Harleston Village is one of Charleston’s earliest and largest neighborhoods, established in the 18th century. The neighborhood was named after John Harleston, nephew of John Coming.
The borders of Harleston Village are Calhoun, Broad, and King Streets, and the Ashely River. Many streets were named after prominent citizens of the day.
In the late 1700s, Harleston Village saw the establishment of the country’s first golf club and the College of Charleston, one of the oldest Universities in the country. You will also find the Wentworth Mansion, a grand historic mansion which dates back to the 1880’s, and Colonial Lake, with its surrounding parks, reconfigured in 2016. Further north, bordering the Medical University of South Carolina, is Cannon Park – the former site of the Charleston Museum. There, you can still see the columns of the old museum, which burned down in 1981.
Today, Harleston Village is one of the most diverse and lively neighborhoods in Downtown Charleston. While mostly residential, Harleston Village also houses many local restaurants, shops, and churches.