The Ashley River Historic District
Encompassing 13 miles along both sides of the
Ashley
River
and a 15 mile portion of the
Ashley River Road
, the region connects us to the heritage we share with Native Americans, European-Americans, and African-Americans who have lived here for three centuries or more.
Though relatively short, the
Ashley
River
served as a major transportation route, connecting residents with the
port
of
Charleston
and the world beyond. It also provided inhabitants with fish, crabs, and shrimp, the cooking of which evolved into the traditional dishes we enjoy today.
South Carolina
began with only one settlement, Charles Town. Soon, colonists were pushing into the frontier. As plantations arose, merchants, doctors and craftsmen settled towns like
Dorchester
to support them. Trade routes – rivers, paths and roads – connected planters to towns and towns to cities. Today, those same roads and rivers help us follow our forebears’ footsteps. The old
Ashley River Road
(Highway 61), and the river itself, still link Colonial Dorchester, now a State Historic Site, to the fine homes of John Drayton and Arthur Middleton.
(Highway 61), and the river itself, still link Colonial Dorchester, now a State Historic Site, to the fine homes of John Drayton and Arthur Middleton.
