Welcome to the Lincolnville Preservation & Historical Society!

Welcome to the Lincolnville Preservation & Historical Society!

I am very proud, honored and humble to be the great-granddaughter of Charles and Martha Seele, one of the early settlers of Lincolnville. My life is a compilation of the rich culture and high expectations of moral standards and achievements which were planted into the essence of my soul by the early settlers of Lincolnville.  I was born in 1954, only 91 years after President Lincoln freed my ancestors from the chattels of slavery.  My great-grandparents, grandparents, grand aunts/uncles, parents and so many of the residents of Lincolnville who “raised me” were either born in slavery or in the immediate years that followed 1863.  Led by Rev. Richard Harvey Cain, the early settlers ushered in a new era of possibilities for Black people. The Lincolnville Preservation & Historical Society honors the vision, commitment and intentional focus of the founders and early settlers to educate and empower Black children, women and men to be all that they could be – regardless of the scars of slavery on their backs, Jim Crow Laws or being denied access to public restrooms.

It is in this tradition of determination and excellence that the Lincolnville Preservation & Historical Society moves forward into the 21st century, offering to our online visitors a collection of art, artifacts, documents and an ongoing program of collections. The Lincolnville Preservation & Historical Society aims to grasp and preserve the legacy of Black men and women who, during the era of reconstruction, bought and owned land so that Black families could be free to pursue and secure the blessings and rights of freedom for themselves and for their posterity.   With an intentional focus, Lincolnville Preservation & Historical Society will promote activities to improve the health, wellness, social and economic status of the residents of Lincolnville. 

I invite you to join our society. If you grew up in Lincolnville or know someone who did, please share your stories, artifacts and photos.  Come visit the Town of Lincolnville and bask in its rich culture and legacy. Please support our vision by donating.

Abiding Gratitude and Joy! 

Pernessa Charlise Seele 

Founder & President

info@lincolnvillesc.org 

Dr. Pernessa C. Seele

Dr. Pernessa Seele is a native of the settlement town, Lincolnville, SC. She spent her young years in a thriving, close-knit community that gave her the foundation she would need to become the Founder and CEO of The Balm In Gilead, Inc., a not-for-profit organization celebrating over 37 years of providing technical support that strengthens faith communities in the USA and Africa to promote health education and services that contribute to the elimination of health disparities.

Dr. Seele is well known for her extraordinary vision and ability to create national and global partnerships in support of service to people. It is that very same service to people and passion for community and legacy that led her to establish the Lincolnville Preservation and Historical Society. Historic Lincolnville is a town located in Charleston County that is home to rich histories of pre-Civil War, Reconstruction and the Civil Rights eras- yet its stories are untold.

As a landowner and daughter of Lincolnville, Dr. Seele is committed to telling the undocumented stories and revitalizing the town, which was once home to many successful freed men and women during the 19^th and 20^th Centuries.

As the recipient of numerous citations and honors, Dr. Seele was featured on the cover of TIME magazine in 2006 as One of the Most Influential Persons In the World. Ebony Magazine selected Dr. Seele as one of their Power 150; Essence Magazine has honored her with numerous features. In its 35th Anniversary issue, she was named one of the 35 Most Beautiful and Remarkable Women In The World; In May 2010, Dr. Seele was selected as 21 Leaders of the 21st Century of Women E-News in New York City. In April 2008, Clark Atlanta University honored Dr. Seele with the Pathway of Excellence Award, citing her as one of its most outstanding graduates of all time. In October 2017, His Eminence, Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, bestowed the Pierre Toussaint Medallion upon

Dr. Seele.

Dr. Seele is the author of Stand Up to Stigma! How to Reject Fear & Shame. She is an Honorary Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

In this time when settlement communities across the South are in danger of erasure,

Dr. Seele is organizing a coalition of support to build capacity for the historic preservation and economic development of Lincolnville. To date, her efforts have gained Historic Lincolnville a place in the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network and the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor.