I 



CO 



o 



BULLETIIV 



OF 



THE CHARLESTON MUSEUM 



Vol. 3 CHARLESTON, S. C, NOVEMBER, 1907 No. 7 



HISTORY OF THE HUSEUn LJBRAFi 



The Period From 1798 to 1850 ^^^ ^'^^ 



By William G. Mazyck ^ 



Having, we think, thus clearly proven the existence of the 

 Museum belonging to the Charleston Library Society at least 

 as early as 1777, ' let us now endeavor to trace the connection 

 of this most ancient of all American museums with the 

 Charleston Museum of to-day. 



In 1815 the Library Society transferred the Museum to the 

 Literary and Philosophical Society of South Carolina which 

 had been organized by Dr. Shecut in 1813, and of which 

 Mr. Stephen Elliott was president. Dr. Felix L'Hermi- 

 nier was appointed Superintendent of the Museum and did 

 much to arouse interest throughout the city. The details of 

 this important period are omitted here, since they have been 

 discussed by Miss Eola Willis in an earlier issue of the 

 Bulletin.' The condition of the Museum in 1826 is de- 



^ scribed by Mills^ as follows: 



22 "The Literary and Philosophical Society is an institution 



that does great honour to the State. It was founded in 1813, 



'Bull, Chas. Mus. Vol. 3, No. 6, Oct.. 1907. 



-Vol. 2, No. 4, April, 1906. 



'Statistics of South Carolina. Charleston. 1826, p. 437. 



57 



