| | | | | | A Nonprofit Membership Organization Working for South Carolinians Since 1990.
| | | | Headlines + Happenings May 2, 2025 | | | | | | May is National Preservation Month! | | We will be joining the National Trust for Historic Preservation as well as preservation groups across the state and country in celebrating the work of people saving important historic places.
All month, we will be highlighting historic preservation and rehabilitation projects across the state and the people and groups working on them. Each year, thousands of South Carolinians work to preserve their architectural and cultural heritage, often without recognition. We look forward to sharing these stories - and will also be unveiling the recipients of the 2025 SC Historic Preservation Awards, an announcement you don't want to miss! | | | | Bull Swamp Schoolhouse Orangeburg
| In honor of Preservation Month, we are highlighting Bull Swamp Schoolhouse in Orangeburg. The historically black schoolhouse, located at Bull Swamp Baptist Church, dates to 1936 and was constructed as part of the | | | |
Works Progress Administration (WPA), a federal program under the leadership of former president, Franklin D. Roosevelt. It is speculated that Bull Swamp’s design was influenced by the Rosenwald School designs, due to its similarity in school plans. The design, with its original 3-room floorplan, would have promoted natural light and ventilation. Each room featured six 9-over-9 double-hung sash windows located on the east and west elevations. The presence of a central brick chimney with stove pipes on 3 sides indicates the interior was historically heated by wood burning stoves.
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The land was purchased by former slaves in 1867. More than 150 years later, a community group is working to restore the building into a community center.
In Fall 2021, Bull Swamp Baptist Church engaged Landmark Preservation LLC to undertake a comprehensive conditions assessment. Bull Swamp School retains its historic integrity as an exemplary early 20th-century schoolhouse design. The project's estimated cost is approximately $2 million, and it will provide after-school programs and adult education resources. "We are now endeavoring to maintain the school, church, and cemetery on a single site, ensuring its viability to serve the surrounding community," states Deacon Willford Pace.
The restoration of the schoolhouse is being implemented in three phases. The initial phase, which has been completed, consisted of weatherizing the building. The second phase involves stabilization. The project was awarded a stabilization grant by the SC Department of Archives and History in 2020. Presently, stabilization work continues concurrently with fundraising efforts. The final phase encompasses restoring the building for its sustained use. It is proposed that the Bull Street School will be repurposed as a community event center, providing support to the adjacent Bull Street Baptist Church through a new construction addition that incorporates accessible restrooms, a catering kitchen, and dining space.
| | You can donate to the Bull Swamp Schoolhouse Preservation and Community Center Project through Midlands Gives. | | | | | | | - The 2025 South Carolina Historic Preservation Awards Ceremony is June 18, 2025 at 2:00pm at the South Carolina State House. - America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places List to be announce May 7, 2025. Be among the first to see the list by signing up to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's newsletter here - The South Carolina Department of Archives and History is hosting an African American Genealogy Workshop on Saturday, May 17, 2025. Register here. 10:00AM - Noon - Visit a historic place near you through the South Carolina Historical Marker Program. View interactive map here. | | | | The Pottersville House, Edgefield Update
| | | | In November 2024, we announced that the Town of Edgefield had been awarded a grant from the SC Department of Archives and History to support stabilization planning for the Pottersville House. Earlier in the year, the town had acquired the property, with long-term plans to establish a sustainable pottery heritage tourism site, featuring a museum, a potter-in-residence studio, and active use of the existing city-owned Groundhog Kiln.
Meadors, Inc. is conducting an in-depth analysis of the Pottersville house, emphasizing stabilization planning and design. The resulting plans and specifications will facilitate the stabilization of the house.
We would like to thank the team at Meadors, Inc (pictured), and the Town of Edgefield for their partnership on this incredible project. | | Learn more about this project by visiting our website here. | | | | | | | 2025 South Carolina Historic Preservation Awards Reception | | Since 1995, the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Preservation South Carolina, and the Office of the Governor have recognized exceptional accomplishments in the preservation, rehabilitation, and interpretation of our architectural and cultural heritage with a series of statewide awards.
The ceremony is held annually at the State House in Columbia, where the Governor and representatives from the SCDAH and Preservation SC unveil the award recipients against the backdrop of the lobby.
Award Ceremony DATE: June 18, 2025 TIME 2:00 P.M.
Following the awards ceremony, there will be a reception to honor the award recipients and celebrate historic preservation in our state. This year, we are offering sponsorship opportunities to businesses and organizations for the RECEPTION. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Preservation South Carolina1109 Broad Street, Suite 2H Camden, SC 29020803.729.7782 | | | | You are receiving this email as you signed up for our newsletters. Want to change how you receive these emails?
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