This information comes courtesy of Bob Brennaman, Jr's site. Read the full information here.
A Series of Small Villages and Plantations
When Mount Pleasant was incorporated into a town in 1837 it included two small villages called Greenwich and Mount Pleasant. The town rapidly grew after it’s incorporation as many other surrounding villages were added in. These include Hillardsville, Hibbens Ferry and Lucasville. Today most of what was Christ Church Parish has become part of the town of Mount Pleasant.
Greenwich Village
The village of Greenwich was the first “village” of what is now Mount Pleasant. It began as a one-hundred acre plot of land. Owned by Englishman Jonathan Scott, the land was split in half and the waterfront portion of the plot was turned into town lots and they were bounded by streets that Scott named King, Queen and Pitt Streets (Pitt aptly named for the Prime Minister of England, Sir William Pitt). The rest of the land was created as a common space and today this area is where McCants, Boundary and Pitt Streets lay. This public space was called the Common. Part of this property was set aside for the use of African Americans. On it a Baptist, Methodist and a Presbyterian Church were built and also a school for blacks called Laing School. The town hall was also built on this common land that included a basement to be used for jailing purposes. This area later became the Berkeley County jail.
Mount Pleasant Village
The name Mount Pleasant comes from the plantation once owned by Jacob Motte. James Hibben purchased the plantation in 1803 the land was surveyed and divided into town lots. There were thirty-five altogether and ten of his children inherited the larger of these. All of these lots were butted and bounded by several streets which still exist to this day. Beach Street was actually a beach with no marsh and there were six lots that sat on that stretch of land. Bennett Street was named for James Hibben’s stepfather William Bennett. Whilden Street carries the name of the famed Elias Whilden who had five sons that fought for the Confederacy. Boundary Street was not aptly named because there were lots that sat beyond the street past where the old Moultrie School once sat. Lastly Venning Street was named for Nicholas Venning who also owned Belvue Plantation off of what is now Long Point Road.
When Hibben bought the Mount Pleasant property from Jacob Motte he moved into Motte’s home which stands to this day. The home at 111 Hibben Street is called the “Hibben House” and is the oldest home in the City of Mount Pleasant. Built in 1755, the home has a rich history that includes the fact that the British used the home as their headquarters during the Revolution. In fact it is said that General William Moultrie, for whom Fort Moultrie on Sullivan’s Island is named, was held captive in the home. Many others have owned the home even Mrs. Petrona Royall McIver, Mount Pleasant historian, who purchased the home with her husband William Whilden McIver in 1912.
Mount Pleasant Village and Greenwich Village merged in 1837 into one town which became the Town of Mount Pleasant. The town grew gradually as more and more villages and tracts were added to the original two villages of Mount Pleasant and Greenwich. The first of these to be added to the town was the Hibben Ferry Tract. The tract was added to the Town of Mount Pleasant in 1872 and this land was also the area from which ran people across the Charleston Harbor into the City of Charleston.
Owned by Andrew Hibben, the ferry charter was obtained by Hibben in 1770. According to Mrs. McIver this was the first ferry that connected Haddrell’s Point to Charleston. The ferry carried passengers and their carriages and often their cattle. It cost $.33 for a single passenger to take the ferry. The ferry continued to run even after the death of Andrew Hibben by his son James. In 1847 the Hibben family ceased their involvement with the ferry system and the business was handed over.
The Ferry Tract
The land that was known as the “Hibben Ferry Tract” included blocks on Bennett, Hibben, and Beach Streets and was also bounded by Shem Creek. This is one of the oldest settlements in the Town of Mount Pleasant. Purchased in 1770 by Andrew Hibben, the land became part of the town in 1872. The act to include this area was approved on March 12 and states that the corporate limits of the town of Mount Pleasant be, and the same is hereby, extended by continuing the eastern line of Boundary Street northwardly to Shem Creek, from which point the said creek and the waters of Charleston harbor shall be the boundary.
Hilliardsville
Originally part of a tract of land owned by William Hort, the Hillardsville section of Mount Pleasant includes what is today Alhambra Park and Alhambra Hall. The section that includes Alhambra Park was originally a grove of live oak trees called Hort’s Grove. Part of this tract was purchased in 1847 by Charles Jugnot and Olivier Hilliard and the two developed the land into a picnic ground. The two also owned a ferry company and used a section of the property called Shell Hall to construct a wharf. The Mount Pleasant Ferry Company not only built a wharf but they developed the picnic area constructing an octagonal hall which ultimately became the first Alhambra Hall. The park that the surrounded the area was sprinkled with swings and sometimes a traveling carousel would visit. Hilliardsville was annexed to the Town of Mount Pleasant in 1858 and thus Common (now Royall) Street, Pitt Street, Center Street were added to the town along with a piece of land that was later built into a road and named McCormick Street.
Lucasville
Added to Mount Pleasant by an act of incorporation in 1872 along with the Ferry Tract, Lucasville was bounded by Bennett, Hibben, Boundary (Simmons Street today) Streets and Shem Creek. The area was named after Jonathan Lucas whose son William first developed the land. Jonathan Lucas and his family gained fame in South Carolina for the invention of the rice mill. Born in Cumberland, England in 1754 he was shipwrecked off the coast of South Carolina and made a name for himself by building several rice mills throughout the Carolina Lowcountry. One of these mills was built on Shem Creek at Haddrell’s Point and it was a combination rice and saw mill. The mill no longer stands but there is a Lucas burial ground that still exists on the property today.
According to an article published in the “Mount Pleasant, S.C. Sesquicentennial Souvenir Program” in 1885 there were only 783 residents in Mount Pleasant. “Four miles of street were laid with shells and the town was known as a pleasure and health resort for the planters of Christ Church parish and the people of Charleston.” Mount Pleasant has grown since its many additions in the nineteenth century from a cozy little seaside town to a major metropolitan area that includes wonderful shopping, gorgeous views of the rivers, creeks and harbors that surround her and with the many neighborhoods that have been built throughout recent years. However, through all of this growth, the city has some how managed to maintain her historic charm and elegance.
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