Goose Creek’s post office opened in 1909, and 2 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 12% of U.S. towns · #130 of 169 in South Carolina. What drives it
Most of Goose Creek was built recently: 0.0% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2002. 2 places in town are on the National Register, among them the St. James' Church, Goose Creek, a National Historic Landmark. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1920 on, and the census since 1970.
Founding year: the first Goose Creek post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1961.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Goose Creek’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Goose Creek is more historic than 12% of U.S. towns, #130 of 169 in South Carolina. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
D
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Goose Creek’s overall grade.
South Carolina towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical South Carolina town has 3.2 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Goose Creek’s 0.4 sits near the middle of its state (46% of South Carolina towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to C−. The pre-1940 share (±0.0 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata gives 1961.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Goose Creek’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Although the city of Goose Creek was established in 1961, its history dates back many centuries. In the 1670s the Etiwan moved to the area to escape the Westo, seeking protection among the plantations of early colonists who were often referred to as the "Goose Creek men", mostly settled a few miles north of Charleston near a stream called Goose Creek, a tributary of the Cooper River. The Goose Creek men became leaders of the early Indian trade, and by the 1690s many held important offices in the colonial government. At first the Goose Creek men dealt mainly in Indian slaves, while later the deerskin trade dominated. Several colonial governors were Goose Creek men, such as James Moore and Robert Daniell. Other prominent men included brothers Daniel and Pierre Bacot.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
The Goose Creek post office opened in 1909, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1961.
How does Goose Creek rank for history?
Goose Creek is more historic than 12% of U.S. towns, #130 of 169 in South Carolina. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Goose Creek?
Two places: the St. James' Church, Goose Creek (listed 1970) and the Otranto Plantation Indigo Vats (1989).
How old are the homes in Goose Creek?
0.0% of Goose Creek’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 3.5% for a South Carolina town; the median home was built in 2002.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (1), the Library of Congress (4), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
★ Landmark
1860
1860
