Charleston White Point Gardens: Where City Meets Harbor

As much as we’d like the opposite to be true, eventually even Charleston, South Carolina runs out of space. But there’s good news: the end of the Charleston peninsula where the Ashley and Cooper River meet the harbor is a beautiful site in and of itself. The Charleston White Point Gardens are a must-see during your visit.

This 6.5 acre park is ideally situated to give visitors and Charleston natives alike one of the finest views of the Charleston harbor and the historic Fort Sumter. And for history enthusiasts, there’s no shortage of fascinating information and American history to be found at this park.

The History of Charleston White Point Gardens

white-point-gardens-statueGiven its prominent location, it’s no surprise that White Point Gardens has been exposed to a lot of the history of Charleston. So much has occurred here, in fact, that it’s easier to simply list some of the highlights—otherwise, we might fill a book:

  • The site was originally named Oyster Point, but was renamed to White Point thanks to the white oyster shells easily found where the land meets the water. There is still an Oyster Point in Charleston, however, which refers to the extreme edge of the land.
  • During the mid-1800s, White Point was home to a public bathing house instead of a park, complete with its own cake and ice cream parlor on the top floor.
  • The site has its own share of Charleston’s grisly side thanks to a marker showing where Stede “The Gentleman Pirate” Bonnet, a Caribbean pirate, was hanged. Bonnet earned the nickname due to his wealthy heritage, and he even knew the infamous pirate Blackbeard.
  • White Point Gardens also plays host to two Confederate columbiads, a type of large-caliber cannon, which now point toward East Battery. There are many other military relics at the park, most with history dating back to the Civil War.
  • The statue to Sergeant William Jasper, a prominent monument marking the victory of colonials at Fort Moultrie, can be found here as well.

The historic site in Charleston is a must-see for more reasons than its history, however.

Visiting White Point Gardens Today

white-point-gardens-bandstandThe view from White Point Gardens provides an expansive look at the harbor including Fort Sumter and the nearby James Island. It is a truly beautiful sight to behold, and many enjoy walking along the harbor-walk taking it in, especially at sunrise and sundown.

But people don’t go for the view alone. There is a prominent bandstand—put back in place in 2010—that has been used for weddings, making it one of the most popular places in Charleston to hold a wedding. In addition to the southern charm of the bandstand’s design itself, many people go there for picturesque representations of the land that occupied Charleston before its role as a prominent colonial city.

To view historic sites in Charleston, SC like this one, register for a tour with Charleston Carriage Works. A horse-drawn carriage tour is the perfect way to experience this historic city!

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