By: Vonnie Rochester
Apr 8, 2024
The Featured Projects series focuses on historic preservation projects focused on preserving Black history throughout SC. Each project is asked to respond to four prompts. We hope this series helps bring awareness to the stunning number and variety of preservation projects being undertaken across the state, highlights the dedication of our community leaders, and inspires future generations of projects.
Want to feature your preservation project? Send us an email here.
| Provide a brief summary of your project, making sure to include why it’s important for African American historic preservation. |
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| RCDC’s Nehemiah Project 24 responds to the need of the African American Community in Saluda, SC to rebuild. Much like the people of Israel of that epoch, African Americans have been enslaved, displaced, deprived. At times, their only resources are faith, crumbling buildings and resilience. Locked inside these resources though, is a tremendous wealth of talents waiting to be used to create for African Americans well-deserved permanent, prominent places in America, not as victims but as victors. The execution of the project will follow the model established by the Biblical Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem. As such, leadership is guided by faith and the focus on the division of labor and specializations from within the community. RCDC’s hard asset is the 65,000 square feet former Riverside “Equalization School”. The building is situated on 49 acres of land straddling the boundaries of the town and county of Saluda. It borders a recently established Saluda Commercial Park for Saluda County. The proximity to the town and nearby enterprises gives this asset the quality of prime property in a prime location. The three areas of emphasis for the project shall be: 1) A workforce development project that facilitates the creation of well-needed transitional housing and a specialized food & nutrition training destined to serve the cluster of growing agricultural enterprises in the surrounding area; 2) An enhanced After-School Program that will affirmatively prepare disadvantaged members of this rural community form an early age for higher education and skills acquisition; 3) Recreational and other community activities that will make Saluda attractive as a place to live, work and play. Sites such as Riverside must be respected, supported, and preserved. If retained, the positive elements of their history can form the foundation on which to build communities. If nurtured to evolve with changing times they provide not only foundation but also, the backbone to support their viability for generations. This is what we hope for Riverside whose history provides context for the RCDC Nehemiah Project 24. Riverside High School was built during an era when educational opportunities for Black people was a primary issue at the federal level of the United States Government in Washington. In 1951, South Carolina passed legislation to fund a statewide program of school construction for new African American elementary and high schools across South Carolina in both rural and urban areas. This equalization school program, built on the concept of “separate but equal”, was intended to circumvent a potential desegregation ruling by the Supreme Court when, on appeal from the U.S. District court for the Eastern District of South Carolina, Briggs v. Elliot became one of the five cases combined into Brown v. Board of Education. In 1954, Riverside School was built as an “Equalization School” for Black people in Saluda County. It served students from grades 1-12. That same year the Supreme Court declared racial segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional and required state schools to be integrated. (Brown v. Board of Education) As a result, Riverside became Riverside Middle School, an integrated school that served Saluda County as a formal education site. In 2001, the Saluda Education Complex was built and the following year the last tenant vacated the premises. Now standing as an empty building, the future of Riverside was in jeopardy. The school building and all of its history faced possible demolition. Concerned citizens of Saluda’s Black community united to save the historical premises. In March 2003, Riverside Community Development Corporation (“RCDC”), a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization obtained the building and the 49 acres of land. |
| What motivated you/your community/your team to begin this project? |
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Resources for the Black community in Saluda were still lacking. The vision for RCDC was clear: Use the property to provide services to uplift the community focusing on programs for children, adults, entrepreneurship and education. Most importantly, the Riverside School property stood as a monument to the history of a struggling community that persevered in its efforts to rise up from bondage to become victors instead of victims. |
| What challenges have you faced in this project? |
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| 1. Funding challenges loom large. RCDC, though a sub-grantee for an After-School Program, had never been the beneficiary of any federal, state or county grant money. The organization had been sustained thus far by independent fundraising and a corporate donor that has since excused itself. These contributions were hardly enough to maintain the 65,000 square feet structure. The building, while still structurally sound, has fallen into disrepair and cannot house community projects. 2. Community fatigue: After so many years of regression instead of progress, especially since the pandemic, the community needs a “booster shot” to get involved again so they can help address social concerns and development solutions that fits the current context of a rapidly developing Saluda County. They need to see a clear vision that they can buy into. 3. Leadership & Skillsets: The development of RCDC is a multi-million-dollar project because of its size. Projects of this caliber require sophisticated skillsets and experienced leadership. |
| How have you solved problems and found solutions? What advice would you give to others doing this kind of work? |
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| The problems RCDC face have been identified but are yet to be solved. Our focus is now on implementing solutions which are couched in terms of: A purposeful, committed Board of Directors that Appoints an experienced Executive Director/CEO who has A viable Business Plan projected into 3-5 years. A non-profit organization is to be understood as an entity that can generate revenue. It must endeavor to use its assets or other resources to generate revenues whenever possible. It is important to get the community it serves involved as well as the broader community that also benefits indirectly. Hence, effective marketing is a necessity. Position the organization to benefit from government and foundation funding of which there is plenty. While doing so, understand that donors, grantors and lenders are making an investment. Consequently, the return on the investment must be clearly identifiable. This may not necessarily be a financial reward but a measurable social impact. |
| For more…. |
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If you are interested in ensuring RCDC succeeds in its endeavor and become a template for similar historical sites, please contact: Vonnie@vonnierochester.com. |