The College of Charleston was the first college in South Carolina and the first municipal college in the country, and it produced the first Republican presidential candidate, John C. Fremont (Class of 1836). Among the founders are three signers of the Declaration of Independence and three framers of the U.S. Constitution.

Porters Lodge, built in 1850 and designated a National Historic Landmark, serves as the entryway to the historic core of campus called the Cistern yard.