USS Housatonic (1861)

The Sinking of USS Housatonic on 17 February 1864 during the American Civil War was an important turning point in naval warfare. The Confederate States Navy submarine, H.L. Hunley made her first and only attack on a Union Navy warship when she staged a clandestine night attack on USS Housatonic in Charleston harbor. H.L. Hunley approached just under the surface, avoiding detection until the last moments, then embedded and remotely detonated a spar torpedo that rapidly sank the 1,240 long tons (1,260 t) sloop-of-war with the loss of five Union sailors. H.L. Hunley became renowned as the first submarine to successfully sink an enemy vessel in combat, and was the direct progenitor of what would eventually become international submarine warfare, although the victory was Pyrrhic and short-lived, since the submarine did not survive the attack and was lost with all eight Confederate crewmen.

USS Peri was one of the ships of the Stone Fleet, sunk in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina as a blockade during the American Civil War. Peri was purchased by the Union Navy at Portland, Maine on 29 November 1861 for the Stone Fleet. Intended to be sunk on 25 January 1862 as an obstruction in Maffit's Channel, Charleston Harbor, a gale on 24 January pushed her out to sea where she drifted for three days.

USS Stephen Young was one of the ships of the Stone Fleet, sunk in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina to be used as a blockade during the American Civil War. The 200-ton merchant brig was purchased by the Union Navy on 27 November 1861 in Boston, Massachusetts. She sailed from Boston on 10 December, and was sunk in Maffitt's Channel of Charleston harbor on 25 or 26 January 1862. This Stephen Young may be the merchantman cargo ship Stephen J. Young, that was previously captained by Isaac D. Seyburn, a Union naval officer who later helped maintain the blockade in this area.

The attack on USS New Ironsides in October 1863 was one of the first successful torpedo boat engagements in history. Confederate forces in Charleston, South Carolina deployed the newly built semi-submersible CSS David to attach a spar torpedo to the hull of USS New Ironsides. Though the attack is regarded as a rebel victory, the Union ship was saved from serious damage.

The Capture of HMS Savage was a naval battle of the American Revolutionary War involving the American privateer Congress and the British sloop-of-war HMS Savage. It occurred in September 1781 off South Carolina and is considered one of the hardest-fought single ship actions of the war.

Charleston Bar is a series of submerged shoals lying about eight miles southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, United States.

Atlanticville is an historic community in Charleston County, South Carolina. Its post office operated sporadically from 1903–24, 1925–37, and 1938–42.

Battery Gadsden is a historic artillery battery located at Sullivan's Island, Charleston County, South Carolina. It was built in 1903–1904, and is one of a series of batteries stretching from Fort Moultrie to the eastern end of Sullivan's Island. It was named after Christopher Gadsden. Until decommissioned in 1917, the concrete battery housed four, six inch guns. It measures approximately 377 feet long and 84 feet wide, with the front or ocean side of the battery at approximately 7 feet high. Battery Gadsden and its neighbor Battery Thomson provided fortification at the mouth of Charleston Harbor. The battery now houses the Edgar Allan Poe Branch of the Charleston County Public Library. It was built at the same time as Battery Jasper. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

U.S. Coast Guard Historic District is a national historic district located at Sullivan's Island, Charleston County, South Carolina. The district encompasses three contributing buildings and one contributing structure on Sullivan's Island. The property was established as a life saving station in 1891. The district contains the station house/administration building (c. 1891), boathouse (c. 1891), garage (c. 1938), and signal tower (c. 1938), which are laid out in an L-shaped court loosely organized around the bunker/sighting station (c. 1898). Also on the property is the non-contributing Charleston Light (ca. 1962).It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Atlanticville Historic District is a national historic district located at Sullivan's Island, Charleston County, South Carolina. The district encompasses 45 contributing buildings, 1 contributing site, and 1 contributing structure in Atlanticville. They predominantly include frame residences built between about 1880 to 1950 which are known as “island houses.” Also located in the district are the Chapel of the Holy Cross and the Sullivan's Island Graded School.It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.

Battery Thomson is a historic artillery battery located at Sullivan's Island, Charleston County, South Carolina. It was built in 1906–1909, and is one of a series of batteries stretching from Fort Moultrie to the eastern end of Sullivan's Island. Until decommissioned in 1947, the concrete battery housed two, ten inch guns. It measures approximately 326 feet long and 84 feet wide, with the front or ocean side of the battery at approximately 10 feet high. Battery Thomson and its neighbor Battery Gadsden provided fortification at the mouth of Charleston Harbor. It is built in the same style of Battery Jasper. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Charleston Light, also known as Sullivan's Island Lighthouse, is located on Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, which is the northern entrance to Charleston Harbor. Designed by Thomas Sullivan. The lighthouse was erected to replace the defunct Morris Island Light on Morris Island, which was at risk of being destroyed by erosion, but which remains standing and was stabilized in 2010. Construction of the Charleston Light was started in 1960, and it was first lit on June 15, 1962.Charleston Light has a steel frame, an aluminum alloy skin, and a triangular cross section. It is 140 feet (43 m) tall. Its slim, triangular structure was built to withstand winds of 125 miles per hour, and the focal plane of the light is 163 feet (50 m) above mean sea level. Originally, it was painted white and red-orange, but was later repainted white and black after citizens complained about the distracting color of the upper half. It is the only U.S. lighthouse with an elevator and air conditioning, and was the last onshore manned lighthouse to be built by the Federal Government. The Texas Tower Offshore Lighthouses were the last offshore manned lighthouses and, were built later starting in 1961 with Buzzards Bay Entrance Light.It has a DCB 24 light. It originally had 28 million candelas (candlepower) and was the second most powerful in the Western Hemisphere. As the light was actually too dazzling, the power was lowered to 1.2 million candelas and could still be seen over 26 nautical miles (48 km; 30 mi). Its characteristic is two 0.2 s flashes separated by 4.8 s every 30 s. The light was automated in 1975.It is a non-contributing resource located in the U.S. Coast Guard Historic District. Now part of Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park. Although it was donated by the Coast Guard to the National Park System in 2007, the Coast Guard continues to maintain the light of the lighthouse, while the National Park System protects its historical significance and overall physical upkeep.Although this lighthouse is still a working light, many problems within its structure keep it from being open to the public. Currently it is fenced off from civilians, but visitors are able to explore the surrounding grounds, as well as the adjacent public beach access, in order to view the lighthouse.