The Battery is a landmark defensive seawall and promenade inCharleston, South Carolina. Named for a pre–Civil War coastal defenseartillery battery originally built by the British at the site, it stretches along the lower shores of the Charleston peninsula, bordered by theAshley andCooper Rivers, which meet here to form Charleston Harbor.
Historically, it has been understood to extend from the beginning of the seawall at the site of the former Omar Shrine Temple (40–44 East Bay Street) to the intersection of what is now Murray Boulevard and King Street. The higher part of the promenade, paralleling East Battery, as the street is known south of Water Street, to the intersection of Murray Boulevard, is known as High Battery.Fort Sumter is visible from the Cooper River side (High Battery) and from the point, as areCastle Pinckney, theWorld War IIaircraft carrierUSS Yorktown (CV-10),Fort Moultrie, andSullivan's Island.
In popular speech[citation needed] and in a number of unofficial guidebooks[citation needed] and Web sites[citation needed], the Battery and White Point Garden are sometimes referred to as "Battery Park," but the park and seawall promenade are not regarded by the City of Charleston as a single entity, and the term "Battery Park" is not an official designation.
Fort Broughton (ca. 1735) and Fort Wilkins (during theAmerican Revolution andWar of 1812) occupied White or Oyster Point, so named because of the piles of bleached oyster shells on the point at the tip of the peninsula. In the 18th century, rocks and heavy materials were used to fortify the shore of the Cooper River on the eastern side of the peninsula. In 1838, this area along the seawall became a promenade. First used as a public park in 1837, the area now known asWhite Point Garden became a place for artillery during theAmerican Civil War.
ColletonBastion was located near the intersection of Water and Meeting Streets. During theSiege of Charleston, the British had to contend with Fort Johnson, Broughton'sBattery, Dorrell's Fort, Wilkins' Fort, and Gibbs' Fort (at the foot of King Street). During theQuasi-War Fort Mechanic (ca. 1795) stood where the currentEdmondston-Alston House is now located. During the Civil War, Battery Ramsay occupied White Point Garden.[1]
As a tourist destination, the Battery is famous for its stately, mainlyantebellum homes. Included among the grand houses are theLouis DeSaussure House (1 East Battery), theRoper House (9 East Battery), theWilliam Ravenel House (13 East Battery), the Edmondston-Alston House (21 East Battery), theCharles Drayton House (25 East Battery), theGeorge Chisolm House (39 East Battery), theVilla Margherita (4 South Battery), theWilliam Washington House (8 South Battery), theCol. John A.S. Ashe House (26 South Battery), theJames Spear House (30 South Battery), and theCol. John Ashe House (32 South Battery).
In 2004, a structural report by the City of Charleston showed that the Battery was suffering serious problems and could fail to protect the southeastern portion of the city during hurricanes. In 2012, the City announced that a $3.2 million restoration project would soon commence at the juncture of High Battery (along East Battery) and Low Battery (along Murray Blvd.).[2]
In August 2023,Tropical Storm Idalia breached the Battery and flooded portions of the downtown.[3]
Media related toBattery Park (Charleston) at Wikimedia Commons
32°46′09″N79°55′44″W / 32.7692°N 79.9288°W /32.7692; -79.9288
