Charleston City Directories are helpful in tracing the ownership and use of a certain property over time. Special Collections and the SC Historical Society Archives hold Directories beginning with the year 1782 through the 20th century. Charleston City Directories are accessible via the reference collection as well as microform.
The Lowcountry Digital Library contains digital surrogates of Charleston City Directories for 1782, 1785. 1790, and 1801.
*The SC Historical Society also holds Columbia City Directories on microform.
| Charleston City Directories on Microform | ||
| Call # | Description/Title | Year |
| 56-265 | 1782- Charleston, S.C. The Charlestown Directory | 1782 |
| 56-266 | 1785- The Charleston Directory | 1785 |
| 50-13 | 1790 Charleston City Directory | 1790 |
| 56-267 | 1790- Charleston, S.C. The Charleston Directory | 1790 |
| 56-268 | 1794- Charleston, South Carolina | 1794 |
| 45-245 | Clarke's Charleston Directory, 1796 | 1796 |
| 56-270 | 1801- Charleston, S.C. Charleston Directory | 1801 |
| 56-271 | 1802- Charleston, S.C. New Charleston Directory | 1802 |
| 56-272 | 1803- Charleston, S.C. A Directory for 1803 | 1803 |
| 56-273 | 1806- Charleston, S.C. Directory and Almanac | 1806 |
| 56-274 | 1807- Charleston, S.C. Directory for 1807 | 1807 |
| 56-275 | 1809- Directory for District of Charleston (S.C.) Collected by Richard Hrabowski | 1809 |
| 56-276 | 1813- Charleston, S.C. A Directory of the City and District of Charleston | 1813 |
| 56-277 | 1816- Charleston, S.C. Charleston Directory and Stranger's Guide | 1816 |
| 56-278 | 1819- Charleston, S.C. The Directory and Stranger's Guide for the City of Charleston | 1819 |
| 56-279 | 1822- Charleston, S.C. The Directory and Stranger's Guide for the City of Charleston | 1822 |
| 50-274-1 | Charleston Directory 1822 | 1822 |
| 56-280 | 1824- Charleston, S.C. Directory and Stranger's Guide for the City of Charleston | 1824 |
| 56-281 | 1829- Charleston, S.C. Directory of the City of Charleston | 1829 |
| 56-282 | 1831- Charleston, S.C. Directory and Stranger's Guide for the City of Charleston | 1831 |
| 50-274-2 | Charleston Directory 1831 | 1831 |
| 45-89 | Charleston, S.C. Directory 1835 | 1835 |
| 56-283 | 1835-36- Charleston, S.C. The Charleston Directory | 1835-1836 |
| 56-284 | 1836- Charleston, S.C. Supplment to Charleston Directory | 1836 |
| 56-285 | 1837-38- Charleston, S.C. Charleston Directory | 1837-1838 |
| 56-286 | 1840-41- Charleston, S.C. Charleston Directory | 1840-1841 |
| 50-274-3 | Charleston Directory 1849 | 1849 |
| 56-287 | 1849- Charleston, S.C. A Directory of the City of Charleston and Neck | 1849 |
| 56-288 | 1852- Directory of the City of Charleston, Published by J.H. Bagget | 1852 |
| 56-289 | 1855- Charleston, S.C. The Charleston City and General Business Directory | 1855 |
| 56-289A | 1856- Charleston, S.C. | 1856 |
| 50-274-4 | Charleston Directory 1856 | 1856 |
| 50-274-5 | Charleston Taxpayers 1859 | 1859 |
| 56-290 | 1859- Charleston, S.C. The Charleston Directory | 1859 |
| 56-291 | 1860- Charleston, S.C. Directory of the City of Charleston | 1860 |
| 50-274-7 | Charleston Directory 1867-1868 | 1867-1868 |
| 45-327 | Charleston, S.C. City Directories | 1866-1873 |
| 45-328 | Charleston, S.C. City Directories | 1873-1878 |
| 45-329 | Charleston, S.C. City Directories | 1879-1881 |
| 45/360-01 | City Directory of Charleston | 1882-1884 |
| 45/360-02 | City Directory of Charleston | 1885-1886 |
| 45/360-03 | City Directory of Charleston | 1886-1887 |
| 45/360/04 | City Directory of Charleston | 1888-1890 |
| 45/360/05 | City Directory of Charleston | 1891-1893 |
| 45/360/06 | City Directory of Charleston | 1894-1895 |
| 45/360/07 | City Directory of Charleston | 1896-1897 |
| 45/360/08 | City Directory of Charleston | 1898 |
| 45/360/09 | City Directory of Charleston | 1899-1900 |
| 45/360/10 | City Directory of Charleston | 1901 |
| 45/360/11 | City Directory of Charleston | 1902-1903 |
| 45/360/12 | City Directory of Charleston | 1904-1906 |
| 45/360/13 | City Directory of Charleston | 1907-1910 |
| 45/360/14 | City Directory of Charleston | 1911-1913 |
| 45/360/15 | City Directory of Charleston | 1914-1916 |
| 45/360/16 | City Directory of Charleston | 1917-1919 |
| 45/360/17 | City Directory of Charleston | 1920-1921 |
| 45/360/18 | City Directory of Charleston | 1922-1923 |
| 45/360/19 | City Directory of Charleston | 1924-1926 |
| 45/360/20 | City Directory of Charleston | 1927-1928 |
| 45/360/21 | City Directory of Charleston | 1929-1930 |