College of Charleston Libraries Welcome the South Carolina Historical Society


Archives Sign
On January 15, 2015, the South Carolina Historical Society Archives (SCHS)– the largest private repository of books, letters, journals, maps, drawings, and photographs documenting the history of the state of South Carolina—commenced operating in a new location, the third floor of the Marlene and Nathan Addlestone Library.

The SC Historical Society was formerly housed (nearly seventy-five years) at the historic Fireproof Building in downtown Charleston. In recent years it had become increasingly clear that the Society’s collections were outgrowing the available space. The partnership between the South Carolina Historical Society and the College of Charleston is not without precedent. Walter Edgar, former president of SCHS’s Board of Directors, noted, “When we started out in 1855, we actually had a connection with the College of Charleston. In fact, our collections survived during the Civil War because they were stored, not in our headquarters, but at the College.”

Continuing this legacy of partnership, the inter-institutional relationship maintains the independent identity of each organization while elevating Addlestone Library to a position as one of the top research centers in the nation in Southern Studies. “This collaboration makes us a premier research destination for scholars and students of the American South, the Atlantic World, and a number of other disciplines,” says John W. White, dean of libraries at the College of Charleston, “We are especially pleased that these resources will strengthen undergraduate and graduate education at the College of Charleston.”