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. |