HPCP 215: Researching Historic Properties: City Directories

Charleston City Directories are helpful in tracing the ownership and use of a certain property over time.  Special Collections and the SC Historical Society Archives hold Directories beginning with the year 1780 through the 21st century. Many volumes of the Charleston City Directories are available in the onsite Reading Room. Some Charleston City Directories are only available through microform and the Lowcountry Digital Library. A complete listing of City Directory holdings - including publishers, dates, format, and storage location -  is available via the Discovery Service. See below for additional instructions.

The directories do not include street indexes prior to 1890 (with the exception of 1840-41 which has a street cross index). Prior to that year, the directories only include a surname index of residents.

By the 1940s, the directories begin to include outlying areas of Charleston, such as the Navy Base/North Charleston, East of the Cooper, and West of the Ashley. In some 1940s and 1950s editions, the suburb areas of Charleston are indexed in separate sections, so researchers should take care to note what locality they are searching under.

Beginning in 1905, African American and White residents are segregated into separate resident indexes. This separation is not reflected in the street indexes. As many of the neighborhoods of Charleston were integrated, black and white residents will appear side by side in the street/address section of the directory.

The directories typically include a key to abbreviations for occupations and business listings. One of the most common abbreviations in the antebellum directories is FPC, which denotes a free person of color. From the end of the Civil War until 1905 when the directory listings were segregated, a C will often appear next to a name, which notes that the person was “colored.” There is no distinction between mulatto or black residents under the C heading.

In 1936, city directories began to list telephone numbers. By the 1970s, the directories include much of the Greater Charleston area, including Ladson, Goose Creek, and Adams Run.

Information Courtesy of The Charleston County Public Library. For additional information and to access CCPL directories, visit https://www.ccpl.org/city-directories.

*The SC Historical Society also holds Columbia City Directories on microform.