Fort Sumter
It’s perhaps the most well-known historic military fort in America, visible from almost every vantage point along the waterfront around Charleston Harbor. Looming like a sentry at the mouth of the harbor, Fort Sumter isn’t as large today as it was before April 12, 1861, when it was barraged by artillery fire in an incident that set off the Civil War.
Amazingly, no one was killed in that infamous initial skirmish. The rubble was removed, the fort repaired in places, rebuilt in others, and it remained an active military installation through three more wars before becoming a national monument in 1948.
A free, ranger-led tour reveals plenty of fascinating details. One fact that surprises many first-time visitors is that the Confederate battle flag — that most famous and controversial of all Confederate banners — never flew over the fort. The two national flags of the Confederacy flew between 1861 and 1865, but the battle flag wasn’t commonly raised over forts and buildings.
A former display had five flags flying over the fort, including the two Confederate national flags, the South Carolina state flag and earlier incarnations of the U.S. flag. After the mass shooting at Charleston’s Mother Emanuel church in June 2015 led to the removal of Confederate flags from government buildings, all the flags at Fort Sumter temporarily were lowered. Now, the historic flags fly again, but as a display below the fort walls, not visible on approach, with only the current U.S. flag flying above the walls.
Take a ferry ($19.50) to the fort from the waterfront in downtown Charleston or Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant, across the harbor. Departing from the Mount Pleasant side of the harbor is recommended for those who want to experience more military history attractions; Patriots Point is filled with them, including the retired aircraft carrier U.S.S. Yorktown.
Ferries depart from Liberty Square (340 Concord St., Charleston, S.C.) and Patriots Point (40 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant, S.C.). 1-800-789-3678, fortsumtertours.com.
Aiken
Like many towns founded in the mid-19th century, Aiken exists because of a railroad. It’s named after the president of the railroad company that built a line from Charleston to the Savannah River near Augusta. The odd thing about the rail line through Aiken is that you can’t see it, because it’s in a trench dug to help ease passage through the elevated landscape.
The Willcox (rates start at $189; 100 Colleton Ave., Aiken, S.C. 877-648-2200, thewillcox.com) operates next to the sunken rail line as one of the South's finer small-scale luxury hotels. The hotel is within walking distance of Aiken's low-rise downtown of wide, shady avenues with verdant parkways running down the middle. The parkways are part of the charm of Aiken, which has a pedestrian-friendly street grid laid out in the 1830s.
The town has a deep sense of history. Many buildings and estates survive from the Gilded Age, when Aiken served as a winter colony for the moneyed elite from the North.
A good place to begin your Aiken explorations is at the old railroad depot, which now houses the Aiken Visitors Center and Train Museum. 406 Park Ave., Aiken, S.C. 1-888-245-3672, visitaikensc.com.
Upstate driving tour
The Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway runs through Upstate South Carolina, providing wondrous mountain and orchard vistas and a nice alternative to I-85. The scenery gets even better when you explore some of the secondary roads. Tumbling waterfalls abound. So do historic sites, especially bridges — some covered, some not.
Poinsett’s Bridge, off Callahan Mountain Road, is by far the most majestic bridge in the region. This Gothic stone archway bridge — said to be the oldest in the state — was built in 1820 along a stagecoach route that ran between Charleston and Asheville. Vehicles aren’t allowed these days, but you still can walk across the bridge.
A good base of operations for such exploration is Red Horse Inn (rates start at $175). Guests of the inn are given a detailed driving guide to all the historic bridges and natural attractions in the region. They're also given permission to visit covered bridges located on private property. 45 Winstons Chase Court, Landrum, S.C. 864-909-1575, theredhorseinn.com.
Greenville
City planners needing inspiration for how to revitalize a downtown need look no further than Greenville.
In the early 1970s, city leaders began thinking about what downtown should look like in 40 years. This led to the transformation of Main Street. What was once a nondescript four-lane thoroughfare lined with vacant buildings is now a two-lane street shaded by trees, with not a vacant storefront in sight. A highway bridge was removed, revealing the natural beauty of Reedy Falls. A pedestrian bridge was constructed and green space developed around the tumbling cascade of water.
Greenville History Tours ($12-$45) offers both driving and walking tours that detail the city's transformation while pointing out architectural highlights. Guide John Nolan also takes visitors on culinary tours, where they can sample the fare at many of Greenville's top restaurants. 864-567-3940, greenvillehistorytours.com.
Oconee Station State Historic Site
Located in Oconee County in the extreme northwest corner of the state, this free-admission site contains two structures built between 1792 and 1805. The older building, an impressive stone blockhouse with 20-inch-thick walls, was part of a militia outpost built during a time when tensions with the Creek tribe ran high. Back then, this was considered frontier land. Now, it's an idyllic spot in the foothills where you can fish, hike and get an up-close look at early American history. 500 Oconee Station Road, Walhalla, S.C. 864-638-0079, southcarolinaparks.com.
