Dorchester, South Carolina facts for kids
Dorchester was an important town in the early South Carolina colony. It was located on the Ashley River, about 18 miles (29 km) from Charleston. The town was started in February 1696 by a group of people led by Reverend Joseph Lord. They came from a town called Dorchester in Massachusetts.
They named their new home after their old one in Massachusetts. That town had been named by even earlier settlers after a town in England called Dorchester. Sadly, the town of Dorchester in South Carolina was left empty in 1751.
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The Story of Dorchester
The town of Dorchester was built where Dorchester Creek and Eagle's Creek met the Ashley River. English settlers had named these creeks. The Native Americans who lived in this area called the land between the two creeks Boo-shoo-ee. We don't know what this name meant, but the -ee part often referred to water.
Who Owned the Land Before?
In 1675, a rich Englishman named John Smith came to South Carolina with his wife, Mary. He was friends with an important person called the Earl of Shaftesbury. Because of this, he received a large piece of land. On November 20, 1676, he was given 1,800 acres (7.3 km²) of land. This land included the Boo-shoo-ee area and a nearby swamp. John Smith was even called "John Smith of Boo-shoo."
John Smith passed away in December 1682 without having any children. His land then went back to the colony.
How Dorchester Was Founded
On October 20, 1695, Reverend Joseph Lord and two friends received permission from their church in Dorchester, Massachusetts. They were allowed to lead people south to start a new town in South Carolina. Two days later, Reverend Lord held a meeting to find people who wanted to join him. Six more people agreed to go, making a group of nine. However, some of them might not have made it to the new town.
On December 5, the settlers left Boston. Four days later, on December 9, a big storm hit their ship. It almost sank! The passengers prayed for safety. Luckily, the storm's strong winds actually pushed the ship faster. They arrived in Charles Town (now Charleston) on December 20, in just six days. The trip usually took two weeks.
Not everyone was happy about their arrival. Many people, including the governor, thought the group should settle somewhere else. But Joseph Lord was able to get a land grant for 1,800 acres (7.3 km²). This was the same land that John Smith had owned. The group settled in the Boo-shoo-ee area. This land had been mapped out earlier by one of the settlers, William Norman. On February 2, the group held their first church service under a large oak tree.
The new settlers first built simple wooden shelters to live in. Then, they started building something more important: a church. They named it the Old White Meeting House. This was in honor of Reverend John White from England, who had supported their move. They named their new town Dorchester. They built it in the same style they knew from England and Massachusetts. On November 1 of that year, more people from Dorchester, Massachusetts, were approved to move to the new village.
Why Dorchester Was Left Empty
Reverend Lord went back to the Massachusetts colony in 1720. After he left, the town of Dorchester in South Carolina slowly became less important. The people found the hot climate difficult. Also, some became sick from local illnesses. The natural resources near the town were not enough to support a large number of people.
In 1751, the townspeople decided to leave the village. Most of them moved to Midway in the Georgia colony. Some went to North Carolina, and others returned to Massachusetts.
During the American Revolution in 1781, the Old White Meeting House burned down. It was rebuilt later, but it was left empty after the American Civil War. The building was completely destroyed during the 1886 Charleston earthquake. This earthquake caused damage over a very wide area.
Dorchester Today
Today, you can still see the ruins of the Old White Meeting House and its cemetery. These ruins are cared for by the Summerville Presbyterian Church, which is the church that followed the original one.
