Summerville, SC offers visitors a variety of Lowcountry destinations and activities. Dubbed "Flowertown", this quaint Southern town is home to a variety of events worthy of the short drive from Charleston. Annual events include the Sculpture in the South, Flowertown Festival, ARK Golf Tournament, Summerville Farmers Market and the Red White and Blue on the Green - the town's 4th of July parade and festivities.
History of Summerville Summerville dates back to 1696. Known as Dorchester, the town was originally settled by the Puritans and Anglicans sailing from England. Visit the Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site which was originally a tabby fort built of mud, oyster shells and limestone and later used to defend the area during the Revolutionary War. Such famous generals as Moultrie, Francis Marion and Wade Hampton held off the British from this Summerville fort. The demise of Dorchester at war's end was the birth of Summerville.
In 1830, Summerville became part of America's first railroad which started at Charleston and ran through the area. The end of the Civil War brought an end to the South's plantation system, which was the backbone of the local economy and only lifestyle known to most of Dorchester’s inhabitants. After Reconstruction, recovery began.
Desirable Destination In 1899, a world congress of medical specialists in the field of respiratory disease gathered in Paris. The group, known as “the Tuberculosis Congress,” named Summerville, South Carolina as one of two of the best geographic locations in the world ideal for cure of lung and throat disorders because of the town's location on a dry, sandy ridge, amidst pine trees that charge the air with derivatives of turpentine. Summerville, SC became a favorite winter resort for Northern visitors.
Woodlands Inn is a 1906 Southern estate built by a Railroad Baron as a winter home for his Family. The rich history of this Summerville luxury hotel offers a glimpse into the elegance of the past, while earning the distinction as South Carolina's only 5 Star Hotel and Restaurant. Enjoy Afternoon Tea, brunch or dinner at the renowned Dining Room, celebrate special occasions or take in a casual meal at Pines.
Summerville is filled with history and over 700 homes and buildings listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Concierge Woodland Inn’s Conciege will be happy to assist guests in planning a visit to Summerville's historic attractions, shops or town events.
