6 Best Sights in Charleston, South Carolina

A prime example of the wealth derived from chattel slavery, the Aiken-Rhett House is considered one of the best preserved town-house complexes in the country. Built in 1820 and virtually unaltered since 1858, it boasts original wallpaper, paint, and some furnishings. Two of the former owners, Governor Aiken and his wife, Harriet, bought many of the chandeliers, sculptures, and paintings in Europe. The carriage house remains out back, along with a building that contained the kitchen, laundry, and housing for enslaved laborers, making this the most intact property to showcase urban life in pre–Civil War Charleston. Be sure to take the audio tour, as it vividly describes the surroundings, giving historical and family details throughout.

One of the nation's finest examples of Federal-style architecture, the Nathaniel Russell House was built in 1808 and has been restored to a 19th-century aesthetic. Its grand beauty speaks to the wealth Russell accumulated through chattel slavery and how this allowed him to become one of the city's leading merchants. The kitchen, laundry, and certain living quarters have been transformed from storage space into exhibits on the enslaved people who lived and labored here. Inside, in addition to the famous "free-flying" staircase that spirals up three stories with no visible support, the ornate interior is distinguished by Charleston-made furniture as well as paintings and works on paper by well-known American and European artists, including Henry Benbridge, Samuel F. B. Morse, and George Romney. The extensive formal garden is worth a leisurely stroll.

This remnant of Charles Pinckney's 715-acre birthplace was winnowed down by development, but today the National Park Service uses archaeological findings to tell the story of the man who signed the U.S. Constitution and the people his family enslaved. While most structures linked to the site's history as a rice and indigo plantation no longer stand, an 1820s cabin erected after Pinckney's death is open to visitors, along with three buildings where enslaved people lived.

In 1825, Charles Edmondston designed this house in the Federal style on Charleston's High Battery; it was built by the labor of enslaved people, who also lived and worked on the property. About 13 years later, second owner Charles Alston began transforming it into the Greek Revival structure seen today, also by using the labor of enslaved people. The home is furnished with family antiques, portraits, silver, and fine china; the stories of the enslaved people who lived here are intertwined with many of the exhibits.

This Georgian-style double house was the townhome of Thomas Heyward Jr., patriot leader, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and slaveholder. The city rented the residence for George Washington's use during the president's weeklong stay in Charleston in 1791. Inside, visitors find historic Charleston-made furniture, notably the withdrawing room's Holmes Bookcase, considered to be one of the most exceptional examples of American colonial furniture. Don't miss the formal gardens, which contain plants commonly used in the area in the late 18th century. Also significant is the 1740s kitchen building, as it's the only one of its kind open to the public in Charleston, and the laundry building, where new interpretive panels acknowledge the role that enslaved people played at the property.

An extraordinary example of Federal architecture, this 1803 residence and National Historic Landmark reflects the urban lifestyle of a well-to-do rice-planting family and the African people they enslaved. Engaging guided tours reveal a stunning spiral staircase, rooms that have been preserved in period style, and American, English, and French furniture from the early 19th century. While the tour is supposed to touch on urban enslavement, the amount of information provided about the lives of the hundreds of people enslaved by Manigault—including those forced to labor at this address—varies by docent. 

Outside, stroll through the artfully maintained period garden; unfortunately, most of the historic outbuildings were torn down long ago, now replaced with interpretive signs that note their former locations.