Chartered in 1851, it was completed in 1856 and ran from Charleston, South Carolina, to Florence, South Carolina,[2] connecting with the Wilmington and Manchester Railroad.

[4] By the late 1880s, it was one of the larger carriers based in South Carolina, with 24 locomotives and nearly 350 cars.

Under the Atlantic Coast Line's ownership, the original Charleston station was replaced in 1905 by Charleston Union Station (which was located at East Bay and Columbus Streets).

The merged company was named the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad.

[7] In 1980, the Seaboard Coast Line's parent company merged with the Chessie System, creating the CSX Corporation.