West Ashley in Charleston in Charleston County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company

Original Track Location

Photographed by Nick DP & MikeS, April 29, 2012

1. South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company Marker

Inscription.
Began first successful scheduled
steam railroad service in America
on December 25, 1830, and by 1833
its 136 miles from Charleston
to Hamburg made it the world's
longest railroad. Now a part of
Southern Railway System.

Erected 1970 by American Society of Civil Engineers. (Marker Number 10-1.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical date for this entry is December 25, 1830.

Location. 32° 47.843′ N, 80° 1.962′ W. Marker is in Charleston, South Carolina, in Charleston County. It is in West Ashley. It can be reached from Sam Rittenberg Boulevard. Original Track Location in Charleston city (South Carolina Department of Archives and History) Present Day, Located at "The Best Friend of Charleston Railway Museum" The Citadel Mall ... Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2070 Sam Rittenberg Drive, Charleston SC 29407, 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

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

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 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Founding Of Ashley Hall / From The Revolution To Civil War (approx. 1.9 miles away); Maryville (approx. 2.3 miles away); Hints of Slave Row (approx. 2.7 miles away); Site of Old Charles Town (approx. 2.7 miles away); 300th Anniversary of the Settlement of Charles Towne (approx. 2.7 miles away); In Trust (approx. 2.8 miles away); The Search Goes On (approx. 2.8 miles away); Charles Towne / Old Town Plantation (approx. 2.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Charleston.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. see the relationship with each marker shown.

Also see . . .
1. South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company, from Wikipedia. At that time it

South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company Marker notation image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Nick D P & MikeS, April 29, 2012

2. South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Company Marker notation

Historical Marker originally
located at the Camden Towers,
where the tracks still remain,
marking the beginning of the
136 mile long
South Carolina Canal and Rail
Road tracks,
the worlds longest rail road.

was the longest railroad in the world. It was also known as the Charleston and Hamburg Railroad, although it is unclear if that was a legal name, a subsidiary name, or just a nickname. In 1844, this line merged with the South Carolina Rail Road, which had replaced the abortive Louisville, Cincinnati and Charleston Railroad in December 1843. The first locomotive was the Best Friend of Charleston of 1830; by 1834 the line had purchased a total of 15 locomotives and scheduled one daily run in each direction. (Submitted on May 5, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.)

2. The Best Friend of Charleston Railway Museum. (Submitted on May 5, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.)

Camden Depot, Anne Street, Charleston image. Click for full size.

Library of Congress, Prints and Photograph Division SC-373-B-1, circa April 1969

3. Camden Depot, Anne Street, Charleston

coordinates: 32.789788,-79.93747

Best Friend of Charleston locomotive replica at the State Museum in Columbia image. Click for full size.

the State Museum in Columbia, April 16, 2008

4. Best Friend of Charleston locomotive replica at the State Museum in Columbia

Credits. This page was last revised on January 10, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 5, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 2,020 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 5, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 4. submitted on May 5, 2012.