Student Housing Proposed on Site of YWCA and Public Burial Ground
A request to demolish the former YWCA building, situated on the site of a burial ground dating to the 1790s, is raising questions about how one of Charleston’s largest public institutions will sensitively handle complicated cultural legacies, both above and below ground.
The College of Charleston has plans to redevelop a two-acre parcel on Coming Street between Calhoun and Vanderhorst streets for student housing. The site has a significant, multi-layered history that is not widely known.
At a public meeting last week, representatives from the College indicated its intention to seek demolition of the former headquarters of the Coming Street YWCA to facilitate the project. Complicating matters, that project will also require the removal and reinterment of an 18th century public cemetery, believed to be the final resting place for thousands, including people of African descent and children.
As the College pursues its plans on a fast timeline, it’s important for the community to fully understand what’s at stake, starting with the proposal to demolish the YWCA building on this week’s BAR-L agenda.
Coming Street YWCA: A Civil Rights Legacy
 |
 |
Coretta Scott King and Septima Clark participating in 1980s YWCA event (left); Giles Brown, Hattie Watson, Septima Clark (second from left) and Lucille Williams, at the Coming Street YWCA, 1952, YWCA Papers, courtesy of the Avery Research Center (right).
The Coming Street YWCA was founded in 1907 to provide advocacy and support for Black women in Charleston and today remains committed to the mission of gender and racial equity as the YWCA Greater Charleston. The organization was headquartered at 106 Coming Street from 1911 to 2014, and the existing mid-century building, constructed as its second location on the site in 1964, became an important center for civil rights activism under the leadership of Christine Osburn Jackson.
The YWCA headquarters served as an organizing space during the Hospital Strike of 1969 and frequently hosted national figures like Coretta Scott King (Christine Jackson’s first cousin) and Septima P. Clark. Additionally, the building was a hub for civic services, education, and community events. The 1964 building has undergone few changes and retains the characteristics that make it a recognizable representation of the YWCA’s century-long legacy on Coming Street.
The application on Wednesday’s BAR agenda doesn’t contemplate alternatives to demolition like partial preservation, as pursued at the former Wilmot J. Fraser Elementary School or 609 King Street. Credit is due to the College commissioning a comprehensive historical report that reinforces the building’s significance culturally and architecturally. This should serve as a guide to memorialize the events and people associated with this place, ensuring all options are on the table. Community involvement cannot be rushed by arbitrary timetables. Once a building is gone, it’s gone forever.
The BAR-L meeting will take place on Wednesday, June 11 at 4:30 P.M. in the 1st floor public meeting room at 2 George Street. You can review the BAR-L image overview and make your voice heard by attending in-person or submitting comments online by 12:00 P.M. on Tuesday, June 10.
PSC will ask for deferral of this week’s BAR-L demolition request and call on the College of Charleston to engage the community to address all elements of the site’s cultural history before proceeding with the demolition, design, and development process.
A Deeper Conversation on Cultural Resources
While the College’s goal to provide on-campus housing is laudable, it has selected an incredibly challenging site given its legacy as one of Charleston’s first public burial grounds. Disturbing this final resting site is an action of last resort that deserves robust community conversation. In addition to seeking input on how to most appropriately honor the significant history of the YWCA, intensive consultation is needed given the foreseeability of unearthing unmarked burials.
Active between 1794-1807, the former “potter’s field” occupies most of the block and is estimated to be the final resting place of 4,600 men, women, and children, many of whom were likely enslaved and not in Charleston of their own will. This is a sobering reality that raises important questions about the most ethical long-term approach. The future of such a sacred place cannot be decided by a single institution, nor should it be approached as a typical archaeological site. A path forward must be openly and earnestly considered in close coordination with affected communities.
You can examine additional research about this historic cemetery and others on a citywide interactive map as part of PSC’s Mapping Charleston’s Black Burial Grounds project.