“I passed Dorchester, where there are the remains of what appears to have once been a considerable town: there are the ruins of an elegant church, and the vestiges of several well-built houses.” – A 1788 account by a passing traveler
The Dorchester Garrison commanded by Capt. Francis Marion during Revolutionary War
Few months ago I had the opportunity to visit Dorchester State Historic Park, a short drive from Summerville, the magnificent plantations and North Charleston.
Similarly to nearby Charles Towne Landing, visitors are rewarded with one of America’s most complete archaeological records of colonial life.
The park is open daily 9AM to 6PM and admission is $2 for adults, free for kids 15 and younger. Most Saturdays, from June through September you can attend educational programs and observe archaeologist at work (free with park admission, 10AM to 2PM)
Historic highlights and interesting artifacts (data and quotes provided by the park exhibits and brochure guide)
On October 20, 1695, Joseph Lord, Increase Summer and William Pratt were dismissed from their church from Dorchester, Massachusetts for “Ye gathering of A Church for ye South Carolina.” After securing 4050 of land here along the Ashley River, they sailed home to their congregation in New England.
Lord, Summer and Pratt gathering of A Church for ye South Carolina
They returned in 1697 with other church members who hoped “to go to South Carolina to Settel the Gospel ther”.
When the new Dorchester was laid out, the village contained 116 quarter acre lots, a town square and commons. The St. George Anglican church was built in 1720, a fair was established in 1723 and the Free School opened in 1761.
By 1781, Dorchester became a booming trade center and boasted about 40 houses by 1781. The town gradually declined after the American Revolution and was abandoned in 1788. The threat of malaria and the shortage of land cause the Congregationalist colony to leave Dorchester and start a new settlement in Midway, Georgia.
In 1969, the land was donated to the South Carolina State Park Service. The village of Dorchester is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Dorchester Free School – The school was established in 1758 and consisted of
The Dorchester Free School where girls were allowed to attend.
Several girls attended the free school, an amazing feat for the time given most girls were raised to become just mothers and housewives.
During Revolutionary War the schoolmaster was removed from this post for remaining loyal to England and the school was closed.
The British troops burned it down and it did not reopen for almost 25 years. In 1818 the school moved to Summerville.
The St. George’s Anglican Church and Bell Tower – Angry with the Anglican Church, the Puritan Pilgrims left England in 1620.
St. George’s Anglican Church was built here in 1720. The bell tower was added in 1751.
With the Congregationalists worshiping only 2 miles away, St. George’s Anglican Church was built in 1720 in the center of Dorchester. Village founders and the other village “dissenters” were even taxed to support St. George’s.
The church was enlarged in the 1730s to meet its growing and prosperous parish. The bell tower was added in 1751.
St. George’s Anglican Church may have been a more convenient location for local worship, however the Congregationalist Church remained the religious center for most of Dorchester’s Puritan settlers.
The Native Coosa Tribe – Long before the English settlers, a small Native American tribe, the Coosa, lived here. The relationship with the English has always been uneasy. In 1671, the Charles Towne settlers accused them of stealing corn and livestock
The Coosa were one of the original inhabitants in the Lowcountry
The settlers waged war against the Coosa. After defeating the Indians, they required a monthly payment of deerskin per colony.
In 1675, one of the Lord Proprietors was granted the land where the Coosa village once stood. Although the grant gave him legal title he officially purchased the land from the surviving Coosa for “a valuable parcel of cloth, hatchet, beads and other goods and manufactures now received…” He called his home there the “Cussoo House”
By 1696, the Coosa ceased to have a significance presence in this area. Some had settled in the nearby St. Paul’s Parish, some migrated west, others died or intermarried with the English.
Fort Dorchester – During the French and Indian War rumors of an impeding naval attack by the French forced swift action by leaders in Charles Towne.
The powder magazine was fortified in 1775
A brick powder magazine enclosed by a tabby wall 8 feet high was built here in 1757.
During the Revolution, Dorchester was a strategic point.
In 1775, the magazine was fortified and the garrison commanded by Capt. Francis Marion. British troops occupied the town in April 1780 and again in 1781. At one point there were over 600 British soldiers in Dorchester.
They were driven out by cavalry and infantry under Col. Wade Hampton and Gen. Nathaniel Greene on December 1, 1781.
The meeting House was located 2 miles west of the village. The first structure was built of wood and replaced in the mid 1700 with a brick building. The interior is described as:
“A single door admitted to a single aisle, leading to a lofty pulpit, with a sounding board above it. What is left of the Dorchester burial ground
On either side of the island were several plain benches, capable of seating four or five persons each.
Along the sides of the house were two or three long seats, and at the site of the pulpit were several shorter ones. Back by the door two seats were fitted up for the guardsmen, with their old matchlocks.”
During the Revolutionary War, the British occupied the building and reportedly burned it when they evacuated the area. In 1794 the structure was repaired, and eventually its congregation entered into an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church.
As the Dorchester settlement declined and the town of Summerville grew, a new church was constructed nearer the town. Over time the old meeting house fell in disrepair and in 1886 it was severely damaged by the Great Earthquake. Today, only crumbling walls and the burial grounds remain.
The Artifacts – At the center you can see numerous artifacts such as hand painted pearl ware, Staffordshire candle holder, lead-glazed earthenware, white salt-glazed stoneware and the Colono ware. The Colono ware is similar to pottery from Nigeria and Ghana. It started to be produced in Carolina around 1680, peaked in the early 1700s and then disappeared by 1800. Typical vessels were flat bottomed, burnished, grit-tempered and often had an “X” incised on their bases.
Step back in the colonial period at Dorchester State Historic Park!
Best place to have a picnic along Ashley River
Filed under: Boating and Fishing, Canoe and Kayak, Charles Towne Landing, Charleston, Folly Beach, Free Things to Do, Historic Carolina Sites, Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Middleton Place, Outdoor Activities, Parks and Gardens | Tagged: affordable historic sites near Magnolia Middleton, Almost free things to do near Charoleston, Best archaeological sites in South Carolina, Charles Towne nearby family attractions, Charleston activities under $5, Congregationalist church settlements in Carolina, Dorchester colony history pictures quotes, free things to do near Summerville, historic inspirational sites Charleston, Indian Coosa villages Ashley River, North Charleston historic sites, South Carolina colonial crafts, Sty. George Anglican Church photos, what's fun cheap to do see in Charleston | 4 Comments »
Shout About South Carolina Travel, Family Attractions and Free Things to Do 
You must be logged in to post a comment.