Ashley and Cooper rivers was home to Native American tribes for thousands of years, then to plantations, a planned railroad-era town and, for almost a century, the Charleston Navy Yard.

Plan a visit

• H.L. Hunley submarine tours: Warren Lasch Conservation Center, 1250 Supply St., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; 843-743-4865, hunley.org
• Greater Charleston Naval Base Memorial and Riverfront Park: on the Cooper River; park office 843-308-4746
• City history questions: North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, 843-740-5854

A timeline

• Before the 1600s: Native Americans lived here for thousands of years and used the Broad Path along the Ashley River to trade, the city says.
• 1700s: More than 60 plantations lay between the Ashley and Cooper rivers. Andre Michaux established a botanical garden near today’s Aviation Avenue, and Philippe Noisette developed the Noisette rose.
• American Revolution: The Broad Path became the Road to Dorchester, today’s Dorchester Road, and the Quarter House Inn on it served as a British garrison.
• About 1864: Freed people founded Liberty Hill, the oldest neighborhood in the North Area.
• 1898: Two Cooper River plantations became Chicora Park, designed by the Olmsted Brothers.
• 1901: The Navy bought Chicora Park and established the Charleston Navy Yard.
• 1914: Investors led by Charleston Mayor R. Goodwyn Rhett had a town planned on the former Burton lumber tract by Olmsted Brothers engineer W.B. Marquis. The first residents moved in in 1914, and the name “North Charleston” came into use around then.
• 1942: The population passed 18,000 as the Navy Yard grew and the Army opened its Port of Embarkation.
• June 12, 1972: After failed attempts in the 1940s, 1961 and 1969, a campaign led by John E. Bourne Jr. incorporated the city, with Bourne as its first mayor. By December it had annexed the Naval Base, the Air Force base and the airport, and within a year its population rose from 22,000 to 53,000.
• 1989: Hurricane Hugo struck on Sept. 21.
• 1993: The North Charleston Coliseum opened.
• 1996: The Naval Base and Shipyard closed, and much of its land passed to the city.
• 1999: The Performing Arts Center and the Charleston Area Convention Center opened.
• July 4, 2005: Riverfront Park opened on the old base.
• 2009: Boeing announced North Charleston as the home of its 787 Dreamliner assembly and delivery center.
• Jan. 2, 2024: Reggie Burgess took office as mayor.

National Register of Historic Places

The National Park Service lists these places in North Charleston on the National Register, with the date each was listed:

The newest, Chicora Graded School, was listed this year.

Places to visit

• The H.L. Hunley. The submarine, found off Charleston in 1995 and raised in 2000, is being conserved at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center on the former base. Tours run Saturdays and Sundays; tickets through Friends of the Hunley.
• Riverfront Park and the Naval Base Memorial. The city’s park on the Cooper River holds the Greater Charleston Naval Base Memorial, honoring the base and the people who served there, and the Eternal Father of the Sea Chapel, next to the restored officers’ homes of the Officers’ Quarters Historic District.
• Park Circle and Olde North Charleston. Park Circle, part of the tract Joseph Franc bought after 1929, is now a park with the city’s inclusive playground. East Montague Avenue nearby is the Olde Village business district.
• Liberty Hill. The city’s oldest neighborhood, founded by freed people around 1864.

Read more

The city’s history page has the full timeline. The South Carolina Department of Archives and History keeps the state’s National Register files.

What this means for you

• See the Hunley on a weekend; it is the city’s most famous artifact.
• A walk through Riverfront Park takes in the memorial, the chapel and the officers’ homes.
• Chicora Graded School joined the National Register in May 2026.

Related guides: parks and trails, population and things to do this month.

Frequently asked questions

When did North Charleston become a city?

North Charleston was incorporated on June 12, 1972, with John E. Bourne Jr. as its first mayor. By December 1972 it had annexed the Naval Base, the Air Force base and Charleston International Airport.

When did the Charleston Navy Yard close?

The Charleston Naval Base and Shipyard officially closed in 1996, ending almost 100 years as the largest employer of civilian workers in South Carolina, the city says. The Navy Yard was established in 1901.

Can you visit the H.L. Hunley submarine?

Yes. Friends of the Hunley runs tours at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center, 1250 Supply St., on the former Navy base, on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 843-743-4865.

What is the oldest neighborhood in North Charleston?

Liberty Hill, established around 1864 by freed people who bought land and built homes and farms there, according to the city’s history.