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About

The Waring


The Waring Historical Library building

About

The Waring Historical Library is the special collections and rare book library for the Medical University of South Carolina. Named for Joseph I. Waring, Jr., the first director of the Historical Library, the library houses books, journals, manuscript items and museum artifacts dealing with the history of the health sciences. The library is open for research use of the collection by appointment. Visitors who wish to tour the building are encouraged to make an appointment.

Mission

The Waring Historical Library supports the teaching and research mission of the Medical University of South Carolina by collecting and preserving original manuscripts, books, and other items relating to the history of the University, the history of health sciences in South Carolina and the South, and identifying resources documenting the health sciences of the Atlantic World during the 18th and 19th centuries.

The Building

The building now known as the Waring Historical Library served as the library for Porter Military Academy until 1965; it was constructed in 1894 at a cost of $7,500. Originally named for Reverend Charles Frederick Hoffman of New York, the building was renamed in 1969 for Dr. Joseph I. Waring, a local pediatrician and medical historian, who became the first director of the medical history collections of the University

Gallery

Click the thumbnails below to view full-size images.

First Floor Staircase
First Floor Staircase
Joseph I. Waring Jr.
Joseph I. Waring Jr.
Second Floor Bookshelves
Second Floor Bookshelf Ladder
First Floor Chandelier
First Floor Chandelier
The Waring's Holdings
The Waring's Holdings
Second Floor Chandelier
Second Floor Chandelier
Porter Cornerstone
Porter Cornerstone
National Register of Historic Places
National Register Plaque
Colcock Cornerstone
Colcock Cornerstone

 

 

 

THE WARING HISTORICAL LIBRARY

175 Ashley Avenue | MSC 403 | Charleston, SC 29425 | (843) 792-2288