#53

Mending the curtains.  Here, an actor in total period costume, recreates some of the tasks completed by inhabitants of Charles Towne Landing.

Charles Towne Landing is the original site of the first permanent English settlement in Carolina, established in 1670.  It sits on 664 acres which is now a protected state park.  The guide signs within the park tell the story, "War between Spain and England ended ten years before the founding of Charles Towne, but the hatred and mistrust between the two empires remained.  In an era of empire building, Charles Towne's existence directly challenged Spain's claim on the land they called Chicora.  The colonists implored the support of Lord Ashley against the Spanish threat: 'We are here settled in the very chaps of the Spaniards...'   Aware of this eminent threat, the settlers prepared themselves for the worst.  These earthen fortifications, equipped with 12 cannons, strengthened the already formidable natural defenses of the marsh and river against Spanish naval forces."   

Many of these names are commonly found in the area.  Chicora remains the name of a neighborhood, the Ashley river runs great lengths nearby, even King Charles II held influence of Charles Towne in the late 1600s, which I can only assume is where the Charles in Charleston comes from.