A Nonprofit Membership Organization Working for South Carolinians Since 1990.

Headlines + Happenings

May 2, 2024

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 historical 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 2024 SC Historic Preservation Awards, an announcement you don't want to miss!

“We represent the soul of Taveau Church. Slaves and descendants of slaves passed down 176 years of Black worship; inspirational sermons, soulful spirituals that are so iconic to so many of our Black churches across America today. Taveau’s bid for history is great, but it also represents what this country is all about - the freedom to worship as we want to.” - Cynthia Gibbs of the Taveau Legacy Committee.

The Whitelaw Founders Award recognizes individuals, groups, or government entities that are committed to the long-term protection and preservation of important buildings and places, as well as those involved with preservation advocacy and policy.

We are honored to receive the Whitelaw Founders Award alongside the Taveau Legacy Committee for our efforts to preserve Taveau Church.

Taveau Church 

ABOUT: Taveau (c.1835) is a rare surviving rural, frame antebellum church. It is a plain building, the exterior marked by modest cornice and a simple Doric portico that the National Register says adds “an air of sophistication seldom seen in rural church architecture.” The simplicity of the interior during its first decades of use fit an aesthetic that is both rural and evangelical.

Building material incorporated in Taveau and the methods used in its construction express the skill of enslaved craftsmen. Changes made to the interior of the church in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries reflect the evolving character of worship expressed by the progeny of the church’s builders.

For over 125 years Taveau was an active place of worship and gathering for Blacks. New local awareness and wider partnerships has been amplified through grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, and Berkeley County Tourism.

This multi-year restoration project will return the historic church to usefulness as a local community space that is befitting of Taveau’s history and cultural legacy. We hope that you support this effort.

Preservation News

-The 2024 South Carolina Historic Preservation Awards Ceremony is June 20, 2024 at 3:30pm at the South Carolina State House. 

-The All-Star Bowling Lanes and its parking lot, known for its role in the events at South Carolina State College in February of 1968, commonly referred to as the Orangeburg Massacre, to be rehabilitated. Learn more here. 

- Briggs Before and Beyond Brown: Roundtable Discussion at Brookland Banquet & Conference Center, 1066 Sunset Blvd., West Columbia, SC - Event is free and open to the public. Learn more here. 

- The Slave Dwelling Project - Juneteenth Celebration Sleepover with Joe McGill & Friends on June 13, 2024, 6pm-6am. Learn more here.

- Penn Center's 1862 Circle Gala, an event that recognizes leaders who embody the spirit of Penn Center, announces inductees. Learn more here.

The Dawkins House, Union

Update

In November 2023, Preservation SC acquired the rights to the Dawkins House at a property tax sale. Upon our acquisition of the property, we received $300,000 from the State Legislature for the stabilization of the house. This funding would not be possible without the help of our dedicated supporters and the leaders of Union, Spartanburg, and York counties, specifically Representatives Doug Gilliam and Dennis Moss. 

Today, an in-depth study of the condition of the Dawkins House is being developed by Bennett Preservation Engineering. This study will focus on the longevity of the building and the feasibility of its restoration. 

We would like to thank the team at Bennett Preservation Engineering, the City of Union, Union County, and USC-Union for their partnership on this incredible project.

Photographs by Amanda Brown of Bennett Preservation Engineering.

2024 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 20, 2024 TIME 3:30 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 Carolina

1103 Little Street, Suite 5

Camden, SC 29020

803.729.7782

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