There are many places in Charleston where you can enjoy views of the city’s Harbor and, if you turn around, get to see rows of beautiful historic homes. If you also want a place to sit and relax, and enjoy the fresh breeze, among the best spots in town is historic Battery Park. A photo from the battery was used in last week’s One Clue Mystery, and it was recognized by George G, PortMoresby and Professor Abe — congratulations to them!
(The Battery, 1863 — Public Domain)
The Battery features a seawall and was constructed several centuries ago as a defensive site. The place has been witness to a lot of history. Dozens of pirates were hung here from oak trees and gallows in the early 1700s and were left to ripen on the noose as a deterrent to other pirates. During the War of 1812, the point was occupied by Fort Broughton; cannons were placed here during that war as a last line of defense. The Battery is perhaps best known as the site from which the first shots of the Civil War were fired on distant Fort Sumter in 1861.
Today’s park features those same old cannons and piles of cannon balls (now just lawn ornaments), lawns, palmettos, oak trees, statues and monuments, and a gazebo (which is a popular place for wedding photographs). The Battery is bordered by the Ashley and Cooper Rivers, which meet here to form Charleston Harbor.
