2016 Annual Meeting in Charleston, South Carolina
May 18 – 21, 2016
Plantations on the Ashley River – May 22, 2016
Think you know your history….how about history originating from 1670? Charleston, South Carolina’s origins began that year and have been multi-layered ever since. From being the leading city in the south during colonial times, Charleston was the wealthiest and largest city south of Philadelphia. The first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter by Citadel cadets and the H.L. Hunley was the first submarine to sink an enemy ship but promptly sank and was not recovered for 137 years.
In addition to military history, George Gershwin composed Porgy and Bess while living nearby and Porgy and Bess are buried on James Island. The first game of golf in America was played here. Charleston was the first city to have a theater, which exists today and is said to be the most haunted place in the city. We will be visiting the Charleston Museum, which was the first established museum in the United States in 1773. There is an excellent exhibit of the history of rice production and a replica of the Hunley out front.
In addition to its history, Charleston is known for its historic preservation of architecture. There are over 2,000 preserved and restored buildings; 70 are pre-Revolutionary era with 130 dating from the 1700s and 600 from the early 1800s. After a full day of history, a visit to well-known southern cooking restaurants is called for in the most polite and hospitable city in America.
Venues we will visit include the Charleston Library Society, the Waring Historical Library at the Medical University of South Carolina, the Avery Center for African American History and Culture, the Charleston Museum and the Confederate Museum.
We are fortunate to have three outstanding speakers: Dr. Nicholas Butler, Mr. George Loud and Mr. Harlan Greene who will guide us through the history of the region from colonial and revolutionary Charleston through the War Between the States and the current cultural renaissance of the Carolina Low Country.
Sunday (an add-on day) along the Ashley River with the gardens, wildlife, historic houses and manuscripts will round out a glorious meeting.
Please join us for an enjoyable visit to this coastal city!!
Annual Meeting Detailed Schedule
The 2016 Annual Meeting will be held May 18 to 22, 2016. Based in Charleston South Carolina at the Francis Marion Hotel, our annual meeting will offer the usual variety of excellent manuscript and book collections, sumptuous meals, and scintillating attendees will be featured. Unique to this meeting is the ambiance of a setting that has been a center of important history since Colonial times, and a group of outstanding archivists and historians who will illuminate that history for us…
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Information on Hotel and Transportation
Headquarters Hotel: Francis Marion Hotel
387 King Street
Charleston, SC 29403
Reservations: 1-877-756-2121 or 1-843-722-0600
Manuscript Society Rate: $219.00 per night plus tax
Airport Transportation
Hotel recommends Mitch’s Limo Service by appointment. Please call 843-270-6902 or visit Charleston Airport website.
Points of Interest to Visit on Your Own
With Saturday afternoon free for further exploration, shopping or relaxing the below site has a plethora of venues including the Downtown Historic District, Museums, Plantations, and Historic Forts and Military Installations and much more!