Summerville in Dorchester County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Linking Places and People
Then and Now
Photographed by Mike Stroud, September 13, 2009
1. Linking Places and People Marker
South Carolina began with only one settlement, Charles Towne. Soon colonists were pushing into the frontier. As plantations arose, merchants, doctors and craftsmen settled towns like Dorchester to support them. Trade routes - rivers, paths and roads - connected planters to towns and towns to cities.
Today those same roads and rivers help us follow our forebears' steps. The old Ashley River Road (Highway 61), and the river itself, still link Colonial Dorchester, now a State Historic Site, to the fine homes of John Drayton and Arthur Middleton.
All along South Carolina's National Heritage Corridor, historic sites invite you to glimpse the past. Enter- adventure awaits!
[Caption:]
Colonial trade routes, shown on this 1773 James Cook Map of South Carolina, often evolved into modern roads. You can drive these historic byways while exploring the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor.
Erected by South Carolina National Heritage Corridor.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included
this page online
Location. 32° 56.891′ N, 80° 10.157′ W. Marker is in Summerville, South Carolina, in Dorchester County. It is on State Park Road, on the right. Located .5 miles south of Dorchester Road (State Road 642), in Dorchester State Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Summerville SC 29485, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Lowcountry. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Welcome to Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site (a few steps from this marker); Loading Zone (within shouting distance of this marker);
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 22, 2026
2. Linking Places and People Marker
The marker has weathered but remains generally legible.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Welcome to Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site (was a few steps from this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Photographed by Mike Stroud, November 15, 2008
4. Middleton Place, as mentioned on marker
Photographed by Mike Stroud, April 2003
5. Magnolia Gardens
Credits. This page was last revised on May 29, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 21, 2009, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 1,425 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 21, 2009, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 2, 3. submitted on May 29, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 4, 5. submitted on September 21, 2009, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.
