Calhoun Street Art Gallery is a part of the historic "Old Town" Bluffton, perched atop high river bluffs overlooking the pristine waters of the May River. Incorporated in 1852, visitors enjoy learning of its history that includes the American Yemassee Indians and vigorous Civil War activities. The town developed and grew in the early 1800s due to its popularity as a summer retreat from the heat. The attraction was the strong southerly breezes providing mush desired relief from the heat and from the infectious mosquitoes of the plantations. The first place to begin a visit to Old Town Bluffton is the Heyward House Historic Center and Welcome Center located on Boundary Street. Visitors can take a docent led museum tour and see one of the best preserved examples of the Carolina Farmhouse style c. 1840s. Visitors can also pick up a Bluffton walking tour map from the museum which leads you through the town's nationally registered historic district. There are many beautiful old structures to see on this self-guided tour including two of the oldest standing churches in South Carolina, The Church of the Cross (docents available) and The Campbell Chapel AME Church. Known for its political rhetoric in the 1800's, the cries of "secession" in the South were first heard in Bluffton in 1844 under the famed Secession Oak in town. Today, that same independent spirit is known locally as "The Bluffton State of Mind."