Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, surpassed only by the state capital of Columbia. Charleston is the county seat of the modern Charleston County.
In 1670, Charleston was originally named Charles Towne. It moved to its present location on Oyster Point in 1680 from a location on the west bank of the Ashley River known as Albemarle Point. Charleston adopted its present name in 1783. In 1690, Charleston was the fifth largest city in North America, and remained among the ten largest cities in the United States through the 1840 census.
Charleston is known as The Holy City perhaps by virtue of the prominence of churches on the low-rise cityscape, perhaps because, like Mecca, its devotees hold it so dear, and perhaps for the fact that Carolina was among the few original thirteen colonies to provide religious tolerance, albeit restricted to non-Roman Catholics.
Many Huguenots found their way to Charleston. Carolina also allowed Jews to practice their faith without restriction. Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, founded in 1749, is the fourth oldest Jewish congregation in the continental United States. Brith Sholom Beth Israel is the oldest Orthodox synagogue in the South, founded by Ashkenazi (German and Central European Jews) Jews in the mid-19th century.
(Source: Wikipedia)
