[2] Prior to the arrival of the first European settlers, the area where Charleston and Bradley County is located was occupied by the Cherokee.

Additional internment camps were located in the valleys south of Fort Cass between Charleston and Cleveland, including two of the largest at Rattlesnake Springs.

After the Cherokee removal, the area saw significant activity during the American Civil War, such as the November 1861 burning of the nearby Hiwassee River bridge in the East Tennessee bridge burnings,[7] the usage of the Henegar House by both Union and Confederate generals for temporary headquarters,[8] and the Confederate hospital at Charleston Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

[12] The Hiwassee River Heritage Center was spearheaded by the Charleston-Calhoun-Hiwassee Historical society, which began planning for the project in 2011.

[11] The groundbreaking for the expansion of the center, which included construction of the National Historic Trail Experience and the addition of more exhibit space and a meeting room, as well as renovation of the exterior of the building, took place on August 26, 2016.