The Powder Magazine

The Old Powder Magazine was built in 1712 and was used to store ammunition to ward off attacks from Native Americans, pirates, and Spanish and French forces who contested England’s claim on the colonies. Thousands of pounds of gun powder were stored in the magazine, necessary for the colonies’ defense against British forces. After 1820 the building was used for alternate purposes such as storage, a livery stable, and a printing house. It is the only public building in North or South Carolina from the period of The Lord Proprietors, the colonial governors of South Carolina. Since 1902 the site has been owned and operated by the South Carolina Society of Colonial Dames. The magazine is open the public for tours and efforts of preservation have been led by the Historic Charleston Foundation.