Threatened: 3 Charleston landmarks face uncertain futures

A Folly Beach cottage made famous by George Gershwin, a formerly segregated school in the Red Top community, and one of the last remaining local Rosenwald Schools: These important places lack protections from demolition and face uncertain futures unless action is taken to preserve them for future generations.

The Preservation Society is working closely with community stakeholders to raise awareness of these culturally significant sites near the southern edges of Charleston County. Their histories are significant, yet they are unprotected; and each exemplify the need for policies that better protect rural historic properties in the face of intensifying development, climate, and real estate pressures.

The City of Charleston is known for its stringent preservation rules across much of downtown. But off the peninsula, fewer tools ensure protection, and demolition permits can be obtained without any discretionary review. In a flash, historic buildings can permanently be erased from our communities.

However, there are steps that each current property owner can take to ensure preservation of these irreplaceable buildings. Even when municipalities fail to proactively protect historic places, there is a strong ethic of preservation in the Lowcountry. We remain optimistic that awareness and community input can result in a positive path forward.

On Wadmalaw Island: A Rosenwald School is on the market

The Nine Mile Fork School on Bears Bluff Road was built in 1927 through the incredible generosity of businessman Julius Rosenwald. It is one of nearly 5,000 Rosenwald Schools built nationwide, designed to increase educational opportunities for Black students in the poor, rural, segregated South. It is estimated that only 200 remain.

The Nine Mile Fork School is one of the last intact examples of the 14 Rosenwald Schools constructed in Charleston County. It has been determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and is a good candidate for protection under Charleston County’s historic preservation ordinance.

Unfortunately, the property was recently listed for sale without requirements for its preservation, meaning the new owner would be free to heavily alter or demolish this irreplaceable cultural landmark.

Thankfully, the current and future owners of this property have options. With the owner’s consent, it could be easily designated a Charleston County historic site. With support from a preservation-minded buyer, this building could also become open to the public to interpret and showcase this important era in our region’s history.

In Red Top: A formerly segregated school faces demolition

One of the last segregated schools built in the Charleston area, Tobin-Boyd Elementary School, opened in 1961 and educated a generation of residents in Red Top, a c. 1875 African American settlement community tucked against Rantowles Creek in the outskirts of West Ashley.

Named for longtime African American educators, Maree Patrick Tobin and Evelyn Collins Boyd, many former students who still live nearby recount secondhand furniture and torn textbooks, but nonetheless have warm memories of supportive teachers and a tight-knit, rural community. After evolving through several uses after desegregation, the building has been vacant since the school district sold the property in 2004, as suburban development pressures increased in outer West Ashley.

Tobin-Boyd is eligible for the National Register and would be included in a possible future Red Top County Historic District, yet it remains vulnerable without local protections.

Currently, owners planning to redevelop the property are seeking state coastal zone permits needed to demolish Tobin-Boyd Elementary. Through this review process, the PSC and Red Top community leaders are working to ensure the case is clear to the developer and regulators that Tobin-Boyd is an important cultural resource that can and should be preserved.

On Folly Beach: Cottage with ties to Gershwin opens possibilities

The “Porgy House” at 712 W. Ashley Ave. on Folly Beach is a 1930s-era time capsule, lovingly maintained by longtime owners. It was once the summer home to Dorothy and Dubose Heyward, the couple who wrote the acclaimed novel and play, Porgy, which inspired George Gershwin’s 1935 opera, Porgy and Bess.

The Heywards’ house on W. Ashley Avenue is the last remaining connection to Gershwin’s whirlwind 1934 summer on Folly Beach, when he immersed himself in the local community, drawing inspiration that would have a profound influence on American music and culture.

Yet, while remarkably intact, this piece of history is at risk since it hit the market last year. The PSC has been in contact with the property owner and real estate agent, advising on potential tools to ensure permanent protection, such as a preservation easement or a potential public-private acquisition to secure its future.

Property owners are frontline stewards of the region’s cultural heritage who can become preservation heroes through proactive efforts in collaboration with local partners.

The PSC stands ready to assist in ensuring future generations can learn the full stories of these significant historic places.

Have an idea or are you interested in helping protect these sites? Reach out to preserve@preservationsociety.org.