Port of Charleston
| Port of Charleston | |
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The 8,400-TEU container ship Northern Justice works at the Port of Charleston's Wando Welch Terminal
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| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Charleston, South Carolina, USA |
| Coordinates | 32°47′05″N 79°55′26″W / 32.7846°N 79.924°WCoordinates: 32°47′05″N 79°55′26″W / 32.7846°N 79.924°W |
| Details | |
| Operated by | South Carolina Ports Authority |
| Owned by | South Carolina Ports Authority |
| Type of harbor | Container, breakbulk, cruise |
| Statistics | |
| Annual container volume | 1.51 million TEU in 2012 |
| Value of cargo | $63 billion in 2012 |
| Draft depth | 45 feet |
| Air draft |
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Website http://www.scspa.com |
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The Port of Charleston is a seaport located in South Carolina in the Southeastern United States. The port's facilities span three municipalities — Charleston, North Charleston, and Mount Pleasant — with five public terminals owned and operated by the South Carolina Ports Authority. These facilities handle containers; motor vehicles; and other rolling stock, non-containerized goods and project cargo, as well as Charleston's cruise ship operation. Additional facilities in the port are privately owned and operated, handling bulk commodities like petroleum, coal and steel.
Charleston's earliest history is tied to its prominence as a center of trade. After establishing Charles Towne along the banks of the Ashley River in 1670, the original settlers moved to the Charleston peninsula, favoring that location's natural harbor. By 1682 Charles Towne was declared the port of entry for the colony. From the founding of the colony until the start of the American Civil War, the colony's principal exports were lumber and naval stores, furs and animal skins, rice, indigo, cotton, and tobacco; and imports of primarily human traffic up until late 1700's. As a result of this trade, the colony flourished.
The Port of Charleston later suffered in the wake of the Civil War. The harbor itself was in shambles and filled with mines and the wrecks of sunken Confederate and Union ships. The Southern economy had little to export, and Charleston's network of private wharves were neglected and left to ruin. The establishment of several major federal military bases during the early 20th century benefited Charleston Harbor tremendously. Because of this federal presence, the harbor itself was well-maintained and greatly improved over the years. Mayor John P. Grace brought renewed interest in reviving the Port of Charleston's shipping presence by establishing the Port Utilities Commission in the early 1920s. In 1922 the city purchased the Charleston Terminal Company, which owned the majority of the peninsula's commercial waterfront assets, for $1.5 million. In 1942, the South Carolina Legislature established the South Carolina Ports Authority with the responsibility to foster waterborne commerce for the benefit of the State of South Carolina.
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Wikipedia