Preserving African American Public Buildings in South Carolina

Preserving African American Public Buildings

Public Buildings

About This Resource

Public buildings such as libraries, hospitals, restaurants, shops, community centers, and more are part of the fabric of historic African American communities. These spaces provided services and goods, but also served as spaces of community, resistance, and organizing, when discrimination and racism barred our communities from public places. These sites play a distinctive role in Black historic preservation.
Within this Public Buildings topic page you will find resources curated from across the SC Preservation Toolkit related specifically to preserving African American public buildings (including libraries, hospitals, restaurants, community centers, and more). Whether you are new to this work or a long-time advocate, this page’s blog posts on public buildings, related How-To Guides, helpful resource links, and relevant Tools will help you be successful in preserving your significant African American community spaces.

Knowledge Center

How To Guides

Explore a range of best practices, tips and tricks with our handy “how to” guides before you start your preservation project.

How to Acquire a State Historical Marker

A guide to the process of applying for, reviewing, and installing a State Historical Marker for your historic space.

Download →

How to Apply for the National Register of Historic Places

A guide to the process of preparing for, researching, writing, and the review stages for getting your historic space listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Download →

How to Start a Preservation Project

A guide on beginning a project to save your local historic space or place.

Download →

How to Apply for a Preservation Grant

A guide to setting the stage for your project to get preservation funding.

Download →

Explore More Guides

Helpful Resources

Protecting Historic Properties with Conservation Easements

PDF doc from SHPO explaining how conservation easements work, including a list of current (updated 2020) trusts that accept conservation easements.

Make Your Dream a Reality: A Community Group Guide to a Historic Preservation Project

Steps and how to start a preservation project written for community members
c

Preservation Easements

An overview of easements for use in preservation projects from Saving Places.
c

Publications of the National Register for Historic Places

Official publications relating to the National Register of Historic Places program, nomination process,etc.
c

Preserving African American Places Report

Preserving African American Places seeks to understand the implications of place-based injustice and their impact on the preservation of African American cultural heritage, as well as to identify preservation-based strategies for equitable growth and development that respect the historical and present-day realities and conditions of African American Neighborhoods.

Preserving African American Historic Places

Guidebook with resources for the preservation of African American Historic Places in the United States.

Preservation Topics

I Want To Learn About

Go deeper and gain valuable knowledge, tools and insights around preservation topics that interest you. Your first and best stop to learn how to move your passion or project forward.

Learn More