The Learning Lab series provides practical tips, advice, and guidance on specific historic preservation topics that are relevant to African American preservation projects. We hope these posts help community members and leaders better navigate the complexities of historic preservation work successfully.
Why does this matter and how is it relevant to African American preservation?
Sacred spaces and churches are cornerstones in the fabric of African American culture and history. These sites often simultaneously hold space for trauma, grief, joy, celebration, and resistance. They also have historically served as community centers for organizing, activism, education, and mutual care. Sacred places are an integral part of our cultural landscape, yet many sites have fallen into disrepair as buildings age and congregations change. These spaces are excellent candidates for historic preservation and rehabilitation.
10 Tips for Preserving a Historic Sacred Space
Define what sacred space means to you and your community – is it a church building? A location where a sacred activity took place (eg: Witness trees, brush arbor churches, baptism springs etc)? A location that is hallowed ground due to the events that took place there (site of a traumatic event, site of resistance or celebration?) A cemetery?
Find out who owns the space and its associated property. Is it owned by a religious group (eg: local Baptist association, Methodist association, etc.)? Is it owned in trust by the trustees of the church? Is it owned by a private citizen?
Contact the religious association, the trustees, or the property owner. Find out what their commitment to and understanding of preservation might be. Do they know the church needs to be preserved? Do they support the preservation of the church? Can they contribute financially or otherwise to its preservation? Find out actually how much they are committed to preserving this space and try to find out if they will pose obstacles or roadblocks to preservation.
Find out some preliminary basic information on the building or space: What is the state of the building or space? Is it safe to be in? Is it still standing or does it no longer exist (called “no longer extant” in preservation speak)? How old is the original structure? What updates have been made to the original structure? How much of the original building remains? Is the original building gone and has been replaced by a later building, and if so, what is the age of that building?
Bonus! Think through if your sacred space contains other buildings – many churches have associated cemeteries. Is the cemetery going to be included in preservation plans or will that be addressed later, if addressed at all? Cemeteries require a specific and careful type of preservation, so many church preservation projects do not initially include cemeteries as part of the preservation project, although they may address the cemetery through research or interpretation later on.
You are probably going to need an expert to identify the state of disrepair, if it is structurally sound, and what the extent of preservation might need to be. This would be a physical preservation expert – possibly an architect, an engineer, or other professional. Find professionals in our Experts Database.
Explore grant funding specifically for sacred spaces. One such grant is the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s National Fund for Sacred Spaces. Find other grants in our Grant Match database.
Find out if the property owner would be willing to participate in a Revolving Fund. Revolving Funds are one way that physical buildings like these get preserved – it involves the current owners selling the building for a smaller amount to a sponsoring organization (one such organization is Preservation South Carolina). The sponsoring organization will take over ownership and find funding to rehabilitate and preserve the building (usually is a multi-year process) and when preservation is complete, will sell the building back to the community or agreed upon owner at a lower rate.
Find out if your building or space would meet the qualifications for being listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This designation is a complex process, usually taking at least a year and usually more to complete, and might require you to hire or seek out a professional who knows how to write successful National Register nominations. But once listed, your site becomes eligible for some additional funding and protection. Note – you will need the property owner’s permission to do this.
Work within your community to identify your stakeholders and work collaboratively to outline how the community wishes to see the building or space used after it is preserved. Many funders and experts will want to know if it is an active congregation – will the congregation return to worshiping in the space after preservation work is completed? Is it an inactive congregation, whose participants have spread out to other churches, and are no longer really connected? If that is the case, are there memories, stories, and legacies from this space that can still be saved? Will the building be used as a community center or even a museum/historic site? Define what your community wants the future of this space to be early on in your project and be able to describe the importance and impact of that use in your community to funders.
Start researching and planning now for how you will maintain the preservation of your historic sacred place beyond just the initial preservation project. Many people don’t realize that preservation is an ongoing maintenance process that requires capacity building and possibly capital support. Some larger churches are able to create non-profits and fundraise both within the church congregation and externally to grant funders to create a preservation endowment. While this is not feasible for every church, especially smaller rural churches without bigger active congregations, it is worthwhile to consider and plan for the ongoing maintenance of your space from the beginning.
Hello! My name is Enfinitee Irving. I am a graduate of South Carolina State University. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Professional History and am a Certified Interpretive Guide through the National Association of Interpretation. I’ve participated in numerous published historical projects funded by grants from the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, in collaboration with the African American Heritage Commission. My love for history developed as a child, growing up in the small town of Cameron, South Carolina. I listened to many stories about the past from the elders in my community, and it made me fall in love with history. My imagination allowed me to visualize the past, as well as my strong memory allows me the ability to hold on to these stories and facts.
My career as a ranger began at Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site, where I was the first historical interpretive intern. After completing a 10-week internship at Rose Hill, I moved to the central office for almost a year. During this time, I continued to work at Rose hill; I also worked with the staff at Hampton Plantation State Historic Site, conducting tours once a week. I created a video documenting the pre-park history of Sesquicentennial State Park and a video series titled “South Carolina State Park Journey Towards Integration,” which featured Edisto Beach State Park, Poinsette State Park, and Sesquicentennial. Additionally, I participated in an archaeology field school at Sesquicentennial, gaining hands-on experience. I completed a wayside for Chester State Park, that discussed the CCC Company that built the park, and searched for graves at parks like Santee State Park.
Currently, I am the park interpreter at Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site. As a Black woman working in the history field, I often find myself in a unique position, as there are not many others who look like me doing this work. This lack of representation may be due to the fact that many Black people are not fully aware of the career opportunities available in the field of historical preservation. My responsibilities include educating the public, conducting research, preserving antiques, and engaging in community outreach. My programs here at Rose Hill are educational and impactful. I never imagined my career would lead me to work on a plantation, interpreting the complex and often painful history of slavery, reconstruction, and other racially charged topics. While this path is challenging and not one everyone can walk, I am honored to be a voice for the many enslaved ancestors who once lived and worked on this land.
In my role, I conduct house tours, create engaging programs and events, and continuously research to expand our understanding of the site’s history. I am also gradually learning more about historic preservation, which is crucial for maintaining the integrity of these old buildings and structures. One observation I’ve made since working at a plantation is that Black visitors rarely come to these sites. Plantations are filled with a heavy trauma, making it difficult for many Black people to feel comfortable visiting, despite our efforts to show them that they are welcome and that our programs are geared towards their inclusion. Understanding plantation history is essential to gaining a deeper understanding of American history as a whole. There is no American history without first acknowledging the institution of slavery.
Today we have many groups who aim to minimize or forget the impact that slavery had on the foundation of the country and the world. It is important for all Americans to recognize that many industries and institutions still operating today were built on the backs of enslaved labor. Acknowledging this fact is crucial to preventing future generations from forgetting this history, which would further silence and erase the experiences of those who lived through it.
Increasing diversity in both the historic preservation and public history field can profoundly impact the profession. By encouraging more black people to enter this field, we can ensure a more inclusive and comprehensive interpretation of history. Diverse perspectives bring a richer understanding of the past, allowing us to tell stories that might otherwise be overlooked or underrepresented. This inclusivity can help make historic sites more welcoming and relevant to a broader audience, fostering greater public engagement and support for preservation efforts. This will also lead to newer innovative approaches to conservation and interpretation, drawing on a wide range of cultural experiences and knowledge. This can enhance the preservation of sites significant to various communities, ensuring that a more accurate and complete history is maintained for future generations.
My role at Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site is not only about preserving the past but also about shaping the future of historic preservation and public history. By holding this position, I am paving the way for future generations to ensure that all stories are told and remembered. I aspire to see more Black people in roles like mine, sharing our stories with integrity and truth. Together, we can continue to honor and liberate our collective ancestors.
Al Hester, Historic Sites Coordinator, South Carolina State Parks
May 15, 2024
The Learning Lab series provides practical tips, advice, and guidance on specific historic preservation topics that are relevant to African American preservation projects. We hope these posts help community members and leaders better navigate the complexities of historic preservation work successfully.
Short Description of topic
Family history is history, and genealogy can be a useful tool in historic preservation. Learning who was associated with a Black historic property is the key to understanding its history – how it was built, how it was used, and how it changed over time. Genealogy can be a good first step in identifying former property owners and residents. It is also a tool for finding descendants who may know about the property’s past, including the family stories and traditions that have been passed down over generations. They may also be willing to share historic photographs, architectural plans, or records that can aid in making good historic preservation decisions.
African American Genealogy: Ten Tips for Using Ancestry.com
Ancestry.com “hints” can be really useful, but don’t accept them uncritically without reviewing them carefully. If possible, try to see if you can find additional sources to verify the information.
Make use of the South Carolina death records. Though they only begin around 1915, they include clues to earlier generations. For example, they hold valuable genealogical information, like parent’s names and burial place information, that is difficult to find elsewhere. They are especially helpful when you are trying to find ancestors before the 1870 census, since those parents that are listed may have been enslaved and were not listed in the censuses before 1870.
If you find someone with shared ancestors, consider sending them a message to their Ancestry.com profile to compare notes–especially if they have information that isn’t included in other trees. They may have family memories that have been passed down.
If you find sources that are not included in Ancestry.com, consider adding a photograph/scan or a description of them in your ancestor’s profile. It is great to come across a tree that has that kind of unusual information, and by adding it you’ll be enriching everyone’s research.
Remember to use obituaries. Obituaries, especially from the later 20th century, often include long lists of survivors, including grandchildren, siblings, etc. This information can really help you fill in gaps and find descendants.
If you are lucky enough to be researching a place that had city directories, these can be very useful for determining past property owners or occupants such as renters over time.
When working on a Black history preservation project, Ancestry.com can help you find descendants whose ancestors were associated with a particular historic property. You may know who the historic owners or residents were, and genealogy is a good way to connect people in the past to people in the present. Descendants often have important information about a property that isn’t recorded anywhere else. It can also be a very positive thing for descendants to be involved in historic preservation decisions.
Remember that ages, names, and even racial descriptions can change in primary source documents over time. Sometimes the person compiling the information made an error, or sometimes people had several first names that they used at different times. For example, in the photograph of the death certificate above, William Pulaski Corley is listed just as “Pulaski Corley”. In the case of mixed race people, they might have been recorded as different racial categories over time. Try to look at other corroborating information such as other family members in the household, occupation, residence location, etc. before you decide whether or not a person is the one you are looking for.
Newspaper databases are often linked to Ancestry.com, but you may need a separate subscription to access them. It is worth it to subscribe, since it will open up access to a lot of important information, especially obituaries. But there are also free newspaper databases (such as Historical Newspapers of SC, https://historicnewspapers.sc.edu/) that aren’t linked to Ancestry–so you may want to find those, and then bring in the information you find manually.
Finally, don’t just copy other people’s trees–they may include errors that have been passed from person to person. But do look at them closely and see if you can verify some of the information to add to your tree. Use them as a lead, but do your own research!
Elaine Nichols’ path to becoming a nationally known museum curator took an unexpected turn thanks to a group of Palmetto State ninth-graders with an unexpected curiosity about death and mourning customs.
As a volunteer graduate student reviewing label content for the South Carolina State Museum, Nichols was initially hesitant to accept an invitation to curate an exhibition on African American funeral traditions, assuming it wouldn’t pique public interest. However, after engaging with a class of 60 students, she realized their unfiltered enthusiasm for what she thought might be a taboo topic for them prompted her to embrace the opportunity wholeheartedly.
The resulting exhibition, “The Last Miles of the Way: African American Funeral and Mourning Customs in South Carolina, 1890-Present,” garnered international attention, with requests for its catalog pouring in from countries like Germany, Africa, Switzerland, and Australia. TIME magazine even dedicated a full-color page spread and a page and a half to covering the groundbreaking showcase, which featured stories from nearly 100 Black South Carolinians about traditions like placing quilts on graves to keep the spirit warm. This unexpected success paved the way for Nichols’ full-time curatorial role at the museum.
Preserving Stories, Celebrating Heritage
After completing her degree in public archaeology at the University of South Carolina, Nichols became a full-time curator at the State Museum and then in 2009 became the supervisory curator of culture at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington, D.C.
Her responsibilities include curating costumes, textiles, and decorative arts, including the Black Fashion Museum collection and the Ebony Fashion Fair collection. And her passion for telling stories that teach people about history and culture through artifacts endures.
One of her proudest moments was securing the outfit worn by Shannon Faulkner when she was admitted to The Citadel as its first female cadet, a groundbreaking event that opened doors for women at the military college, despite Faulkner’s eventual departure due to the traumatic experience.
Nichols went to great lengths, even visiting Faulkner’s parents’ home in Powdersville, to obtain the camel-colored coat, cream-colored shoes, and shirt, which were displayed behind plexiglass at the South Carolina State Museum. “In this case it was a white person who pioneered and opened doors for other women, for other people,” Nichols reflects. “She suffered for it, but she did it anyway.”
Honoring Unsung Heroes
In addition to her curatorial duties, Nichols served as the founding project curator for the Civil Rights History Project (CRHP), a collaboration between NMAAHC and the Library of Congress that collected oral histories from more than 130 grassroots activists, supporters, and national leaders involved in the civil rights movement during the 1950s and 1960s.
One figure whose story particularly resonates with Nichols is tennis legend Althea Gibson, the first Black player to compete at the U.S. National Championships (now the U.S. Open) and the first to win both that tournament and Wimbledon.
Despite her groundbreaking achievements, Gibson was never honored by her home state of South Carolina. Nichols said she never met Gibson in person but that the Clarendon County native shared her sadness about that with the curator in a phone call made in an effort to bring her to the state for an exhibition.
“It was heartbreaking,” Nichols recalls. “She started out with paddleball, gravitated to tennis. Unfortunately, South Carolina never recognized Althea Gibson and her contributions to tennis. No Order of the Palmetto, no parade, nothing. That was heartbreaking for her.”
Forging Connections, Inspiring Future Generations
Nichols is a Charlotte native who also earned a master’s degree in social work from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, where she learned how to work with diverse organizations and individuals to help improve communities.
That experience and her schooling and work in Columbia confirmed to her the ongoing importance of collaboration among museums, preservation efforts, and multiple other stakeholders to safeguard our shared heritage.
“We work with other entities involved in preservation because so many national treasures are at risk of getting lost,” she says, citing instances of cultural insensitivity and apathy that resulted in destruction of historic sites and artifacts.
To address and help prevent this, Nichols stresses the need to educate and inspire younger generations about the value of cultural heritage. She encourages individuals to explore their interests, research their family history, and pass down stories and artifacts to future generations, ensuring that diverse voices and perspectives are elevated and celebrated for years to come.
“You have to tell someone why it’s valuable, why it’s important to you,” she says. “Those objects and those stories help us understand who we are and who we will become. They help safeguard our access to different voices and perspectives by elevating those hidden stories.”
Through her groundbreaking exhibitions, research, and advocacy, Elaine has become a trailblazer in the museum world, using her platform to amplify underrepresented narratives and inspire a deeper appreciation for the richness of African American history and culture through dress and other personal artifacts that help tell collective stories that otherwise would be lost.
Dr. Ramon Jackson has dedicated his career to preserving South Carolina history and cultural heritage, bringing a scholarly approach to a growing list of both public initiatives and museum projects.
Since May 2023, he has been curator of African American Culture and History at the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia, where he earned his doctorate in history at the University of South Carolina in 2019.
Jackson has served as co-historian of Columbia SC 63: Our Story Matters, a landmark public history initiative that commemorated the civil rights struggle in South Carolina’s capital city.
He also has worked as the African American Heritage Coordinator at the S.C. Department of Archives and History, where he worked on public programs, exhibits, and historic preservation initiatives, often in partnership with the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission (SCAAHC).
Jackson also has been an assistant professor at Newberry College, where he taught survey courses in 20th-century American history and special topics courses on Black student activism, South Carolina civil rights, and African American sports history.
He believes museums and preservation efforts must go beyond simply curating artifacts and archives. “Museums have an obligation to amplify voices that have been marginalized or forgotten throughout history,” he says, adding, “True preservation requires active collaboration with the communities whose stories we aim to protect and share.”
Here he shares insight he’s gleaned about the intersection of academia, museum curation, local history preservation, and community activism and engagement.
What are you working on now at the State Museum? Dr. Ramon Jackson: An exhibit titled “Shared Sacrifice: South Carolina in World War II” that opens June 8. It’s about the collective experience of all South Carolinians in that war and will include a section on African Americans in combat and non-combat roles and on the battle for civil rights at that time. We’re changing things up on the third floor at the museum and I’m excited about it!
In your experience bridging academia and community engagement in museum and preservation work, what are some key differences you’ve observed between how Black communities perceive and engage in preservation versus academic approaches?
Dr. Ramon Jackson: There are times when they dovetail, but I do think there are some key differences, at least in terms of what folks in archives, history, and academia deem important.
For example, when I worked at Archives, one of the main projects was to do a survey of extant Green Book sites around the state. We researched and created a full list of these buildings that once housed businesses that supported travelers in this really important guide.
I came to realize that many of these buildings were built using vernacular architecture and that when we took these sites to the National Register of Historic Places, it could be a struggle because academic and institutional standards for preserving sites don’t always take into account vernacular architecture used in segregated communities.
No columns, no marble, not even wrought iron, just cinder block and stucco. We had to try to convince National Register staff in D.C. of the need to preserve these certain spaces, a task made even more difficult if they were redesigned, renovated, and used in different ways over time.
We had to explain standards and expectations to both sides of that equation – answering questions from the Black community here and from National Register staff. We got over a lot of those obstacles, including educating NR staff on the unique experience of Black people in the South.
The African American community here can have different views and needs of what needs to be preserved. It’s important to engage people who can communicate on either side of those needs and start to integrate those standards into these types of institutions. That’s been an important focus of my work.
As co-historian of Columbia SC 63: Our Story Matters, you played a pivotal role in commemorating South Carolina’s civil rights movement. How do you navigate the complexities of preserving and presenting Black history within institutional frameworks, balancing academic rigor with community narratives?
RJ: I think, first of all, Dr. Bobby Donaldson didn’t let me get away with not being rigorous and detailed with this work. To his credit, the younger generation of scholars doing this work across South Carolina and other states owe him a debt of gratitude.
When I was involved in that project, one of the advantages for us – and maybe a disadvantage, too – was that the literature on civil rights in South Carolina wasn’t as deep. Academic rigor begins in academia. For whatever reason, until the mid-80s, they didn’t think of South Carolina as a place where the civil rights movement occurred in the greater scheme of things.
That gave us the advantage of being able to build a kind of foundation for outlining and highlighting the Palmetto State’s place in the movement. Building that foundation required rigorous academic research, combing old newspapers and collections, and reaching out to individuals who had family connections or lived these moments themselves.
Our academic rigor included ensuring we established those connections, told the story accurately, made sure we included those individuals that people in the community feel should be recognized. We did a really nice job of that and I’m really proud of how much Columbia SC 63 and the Center for Civil Rights and History has grown and flourished.
For me, it was a really rich opportunity for someone in grad school at USC to be able to do that public work, and I’m grateful for it. We created a gold standard of what can be achieved through this kind of university/community partnership.
Your work at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History focused on African American heritage preservation. Could you share some insights into the unique challenges and strategies involved in preserving Black cultural heritage, especially within the context of institutional settings?
RJ: An element of that position as African American history coordinator was serving as a liaison between Archives and the heritage commission (SCAAHC). It was not always an easy task to make sure I was working on behalf of the agency but also prioritizing concerns of Black communities in the state and the commission chairman.
That was not always an easy task and sometimes the dance steps were a little awkward, but both institutions did share an understanding of the importance of this work and how it was my job to help prioritize that work within the agency in a way that I think communities appreciated.
We accomplished a lot. For example, we managed to list 10 extant Green Book sites in the National Register within a two-year period. Now they’re in a position where those buildings are eligible for grants and other public resources, and they can be preserved. We also were able to erect dozens of historical markers through external grant-funded projects. The SCAAHC spearheaded a lot of that fundraising and work and I’m proud of Archives’ collaboration with them and the work we did.
We also collaborated on a COVID 19 project – Portraits of a Pandemic – that involved an oral history project conducted from scratch around the state. Doing that work required backing and support from the agency and the skills and resources of the SCAAHC.
I’m not saying it was easy. It can be political at times. My strategy was to try to adhere to a basic set of core principles – honesty, integrity, empathy – to make sure that we prioritized the needs of Black communities as much or more than the people who paid your tab at times.
How can museums and historical institutions better collaborate with Black communities to ensure their voices are not only represented but actively involved in the preservation process?
RJ: My position here at the State Museum was created to start moving in that direction. It’s been about 10 years since someone held this position. That’s Elaine Nichols, who’s now at the Smithsonian. Now we’re working to reconnect with communities and begin that collaboration process anew.
I came across a really good model last year at the South Carolina Federation of Museums conference. Andy Thomas, the Cayce Historical Museum curator, and his advisory board described how they were reimagining galleries to add more African American experiences.
These are people with deep connections in their community and I was really impressed. That’s a great example of how a museum can move beyond just extraction, how an agency or museum can go deep into a community to give its people a say in how their stories are told.
It’s incumbent on institutions to start really involving communities in the partnership and make them real partners. Advisory boards are one way to do that. Co-curating exhibitions is another way you can do that.
So, I think we can be a little bit more connected in the way we think about collaboration. At the very least, we all must understand that the work we do isn’t neutral, the stories we choose to tell reflect greatly on our institutions.
And being in this political environment, it’s time folks redouble their efforts to make sure we’re being as inclusive as we can be, even if we’re unable to build programs that lend towards that inclusiveness. That inclusiveness needs to be embedded into who we are as an institution, rather than something that’s kind of a set-aside or a separate thing to address only occasionally.
Given your background in academia and hands-on preservation work, how do you envision the role of grassroots activism and community engagement in shaping the future of historic preservation efforts?
RJ: Museums and other historical institutions and agencies have to get better at hiring and staffing in ways that are more inclusive. We need to build pipelines that provide a path for budding professionals to do exactly this kind of community engagement work.
One thing I’m kind of disheartened by as I’ve gone place to place in the past few years is that I don’t really see public-facing historical museums and academics providing internships, short-term visiting curatorial assistantships, that kind of thing, for African American, Native American, Asian American, and other marginalized groups.
Including these people at an early stage of their careers helps them and helps our institutions present ourselves in a different light. And critically, you’ll then find communities more willing to loan/donate items if they know the folks they’re sharing with, helping them participate, and getting more buy-in.
So, I’ve been kind of disheartened by what I see as a little bit of backsliding in terms of diversity and inclusiveness among staff at our institutions. We can do better, and I think working together is the only way we can build that pipeline. It doesn’t have to be just a DEI thing; we have to start committing to making this inclusiveness a core part of our institutions.
As someone deeply involved in both academic research and practical preservation initiatives, what advice would you give to aspiring historians and preservationists seeking to bridge the gap between scholarly pursuits and community-centered preservation work?
RJ: First, understand that it’s not an easy road. I’ve jumped around the past decade or so and that’s not been on purpose. It’s the nature of the profession. Folks have to understand that these are winding roads and sometimes you have to figure out a way to build new bridges. That said, also understand that as long as you’re doing the work and doing it right, opportunities will present themselves.
Also, always make sure you’re soliciting input within communities doing the work. The odds are high they’ll be able to give you a sense of what community importance is more than a book can. I’ve stumbled across so many interesting topics just by having conversations with people, more than any kind of primary or secondary source research.
Finally, be willing to change your mind as new evidence presents itself. The way you see the topic isn’t always the way folks in this community do. An intellectually curious mindset and being open to these kinds of experiences will set you up for success.
For members of the public interested in contributing to preservation efforts, especially within marginalized communities, what steps would you recommend they take to get involved meaningfully and respectfully? Dr. Ramon Jackson: I think part of it is understanding that sometimes you’re not always going to be leading. White scholars, for example, doing work in Black communities will probably find things work out better if they take a back seat sometimes to folks in the community. Focus on being more of a support than a leading person in these kinds of preservation efforts and be comfortable with that.
I remembered a few times in Archives, people who approached us about historical markers sometimes had different ideas, different perspectives than the rest of the community. I learned to err on the side of letting the communities speak for themselves, and modifying as best I could the narratives and approaches we used.
Ultimately, it comes down to empathy, being a good listener, and realizing that things that are being unsaid also matter. All that only comes with being open and observant. I don’t know everything, but I have learned that if you’re going the wrong way, the silence on the other end of the line will tell you.
By: Al Hester, Historic Sites Coordinator, South Carolina State Park Service
May 14, 2024
The Featured Projects series showcases 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? Fill out this form and we’ll be in touch.
Provide a brief summary of your project, making sure to include why it’s important for African American historic preservation.
This project involved documentation of a significant cultural landscape associated with Black history at Hampton Plantation State Historic Site. The project produced a “cultural landscape report”, which is a management document that compiles all known information about a property’s cultural landscape, including drawings, maps, photographs, a historical narrative, and preservation recommendations. Hampton Plantation was an 18th century rice plantation in northern Charleston County located on the South Santee River. Its buildings, rice fields, and landscapes were all created by enslaved people of African descent and their descendants. It is essential that these landscapes be preserved so that the public can learn about the contributions and struggles of enslaved people and the long-lasting communities that they established. More than anything else, plantations are Black history sites that can help tell the stories of Black people, both enslaved and free, not only through architecture but also through landscape features such as former agricultural areas, cemeteries, gardens, and forests. The National Park Service defines a cultural landscape as “a geographic area, including both cultural and natural resources and the wildlife or domestic animals therein, associated with a historic event, activity, or person, or exhibiting other cultural or aesthetic values.” (https://www.nps.gov/subjects/culturallandscapes/understand-cl.htm)
What motivated you/your community/your team to begin this project?
As a state-operated public historic site, Hampton Plantation has the mission to preserve the cultural resources under its care, including its cultural landscape. But more importantly, Hampton Plantation’s landscape is an ideal setting for the public to access and explore Black history through landscape. The team and community members of an adjacent descendant community also wanted to document the landscape history better so that the site could be managed more responsibly. We also believed that a well-preserved landscape could help bring the past to life and inspire visitors. For example, walking through the former settlement of enslaved people at Hampton, even though the buildings had disappeared long ago, can provide a moving and more authentic experience of the past. The project produced a cultural landscape report that compiled all the information we found through photographs, maps, and a written description. The site managers have been able to use this information to re-create selected views and vistas, replant missing significant trees, and manage the forests in ways more consistent with their historical uses. We were also able to rebuild a damaged rice field dam and install a recreated rice trunk (water control device) based on historic documentation. Finally, we were also able to use the report to update the site’s National Register of Historic Places listing to include more information about landscape, archaeology, and Black history.
What challenges have you faced in this project?
Cultural landscape preservation is always difficult. Landscapes are composed of human-built features as well as natural resources such as trees and forests. By nature, they are dynamic places that are always evolving. It was also difficult to find sources of information that could serve as evidence of the past appearance and function of the landscape. Since landscapes change with time, natural processes, and human use, locations at Hampton looked very different in the 18th century than they did 100 years later. Documenting that change over time was a critical part of the project. Landscape documentation also is challenging because it requires many different skill sets. Our team had to include a biologist, forester, archaeologist, historian, landscape architect, as well as current and past local residents. Each person brought a different view point to the project and made it a collaborative and multidisciplinary effort.
How have you solved problems and found solutions? What advice would you give to others doing this kind of work?
Finding good evidence of past landscapes is difficult but very important, and we were able to find new information through oral history and discussions with people who had lived and worked on or near Hampton. We were grateful that they were willing to share their traditional knowledge about the place and its landscape. Because historical documents are often silent about landscapes, people’s memories can help fill in the gaps. Photographs are also useful, and over time we were able to find dozens of these in various archival repositories and libraries such as the South Caroliniana Library at the University of South Carolina, the Charleston Museum, the Gibbes Art Museum, the South Carolina Historical Society, and the Indiana Historical Society. Local, private collections of photographs were also very helpful. Photos hold important visual clues of things like roads, tree lines, plant species, fences, etc. This kind of evidence helps to document what has been lost. Archaeology is critical as well, since many of the features that no longer exist above ground have left evidence in the soil. At Hampton, archaeologists excavated evidence of former buildings and work areas and helped us understand how specific places were used and altered over time.
The Learning Lab series provides practical tips, advice, and guidance on specific historic preservation topics that are relevant to African American preservation projects. We hope these posts help community members and leaders better navigate the complexities of historic preservation work successfully.
Short Description of topic
The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund works to advance the broader preservation movement towards a more diverse and equitable representation of American history. Grants showcase the beauty and complexity of Black history and culture in America, while underscoring the urgent need to protect, preserve and interpret these invaluable American assets.
How to Apply for Grants With the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund
The best way to be prepared for these grants is to be mindful of grant cycles and application deadlines because they vary. Do not submit applications outside of grant cycles without first discussing with the AACHAF.
You should also have a clear definition of your project and how it aligns with the mission of AACHAF. Get clear on your project mission and your achievable outcomes.
Develop clear and reasonable estimates for all costs. Do your research to budget appropriately for all costs and don’t undervalue the work that is required.
Stay informed of grant openings by adding your email address to the National Trust for Historic Preservation e-newsletter, here.
The Action Fund awards grants across four project categories: Capital Projects, Organizational Capacity Building, Project Planning, and Programming and Interpretation. Know what category you qualify for.
Find a Grant Program that matches your project:
AACHAF Grant Programs:
Action Fund National Grant Program — This funding advances ongoing preservation activities for historic places such as sites, museums, and landscapes that represent African American cultural heritage. Funding supports work in four primary areas: Capital Projects, Organizational Capacity Building, Project Planning, and Programming and Interpretation. The minimum grant amount is $50,000.00. Guidelines and Application
Conserving Black Modernism — In partnership with the Getty Foundation, the Conserving Black Modernism grant program is designed to empower and equip preservationists and stewards with funding and technical support to preserve the material heritage, innovation, and legacy of modern architectural sites designed by Black architects. This is a $3.1 million grant program. Guidelines and Application
HBCU Cultural Heritage Stewardship Initiative — This program provides technical assistance and funds new Cultural Heritage Stewardship Plans at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The partnership with National Endowment for the Humanities seeks to empower HBCUs with the resources to protect, preserve, and leverage their historic campuses, buildings, and landscapes, and ensures these symbols inspire and educate future generations. Guidelines and Application
Preserving Black Churches — The Action Fund, with support from the Lilly Endowment Inc, is investing in historic Black churches and congregations to reimagine, redesign, and deploy historic preservation to address the institutions’ needs and the cultural assets and stories they steward. We are leveraging historic preservation as a tool for equity and reconciliation and celebrating historic Black churches as centers of heritage, community, and cultural life. Guidelines and Application ]
Photo caption: [ In January 2024, historic Taveau Church in Cordesville received a grant from the Preserving Black Churches program to restore this 19th century wood-frame structure. Plans call for the church to open for worship services again, and for historic interpretation and community events.]
Photo caption: [ caption for photo — In 2023, funding from the AACHAF supported an expansion of the Inalienable Rights program under the Slave Dwelling Project, led by noted living historian Joseph McGill, Jr. The program includes food education / cooking demonstrations, brick making in the style of enslaved craftsmen and blacksmith demonstrations from expert blacksmiths.
The Ask an Expert series features Q + A’s with people who are experts in a particular field or who have a depth of knowledge around historic preservation. We ask experts a variety of short answer questions and ask for their advice.
Q: Introduce yourself! Tell us a little about you. How did you get started in your field?
Alada Muima Shinault-Small – Charlestonian, Charleston area tour guide since 1982. Was introduced to Oral History in early 1990s while serving as Stableyards & African American History & Culture Interpretive Coordinator at Middleton Place National Historic Landmark in Dorchester County. At Middleton, I interviewed former Black employees who worked there during the earlier decades of the 20th century.
Q: What kind of projects have you worked on?
In addition to my work at Middleton Place, I also worked on an intergenerational project in Charleston called “Paint The Rhythm of My Story” for the Charleston Housing Authority in the early 1990s. In 2000, I was a part of a team interviewing South Carolina State University students who were impacted by the 1968 Orangeburg massacre. In 2020-2021, I coordinated the “Black Carolinians Speak” oral history project for WeGOJA Foundation to capture expressions of people affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. In 2022-2023, I coordinated the oral history project for the “Gullah Geechee Seafood Trail,” and I am currently interviewing Clarendon County residents who were involved or related to people associated with the Briggs v. Elliott school desegregation lawsuit that later evolved into Brown v. Board of Education, 1954.
Q: How does your work in oral history intersect with preserving Black historic spaces?
The grassroots approach to interviewing “everyday folk” can lead to insight on people, places, objects, events that have been off the radar & undocumented until these jeweled conversations occur and are recorded. Some people are very delighted to know that people want their stories.
Q: What do African American preservation projects and leaders need to know about oral history?
Interfacing with communities and their members to record their stories is a critical component of cultural preservation.
Q: If someone asked for your advice on the first step they should take on designing and implementing an oral history project, what would you say?
Consult with an expert on trending tips and techniques.
Q: What are typical costs for oral history interviews, transcriptions, and archiving?
There are too many variables to generalize, and geography needs to be factored in as well. Experts can help fine tune these.
Q: Other tips or thoughts you’d like to share with the South Carolina preservation community?
When implementing an oral history project, engage interviewers who can best bond and flow with interviewees to achieve robust and rich conversations.
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.
Ruffin Rosenwald School, now the BZS Community Center, is the only remaining standing Rosenwald School in Colleton County. The current standing building was built in 1928-29, after the first school building from 1921 was burned in a fire. At the time it was built, it was the only school for Black children in the county. The school operated until 1953, when the movement for school equalization closed the Ruffin Rosenwald and opened Ruffin High School and Elementary School. After it closed, the building was empty for more than 10 years before three local churches came together to form the BZS Committee to save the building in 1964. The BZS Community Center has been available to the community since then, with the Committee’s long legacy of dedication to preserving and restoring the building. “The BZS Community Center once served as a Rosenwald School in the early 1900s, and is one of the few of its kind still standing today.With aspirations to promote “the well-being of mankind,” Julius Rosenwald and his family established a fund in 1917 contributing over $70 million dollars to public schools, colleges, museums and Jewish charities. Recognizing the suppressed access and quality of public education for black children in the south, the Rosenwald Fund dedicated itself to establishing black schools. Collaborating with Booker T. Washington, nearly 5,000 schools, shops and teacher homes were founded in 11 states. Of these, about 500 schools were built in South Carolina. By 1928, their efforts resulted in one-third of black children receiving an education in rural communities – such as Ruffin.” – https://coastalcommunityfoundation.org/hand-in-hand-community-outreach-restoring-pride-in-the-ruffin-community/
What motivated you/your community/your team to begin this project?
The community center has hosted events including being a summer feeding station, candidate forums, and vacation Bible school sessions. We are committed to keeping the facility available for our neighbors.
What challenges have you faced in this project?
The costs of the project exceed our recent operating budgets. Time and moisture have weakened the floors of our building. The current state of the floor joists makes the building unsuitable for most gatherings; further deterioration will threaten the survival of the building. These types of repairs are costly maintenance to undertake, but necessary if we wish to see this unique structure survive into the future.
How have you solved problems and found solutions? What advice would you give to others doing this kind of work?
We are accelerating our fundraising plan and exploring other fundraising activities, as well as getting help from other sources. We are working towards a National Register of Historic Places designation, so that Ruffin can be recognized for its significant history, become historically protected, and be eligible to apply for additional funding. On February 19, 2022, we unveiled a SC State Historical Marker at Ruffin/BZS Community Center. It had been a lot of hard work and effort to get the historical marker, and seeing it installed was a joyful and prideful day. Alumni of the school and BZS Committee members were present and gave tours of the building. The marker is an important step in gaining wider statewide recognition and more support for the project.
By: Curtiss Hunter, Tourism Director of Union County
May 10, 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.
Renaissance Park located in the Santuc community of Union County, South Carolina is on the site of the former Carlisle-Santuc Elementary Negro School. The school was known as an equalization school. It was a new school that was “physically separate in distance” but was alleged to be “equal” to the white school in the area. The school existed from 1953-1970. The school burned in the early 1980’s. Arson was investigated and was deemed the cause of the fire but no arrest was made. (Picture of the School inserted below) In early 1996, a group of citizens in the Santuc community met and decided that a park was needed for the area of Union County in the Black community. The work began to establish Renaissance Park. In May of 1998, a ribbon cutting was held for the first phase of a newly established ballpark. The dream was to have a walking trail around the ballpark for the citizens in the area that had no place to walk other than on the main highways. Curtiss Hunter and her team started to lobby the local and state officials for help to make Renaissance Park a reality. Union County Tourism applied for a trails grant through the South Carolina Department of Parks Recreation and Tourism trails grant program. In the fall of 2023, Union County Tourism was awarded the grant from SCPRT to build the walking trail. The park and walking trail will be complete in the summer of 2024. (An attachment of this project is at the end of this document)
What motivated you/your community/your team to begin this project?
The need for physical exercise for the citizens in the area has always been a part of the local fabric. As time passed, those who could no longer play softball or run needed a safe place to walk.
What challenges have you faced in this project?
Funding was the greatest challenge. Community effort was always there. But we needed an infusion from outside the county to make this project happen.
How have you solved problems and found solutions? What advice would you give to others doing this kind of work?
Remain focused, do not get discouraged, projects of this kind can last for decades as this one did.
By: WeGOJA Foundation (with information from NPS State, Tribal, Local, Plans & Grants Division)
May 7, 2024
The Ask an Expert series features Q + A’s with people who are experts in a particular field or who have a depth of knowledge around historic preservation. We ask experts a variety of short answer questions and ask for their advice to Black preservation projects and leaders.
What is the purpose of the National Park Service’s African American Civil Rights grants?
The National Park Service (NPS)’s Historic Preservation Fund provides grants to local communities to help document, interpret, and preserve sites and stories related to civil rights. Many of these grants are competitive which means that an organization will submit an application that is reviewed and scored to determine if it will receive funding. Information about various grant programs will be found on NPS websites but the actual announcement of applications and submission of applications will take place through Grants.gov. Preparing and submitting an application takes time, so make sure to start investigating how to apply early. African American Civil Rights (AACR) grants fund a broad range of planning, development, and research projects for historic sites including: survey, inventory, documentation, interpretation, education, architectural services, historic structure reports, preservation plans, and “bricks and mortar” repair. Grant projects are split into two categories: preservation projects and history projects. Preservation project grants are for the repair of historic properties. History project grants are for more interpretive work such as exhibit design or historical research. This competitive grant program provides grants to states, tribes, local governments (including Certified Local Governments), and nonprofits. Non-federal matching is not required.
How should property owners and community leaders prepare for applying for African American historic preservation grants in the STLPG division?
Any case studies or great examples from South Carolina?
This grant program provides assistance to many South Carolina organizations. In its latest round of awards, the following organizations were funded: Clemson University – $55,625 Clemson University African American History Video Project – Clemson University of South Carolina – $4,250,000 Preservation of the Florence C. Benson Elementary School, an equalization school and a resource associated with segregation in Columbia, SC – Columbia South Carolina Rural Education Grassroots Group – $750,000 Stabilization and Preservation of the former Edgewood School, an Equalization School, Now serving as Edgewood Community Center –Ninety-Six Center for Creative Partnerships – $750,000 Preservation of All Star Bowling Lanes – Orangeburg
Over the past few decades, Michael “Mike” Allen and his work have become synonymous with African American historic preservation in South Carolina and beyond.
His journey with historic preservation began not in a classroom but in his hometown of Kingstree. Witnessing the value placed on restoring and maintaining historic structures within his African American community instilled in him a deep appreciation for the tangible connection to the past.
This personal foundation, coupled with the work he did at Fort Sumter beginning in 1980, paved the way for a transformative career dedicated to amplifying African American narratives within the broader historical landscape.
Allen’s 37-year tenure with the National Park Service (NPS) was marked by tireless efforts to bridge the gap between the public and the often-overlooked narratives of African American history.
“Most entities in that organization didn’t really take much of a view to African American structures,” he says. Allen made it his mission to change that, working to bring awareness and support to neglected African American historic places.
Along the way, he played a pivotal role in establishing the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor in 2006, the first corridor of its kind dedicated to highlighting the unique history and cultural contributions of the Gullah Geechee people of the Coastal Carolinas and Georgia.
His unwavering dedication culminated in the landmark achievement of establishing the Reconstruction Era National Monument (now the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park) in Beaufort County in 2017, ensuring the stories of this pivotal period in American history are not relegated to the margins.
Raising Awareness and Empowering Communities
“My work has always been about raising awareness,” Allen stresses. “Seeing the lack of recognition given to African American historical sites fueled my passion to not only celebrate these spaces but empower communities to actively participate in their preservation.”
From understanding the cyclical maintenance needs of brick masonry at Fort Sumter to recognizing the crucial structural integrity of the Charles Pinckney National Historic Site, Allen’s experiences with the NPS solidified to him the importance of preserving these spaces not just for their physical presence but for the stories they hold.
Allen credits Dr. Peter Wood’s book “Black Majority” as a pivotal moment in his own awakening to the significance of African American history and culture. “This book opened my eyes to a pattern of history I hadn’t grasped before,” he shares. “It was a turning point, and the National Park Service became a platform for me to share this newfound understanding and advocate for the stories that were waiting to be told.”
Today, at age 65, Allen can look back with pride at the many tangible signs of progress he helped create, from historical markers to museum exhibits that help tell the full story of African American history in South Carolina.
“The sign at Sullivan’s Island and Toni Morrison’s first Bench by the Road that recognizes the arrival of enslaved Africans, the Fort Moultrie visitor center and the African Passages exhibit, the Gullah Geechee trail, the Reconstruction site in Beaufort … none of these were there when I started. I’m grateful to have played a part in making all those happen,” he says.
Sharing Gullah Culture Through Tastee Treats
Following his retirement from the NPS in 2017, Allen continues to champion the preservation of Gullah Geechee culture through his online store, Tastee Treats.
Alongside his wife, Latanya, they offer traditional Gullah desserts and treats like benne seed cookies, sweet grass baskets, and handmade pottery – providing a delicious and authentic window into the rich culinary and artistic heritage of the Gullah Geechee people.
“Tastee Treats is a way for us to share a slice of Gullah culture with a wider audience,” Allen says. “Preserving these traditions goes beyond physical structures; it’s about keeping the stories, the flavors, the crafts alive for future generations.”
A Call to Action for Aspiring Advocates
Looking forward, Allen’s advice for aspiring advocates is rooted in community engagement and unwavering perseverance. He emphasizes the importance of understanding one’s own history and building strong alliances, acknowledging the challenges that often accompany this work.
“First, get to know your story, your history, your heritage, and your community. Soak it all up,” he advises. “Be considerate of yourself and be willing to stand up against headwinds. Can’t say everything I did was easy because it was not. Opposition, pushback, disbelief, prejudice is there too.”
Mike Allen remains steadfast in his conviction. “I think we’re in a time and season where good works that we may have been involved in are simply invisible to a lot of Americans. That makes me more diligent about preservation and recognition,” he says. “I’m not afraid, I won’t be silenced. You shouldn’t be either.”
