Even before the College existed, it had books for a library. Goose Creek planter John Mackenzie willed 1,200 volumes to the planned institution upon his death in 1771. Mackenzie owned several plantations, and much of his wealth was generated by the sale of indigo and rice cultivated by enslaved people. A fire destroyed most of the book collection during the Revolutionary War, but many volumes (including one pictured here) still survive and are part of the library’s collection today. Courtesy of College of Charleston Libraries, Special Collections.Download Original File
