The Cistern Yard, backed by the beautiful Randolph Hall, is the epicenter of the College of Charleston. Founded in 1770, it is the 13th oldest country in the United States and counts three signers of the Declaration of Independence (Edward Rutledge, Arthur Middleton, and Thomas Heyward) and three signers the United States Constitution (John Rutledge, Charles Pinckney, and Charles Cotesworth Pinckney) among its founders.