[2][4] The district, which covers most of the historic peninsular heart of the city, contains an unparalleled collection of 18th and 19th-century architecture, including many distinctive Charleston "single houses".

[6] According to Charleston's interactive zoning map, the "Old District" runs south from east-west Fishburne and Line streets.

[8] The city of Charleston was founded in 1670, with its main historic colonial heart laid out in 1680 on the peninsula at the confluence of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers.

[8] Broad Street, a major east–west thoroughfare since the early days, is home to a fine collection of Federal period houses, many of which have been converted to commercial uses.

It is also where a number of important early civic and institutional buildings are located, including the 1752 St. Michael's Episcopal Church, the 1767 Exchange, and the 1792 Charleston County Courthouse.