Trident Health System

Settled in 1670 by English colonists, Charleston grew from a colonial seaport to a wealthy city by the mid-1800s. In April 1861, Confederate soldiers fired on Union-occupied Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, signaling the beginning of the Civil War. Short on capital after the war, Charleston was forced to repair damaged buildings instead of replacing them, resulting in the preservation of the city’s greatest assets, its vast inventory of historically significant architecture. In 1904 construction of the Navy Yard just north of the city pushed Charleston into the 20th century. Later, major sources of capital came from the Charleston Naval Base, the area medical industry, and tourism. Today approximately 4.51 million people visit the city annually.