History of the Carolopolis / Pro Merito Award

In 1953 the Carolopolis Award program was created to recognize outstanding achievement in exterior preservation, restoration, rehabilitation and new construction in the city of Charleston. Since then, The Preservation Society has presented 1,309 awards in recognition of such achievement.

The Carolopolis Award is a plaque placed on buildings that have been preserved, restored, rehabilitated or are outstanding examples of new construction. The award is presented to those individuals, businesses or organizations that currently own the property. The Carolopolis Award is a slightly modified reproduction of the seal of the City of Charleston. The word Carolopolis comes from the original name of the city, which was derived from a combination of the word Carolus (Latin for Charles) and Polis (Greek for City), thus Charles City and later Charleston. The words Condita A.D. 1670 refer to the Latin word for founding, and to the date of Charleston’s founding. The other date on the award refers to the year in which the award was given.

The Pro Merito or “For Merit” Award was established in 1999 to honor those properties that were given a Carolopolis Award not less than 20 years ago and have either undergone a second major renovation or have displayed an admirable level of continuous preservation.

To see this years winners, please click here.