Protecting Our Past
Championing Our Future

We lead the way in preserving Charleston's heritage through our Preservation initiatives, Advocacy efforts, and House Museums. Experience our mission firsthand at the Aiken-Rhett and Nathaniel Russell Houses, showcasing Charleston's rich history.

Our Mission

Our mission is to advocate for a future for Charleston that honors and protects its people, places, culture, and community.

Our History & Values
Advocacy
Advocacy Issues
Experience HIstory
House Museums
The past is everywhere you look in Charleston – triumphs and tragedies, beauty and brutality, infused in art and architecture and etched in stone. Preserved, and restored, step through the door to be transported back in time. 
Aiken-Rhett House
Preserved “as-found”, a stark example of the wealthy vs. the urban enslaved, c.1820s.
Visit
Nathaniel Russell House
Restored to c.1808, a National Historic Landmark with ongoing archaeology.
Visit
PReservation Programs

Common Cause Loan Fund

Events & Programming

Experience Historic Charleston

Dive deeper into Charleston’s history through House Museum tours, Foundation programs and annual fundraising events.
Parties
Candlelight Tours at the Nathaniel Russell House Museum
Candlelight Tours at the Nathaniel Russell House Museum
New for 2025, we're illuminating the Nathaniel Russell House for the holiday candlelight tours right before the Thanksgiving holiday, to highlight holiday traditions in post-colonial Charleston, and those that made it possible. Four tours each night, beverage included.
Nov 21
5:30 pm
Tickets
Parties
Candlelight Tours at the Nathaniel Russell House
Candlelight Tours at the Nathaniel Russell House
Celebrate the season with a candlelight tour of the Nathaniel Russell House, where Charleston’s post-colonial elite marked the holidays in 1808. New for 2025, we're highlighting the Russell House the week before the Thanksgiving Holiday. Tickets required, four tours each night.
Nov 22
5:30 pm
Tickets
Parties
Candlelight Tours at the Aiken-Rhett House
Candlelight Tours at the Aiken-Rhett House
Celebrate the holidays as Charleston’s elite did with a candlelight tour of the Aiken-Rhett House. In the 1820s, formal dinners and family gatherings reflected the wealth and status of families whose fortunes were tied to plantation agriculture. By candlelight, visitors can experience how the antebellum elite marked the holiday season with elegance, display, and family tradition in one of Charleston’s most iconic homes.
Dec 5
5:30 pm
Tickets
Parties
Candlelight Tours at the Aiken-Rhett House
Candlelight Tours at the Aiken-Rhett House
Celebrate the holidays as Charleston’s elite did with a candlelight tour of the Aiken-Rhett House. In the 1820s, formal dinners and family gatherings reflected the wealth and status of families whose fortunes were tied to plantation agriculture.By candlelight, visitors can experience how the antebellum elite marked the holiday season with elegance, display, and family tradition in one of Charleston’s most iconic homes.
Dec 6
5:00 pm
Tickets

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From the Foundation

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Dive deeper into ongoing initiatives, our House Museums and advocacy issues directly from Historic Charleston Foundation.