The Charleston Museum is a museum located in the Wraggborough neighborhood in Charleston, South Carolina. It is one of the oldest museums in the United States. Its highly regarded collection includes historic artifacts, natural history,

decorative arts ] The decorative arts are arts or crafts whose object is the design and manufacture of objects that are both beautiful and functional. It includes most of the arts making objects for the interiors of buildings, and interior design, but not usua ...

and two historic Charleston houses. It replaces the Old Charleston Museum that burned down due to unknown causes.

History

The Charleston Museum is among the oldest museums in the United States, other museums in this category include the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts and the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communi ...

in Philadelphia. The Charleston Museum was founded in 1773 and opened to the public in 1824. In 1920, when the museum hired

Laura Bragg Laura Mary Bragg (October 9, 1881 – May 16, 1978) was an American museum director who became the first woman to run a publicly funded art museum in America when she was named the director of the Charleston Museum in 1920. She later directed the ...

as its director, she became the first woman to direct a publicly-funded art museum in America.Allen, Louise Anderson. ''A Bluestocking in Charleston: The Life and Career of Laura Bragg''. University of South Carolina Press, 2001. The museum's present building was completed in 1980 at 360 Meeting Street, Charleston, South Carolina. The museum's exhibits include natural history and local history displays and decorative arts, including silver. The museum is also home to the only known fossil of the extinct Pelagornis sandersi, which is possibly the largest flying bird ever discovered. The museum also owns and operates two historic house museums: * Heyward-Washington House – late 18th-century house owned by Founding Father

Thomas Heyward, Jr. Thomas Heyward Jr. (July 28, 1746 – March 6, 1809) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father, lawyer, jurist, and politician. Heyward was active politically during the American Revolution, Revolutionary Era. As a m ...

, Revolutionary patriot and signer of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of ...

. It is best known as the lodging of President George Washington during his 1792 visit to Charleston. * Joseph Manigault House – Federal-style home decorated with American, English and French furnishing of the early 19th century In addition to the two houses, the museum also maintains The Dill Sanctuary. From the site: :"... located on James Island contains assorted habitats for wildlife and numerous cultural features including three earthen Confederate batteries and prehistoric, colonial, antebellum, and postbellum archaeological sites. The Dill Sanctuary has been protected for purposes of preservation, wildlife enhancement, research and education, and is used only for Museum-sponsored programs. Habitat has been enhanced by creation of a six-acre wildlife pond, with three nesting islands, which provides a reliable source of fresh water for animals and nesting sites for both migratory and resident birds. 2001 saw the construction of the Dill Education Center and bathroom facilities which hosts Museum education programs."

Collection strengths

* Charleston furniture * Charleston silver * Lowcountry textiles, including costumes, quilts, and needlework * South Carolina ceramics * Egyptian artifacts * Archives - documentary and photographic resources * South Carolina ornithology * Nineteenth-century firearms * Invertebrate and Vertebrate Paleontology Collections * Skeletal Reconstructions of various Vertebrate Groups * Rocks and Minerals from around the World * Numerous Plant and Animal species collected by local Naturalists.

References

External links

Charleston Museum
- official site {{authority control Museums in Charleston, South Carolina History museums in South Carolina Museums established in 1773 Natural history museums in South Carolina 1773 establishments in South Carolina Paleontology in South Carolina