See what it was like to be a colonist in Charles Towne in 1670!

Albemarle Point

Charles Towne Landing was the site of the first permanent European settlement in the Carolina province. Approximately 148 colonists, including men, women and children, landed at Albemarle Point the first Wednesday in April 1670.

The colony had to quickly establish homes, food and defenses to survive and create a successful colony. The Crop Garden, Fortified Area and the ADVENTURE ship will help to explain how this colony operated, lived and survived.

The living History Department of Charles Towne landing helps our guests relate to the history of the original Charles Towne settlement from over 330 years ago. Our staff interpret, interact and enlighten our visitors to the way of life of the colonist from 1670 Charles Towne.

Crop Garden

The Charles Towne Landing Experimental Crop Garden tries to follow the same 1670 instructions given to Captain Joseph West, the leader of the Carolina expedition.

The original Crop Garden, the Lords Proprietors’ Plantation, was not located within the original Fortified colony. This garden was located across the Old Towne Creek and connected to Charles Towne by a wooden foot bridge. The Lords Proprietors’ Plantation was surrounded and protected by another palisade wall, the Star Fort.

Fortified Area

The Fortified Area was the protective boundaries of the original settlement.
The colonists were instructed to fashion defenses that would allow for the colony to easily defend itself.

Palisade Wall
Entering Charles Towne settlement in 1670 you traveled by boat, our front door was located at Albemarle Point where the ADVENTURE is moored. Land side defense was the Palisade Wall. The Palisade was a wooden fence of sharpened logs with a ditch to the front to prevent access by hostile Native Americans who were allied to the Spanish.

Earthen Fortifications
Welcome to the front door of the settlement. The water side defense used the earthen fortifications to create embrasures for cannons to be mounted aiming toward the Ashley River and mouth of the Old Towne Creek. The 1670 driveway to Charles Towne Landing is the Old Towne Creek.

The ADVENTURE

A reproduction of a 17th century coastal trader, the ADVENTURE was a cargo vessel that would carry supplies, provisions, commodities and livestock between New Amsterdam (present New York) and Barbados in the West Indies.

The Adventure was designed by renowned 20th century shipwright William Avery Baker in 1969 and set underway in March 1970 to celebrate the Tri-centennial at Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site in April of 1970.

A new Adventure is being built by Rockport Marine in Massachusetts and is expected on-site by November 2008. Click here to view the new boat construction in progress.