Almost 270-year-old book found in SC library vault

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — A rare book that is almost 270 years old has been found in the vault of the Charleston Library Society.

Since the book really belongs to the College of Charleston, it will be turned over to officials from the college at a ceremony later this week.

The book about political parties was written in 1743. It was part of the collection of planter and diplomat John Mackenzie. It was being stored at the Library Society and was to be part of the initial library at the College of Charleston.

But a 1778 fire at the Library Society destroyed most of the 800 volumes in the Mackenzie collection.

The book was discovered during an ongoing effort to analyzing the tens of thousands of historic volumes in the Library Society’s vault.