Mount Pleasant, town, Charleston county, southeastern South Carolina, U.S., on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway overlooking Charleston Harbor and linked to Charleston (west) by the Cooper River (John P. Grace) Bridge. Settled in the 1690s, the town originated around Jacob Motte’s plantation as a resort for island planters. Nearby Sullivan’s Island, site of Fort Moultrie (1809; now part of Fort Sumter National Monument) was the setting for Edgar Allan Poe’s story “The Gold Bug.” The economy is based on light industries, shipyards, tourism, and the seafood industry. The Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum has several ships that are open to visitors, including the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown. Inc. 1837. Pop. (2000) 47,609; (2010) 67,843.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.
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