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roads were built as part of a long-dis- tance trail system that included stage- coaches and ferries. Before Andrew Hibben started his ferry service in 1770, residents and travelers had to de- part from Hobcaw Point to cross the Cooper River to Charleston. Old Georgetown Road was an early
APPED REFERENCES TO the area now known as Mount Pleasant first appeared in the late 1600s. A 1672 map cre- ated for the Lords Proprietors refers to the land surrounded by Charleston Harbor, Shem
Creek and Cove Inlet as North Point, while a later undated map indicates it is Oldwanus Point. The earli- est known inhabitants of the land were members of
BY MARGARET ANN MICHELS
the Sewee and Wandoe [sic] tribes. In 1680, the first European who lived here, Florence O’Sullivan, en- countered these Indians, as did a group of Congrega- tionalists from New England who settled in the Christ Church area in 1695. For the earliest settlers, major routes of transporta- tion included the harbor, channels, rivers, inlets and creeks, many of them named by the Indians: Shem Creek, Wando River and Copahee Sound, for exam- ple. This heritage also is reflected in street names, such as Oldwanus Drive, Seewee Cir- cle, Shem Drive, Mataoka Street and Wakendaw Boulevard. Some of the first
route between Georgetown and Charleston; a few por- tions still exist in Mount Pleasant, while others became part of U.S. Highway 17. Te road led directly to the ferry landing at Haddrell’s Point. From there, passen- gers could cross the harbor on Hibben’s ferry, which cut travel time significantly. Te original town of Mount Pleasant was a combina- tion of five villages located between Shem Creek and the cove that incorporated in the mid-19th century and eventually expanded to include all of Christ Church Parish. Now Mount Pleasant stretches from the Cooper River to the Intracoastal Waterway and from Charleston Harbor all the way to Awendaw. Te Old Village includes the oldest and most historic
streets, but the tradition of honoring residents who con- tributed to the town’s growth and prosperity by naming streets, parks and landmarks after them continues today. Here are the origins for some of the oldest local street names:
BEACH STREET
– Before the harbor jetties were con- structed, this street curved along a sandy beach. Later, with the natural flow of
Center Street was named in the 1847 plan of Hilliardsville.
sand obstructed, marsh grasses took over the area. BENNETT STREET – Tis street is named for James Hibben’s mother-in-law, whose fourth hus- band was William Bennett. CENTER STREET – Te street was named in the 1847 plan of Hilliardsville, which encompassed the area from Division Street (now McCants) to the cove and from Common Street (now Royall Av- enue) to the harbor
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Photo by Joel Cardwell
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