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Waterfront ParkAt the site of the Colonial city's waterfront, this modern park overlooks the Cooper River. Charleston's convenience to the Trade Winds and the West Indies was ideal for sailing ships, and by 1800 four-tenths of all United States exports were passing through her harbor. But the advent of steam power, which shifted commerce to cities with deeper rivers and better railroads, began an economic decline that the Civil War did little to improve. |
| It was not until after World War II that container shipping revived the port, now one of the most active and automated in the country. The modern shipping terminals are located several miles upriver, and the park affords and excellent view of the giant freighters traversing the channel. Across the Cooper in Mount Pleasant you can see the Patriot's Point Naval and Maratime Musuem, comprising the aircraft carrier Yorktown, submarine Clamagore, destroyer Laffey, and Coast Guard Cutter Ingam. | |