Charleston Museum


The Charleston Museum is a museum located in the Wraggborough neighborhood in Charleston, South Carolina. It is one of the oldest museums in the United States. Its highly regarded collection includes historic artifacts, natural history, decorative arts and two historic Charleston houses.

History

The Charleston Museum is among the oldest museums in the United States, other museums in this category include the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts and the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia. The Charleston Museum was founded in 1773 and opened to the public in 1824.
In 1920, when the museum hired Laura Bragg as its director, she became the first woman to direct a publicly funded art museum in America.
The museum's present building was completed in 1980 at 360 Meeting Street, Charleston, South Carolina.

Collection

The museum's exhibits include natural history and local history displays and decorative arts, including silver. The museum is also home to the only known fossil of the extinct Pelagornis sandersi, which is possibly the largest flying bird ever discovered.
The museum also owns and operates two historic house museums:
In addition to the two houses, the museum also maintains The Dill Sanctuary. From the site:

Collection strengths