The Sights Of Charleston

White Point Gardens Palmetto Carriage Works®

White Point Garden located on the Charleston Battery as seen on the Palmetto Carriage Works tour of Charleston South Carolina.

In the heart of the Charleston historic district is a piece of history with roots going back to the early 18th century. It was the site of colonial style justice in the 1720s and played a part in the civil war. Today, White Point Garden is a charming waterfront park located right on the Charleston Battery.

Ocean views, gentle breezes, large shady oak trees and oyster shell pathways are enough to make anyone want to pull up a blanket and have a picnic on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Old civil war time cannons provide a place for children to climb and play and pretend. The gazebo style bandstand, a throwback to 1907, adds an element of charm. Statues and memorials located throughout the park give visitors a chance to learn a little about the history of the area. The park today is a place the whole family can enjoy for locals and visitors alike.

The history of White Point Garden, often called White Point Gardens by locals, is not as quaint as the park you find there today.

The area where White Point Garden is now located was once called Oyster Point. What is now covered with soft green lawn used to be covered with oyster shells. The shells were eventually bleached from the warm Carolina sun giving the point a white look. The area was officially renamed White Point Garden in 1837.

As the centerpiece of the Battery, the park was used as a Civil War Fortification, but more than a century before, the park was part of an even darker piece of history. A monument in the park remembers the storied pirate, Stede Bonnet. He was buried in a nearby marsh after his death, but not before he was hung at this very park, along with 49 others over a five week period of time. His body was left hanging for four days to deter others from engaging in pirate activity, lest they meet the same fate.

A Palmetto Carriage® tour will give you the chance to see the park and many other landmarks located throughout the city while learning all the fascinating details of this historically rich city by the sea.