King Street History

Established by English settlers in 1670 as Charles Town, Charleston is known as the first comprehensively planned town in the Thirteen Colonies. With an economy built on the institution of enslavement, Charleston prospered as one of the country’s largest cities prior to the civil war. Today, with over 800,000 residents, metropolitan Charleston is one of South Carolina’s fastest growing regions. King Street lies at the heart of the historic city. At more than 300 years of age, King is one of the city’s most architecturally significant streets. Named for King Charles II of England, it is also one of the South’s premier pedestrian friendly retail shopping, dining and entertainment districts. Here are June 2021 sights and scenes from a walk on one of the country’s “Top 10 Shopping Streets” according to U.S. News and World Report.

Lower King Street Antiques District

Also called the Antique District, this stretch of King Street from Broad to Market was voted the “Best Antique Shopping in the U.S.” by the readers of Travel + Leisure magazine.