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The 325-acre Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site in Dorchester County, South Carolina dates back to 1697. Then Dorchester was a busy trading town, but it was abandoned after the Revolutionary War. Today, where the town was, are historical ruins that shed light on colonial South Carolina's early history. These ruins are an old brick bell tower of Saint George's Anglican Church, a cemetery with 20 burial sites, an old and partial log shipping wharf, a trail with kiosks, and exhibits depicting the history of a village that was once there, and vast land with archeological treasures.

Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site's History

A Congregationalist (descendants of puritans) group that sailed from Massachusetts and settled in Carolina started the trading town of Dorchester in 1697. The town's proximity to Ashley River made it a vibrant trading hub for nearly a hundred years, but after the Revolutionary War of 1775 to 1783, it was abandoned. Forest grew in the area where the town was, and later it became a protected historical site with archeological ruins of its heydays. At Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site, there are also deeds, diaries, wills, and letters all well-preserved, plus ongoing archeological research and excavations, that inform how life was when the town existed.

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Buildings' Structure

The structures and buildings at Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site are called tabby structures. Tabby is a mixture of water, sand, whole oyster plus crushed and burned oysters. These materials were formed into a lime mixture and played a similar role to concrete or cement mixture and were used to build walls.

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What To Do At Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site

There are engaging activities available for visitors at the Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site. These include:

Tour The Saint George's Church Cemetery

After Saint George's Parish was formed in 1717 a church was built and completed in 1720 at Dorchester trading town. The sanctuary was 50 feet in length and 30 feet in width. As the congregation grew they enlarged the church and added a bell tower in 1751. A place was also set apart for a cemetery to bury church members. After the town and church ceased to exist after the Revolutionary War, local families used the cemetery to bury family members.

Tombstones at the site date from 1772 until 1920 and are all over this historic site, with some near the bell tower. Visitors are not allowed to stand, sit or lean on these historic tombstones. Brushing or wiping them to see what's written is also forbidden, but photography is allowed. Visitors keen to learn how to preserve old cemeteries and tombstones like these can contact the South Carolina Department of Archives and History by calling (803) 896-6196.

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Tour The Park With Town Ruins

To understand the town's rich history there are sites called stops from A to I within the park that depict how it functioned and changed during its existence.

  • Stop A: This was a vital trading center in proximity to Ashley River as the town developed. In the early days, lumber, tar, pitch resin for shipbuilding, and deerskins were traded here. Later landowners focused on farming rice and indigo plants.
  • Stop B: At this stop ships near Ashley River carried trade goods and delivered messages to and from the young Carolina colony. Among the first settlers here was Joseph Lord, a minister who studied plants and animals he found in Dorchester and shared his discoveries with other collectors. Plant samples were sent to England by boat for other researchers to study. The samples he sent in 1704 are still studied today at the Sloane Herbarium in London.
  • Stop C: A tabby-made fort whose construction was completed in the 1760s is at this stop. Due to time passage, the fort has aged, and its original white color finished with stucco, has turned gray due to weathering. To preserve it as it was originally, visitors are prohibited from touching or climbing its walls.
  • Stop D: This town section benefited economically due to its closeness to Ashley River. Later it was divided into land sizes of 45 to 50 acres.
  • Stop E: Archeologists are currently focused on this site and have dug out 18th-century artifacts plus a brick floor and its foundation, which was likely for a cookhouse and living quarters. Archeologists believe the building here was probably owned by Joseph Blake a rich farmer.
  • Stop F: This stop was the town center. During the colonial period, there was a tavern, tannery, carpentry shop, and a medical practice here.
  • Stop G: At this stop, visitors learn how the town was fortified and defended when the Revolutionary War started in 1775. They also learn about the effects and aftermath of the war on the town before it was abandoned.
  • Stop H: At this spot is where Church of England members who settled here built a church in the 1720s.
  • Stop I: This spot has ruins where visitors see the work of slaves at the tabby-built fort and the brick bell tower. Remnants of the work slaves did can be seen all over the town ruins. These slaves were coopers, traders, shoemakers, domestic workers, and tanners.

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Learn and Participate in Archeological Digs

At Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site programs are available that permit visitors to participate in archeological digs. The digs reveal the early life in the old colonial town and the American South. There also are educational programs on weekdays and weekends for schools dubbed "Discover Carolina Programs." This site is also ideal for picnics, photo shoots, and geocaching, especially for families with children. During the low tide, visitors can see the log wharf on the Ashley River. Pets on leashes are allowed in outdoor areas.

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Visiting And Admission Costs

The site's visiting hours start from 9 am to 6 pm during the daylight saving time, and from 9 am to 5 pm for the rest of the year.

Admission Costs

  • Adults $3
  • South Carolina Senior Citizens $1.50
  • Children Aged 6 to15 Years $1
  • Free entry For Children 5 years And Below