“C” is for Charleston Library Society. The Charleston Library Society is the third-oldest institutional library in the United States. Established in 1748, it received a charter of incorporation in 1755. In 1770 Society members promoted a colonial college that eventually became the College of Charleston. Three years later the society started a natural science collection that became the Charleston Museum. By 1778 the society’s book and periodical collection numbered five thousand volumes. After the Civil War, the Charleston Jockey Club disbanded and transferred its property to the Library Society. The society sold the property and established an endowment. A new building was complete in 1914; expanded in 1996; and completely remodeled and renovated in 2019.Among the collections of the Charleston Library Society are rare books, pamphlets, a manuscript collection, and the society’s records.
“C” is for Charleston Library Society
