Lincolnville Preservation & Historical Society

Our Work

The Lincolnville Rosenwald School, operating today as the Charles Ross Town Center, is undergoing a major renovation project.

In Partnership with Booker T. Washington, Founding President of Tuskegee University, Julius Rosenwald, first president of Sears & Roebuck and one of the wealthiest men in the US at the time, provided funds to build over 5000 schools for Black children throughout the South between 1917 and 1932. Lincolnville Rosenwald School was built in 1923.

The school was closed in 1968 because of public school integration in South Carolina. The building was then transposed into both the governance and community Town Center in the 1970s. Although the auditorium and front entrance of the building were transposed in the 1980s, over 70% of the original structure remains.

The project is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2026. The renovated building will include a state-of-the-art event center and an exhibition hall showcasing Lincolnville’s education history. In the mids 1800s the Little Red School House, operated out of Wesley Church, located on Front Street, until the William Graded School was built in 1889 on Pinckney Street. The exhibition hall will provide artifacts of elementary school days and profiles of teachers and students who attended.

The Lincolnville Preservation and Historical Society produced the 100th Anniversary of the Lincolnville Rosenwald School in 2023. The organization is providing coordination of the renovation project and ensuring the historic preservation requirements are met.

Special Thanks to:

Jonathan Roberts, Project Manager, The Cumming Group

Architect Anthony Lawrence, President, MOTA

In partnership with the National Park Service - Rivers Trails and Conservation Assistance, The Lincolnville Historic Greenway Park and Trails Conceptual Plan envisions a park that not only celebrates the history and cultural heritage of Lincolnville but also promotes health and wellness by providing universal access for recreational opportunities. The Historic Greenway consists of three main parts: The History Center, The Historic Park, and a route connecting the former Lincolnville Rosenwald School and other historic structures in the Town to The Lincolnville Greenway and Park. The History Center is the heart of the Greenway with a Welcome Center located in the historic Goldman House to introduce the public to Lincolnville.

To address Lincolnville’s designation as a food desert, Lincolnville Preservation & Historical Society established the Bishop Richard Harvey Community Garden to serve as an educational and food access resource for residents. Through gardening with community, fresh food distribution and sharing, and sustainable agriculture programs, the garden is helping to combat food insecurity and provide healthier options for the community. The space also serves as a gathering place for educational programs focused on nutrition, environmental stewardship, and cultural traditions tied to land and farming. Our garden initiative is a reflection of the town’s long-standing legacy of self-sufficiency and land stewardship. We hold many of our public programs, including health fairs and celebratory festivals in the community garden.

There are over nine exiting historical sites in Lincolnville. Only two of them have historical markers. Lincolnville Preservation & Historical Society’s Historical Marker Initiative purpose is to secure markers for all eligible sites which will serve as a permanent educational resource to educate residents, visitors, and tourists.

The historical markers will educate the public about the significance of Lincolnville’s history and its connection to the larger African American struggle for autonomy and equality. Visitors and residents will learn about the town’s unique governance as an African American-led municipality in Charleston County beginning in 1867. This increased awareness will instill pride in the residents of Lincolnville and those living throughout the Lowcountry region and South Carolina, at large. The Historical Marker Initiative will contribute to the preservation of African American heritage within South Carolina and will contribute to a broader understanding of American history. The historical marker will serve as a tangible symbol of Lincolnville’s resilience and achievements from Reconstruction to now. Visitor’s engagement with the markers will be tracked using QR codes to monitor how many people interact with the site.

Today, there are three African American Burial Grounds, dating back to the 19th century, in Lincolnville: Bible Sojourn, Hamover Circle and Mt. Zion Cemeteries. The aged tombstones tell stories of the Civil War, World War I & II, Korean War, and Vietnam War Veterans; Former enslaved & freed men and women; Babies and children who were unable to complete the journey to adulthood; Notable persons who made lasting contributions to the Town of Lincolnville and Descendants of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor.

These sites are integral to interpreting the history of the town – a settlement community whose rich heritage is only now beginning to be acknowledged by preservation institutions across the region, state, and nation.

The Clemson Graduate School of Preservation & Development is working with the Lincolnville Preservation & Historical Society to support:

Cemetery Documentation

Creating a record of all resources present at the cemetery

Creating an accurate survey of all cemetery features – grave markers, ledgers, curbing, fencing

Creating a geographic information systems database containing information for each existing grave marker (e.g., name, birth date, death date, epitaph, marker material)

Using Ground Penetrating Radar to survey areas lacking grave markers.

Settled in the quiet forest and underbrush of time, perhaps lie members of your family or persons who you knew or remember hearing about their stories.

PLEASE HELP US IDENTIFY THE RESTING PLACE OF OUR ANCESTORS.

Please CLICK HERE to complete a form telling us all that you know about persons who are buried in any of these three cemeteries. Please help us by sharing this information and encouraging others you may know who might remember ‘something / anything’ that will give us clues to who is resting in Lincolnville’s African American Burial Grounds. For information, please contact us at info@lincolnvillesc.org.

The SC Historic Preservation Office has given its professional opinion that the Historic Jail in Lincolnville, SC is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The Clemson University School of Preservation and Development Master’s Degree Students have made the Historic Jail in Lincolnville their 2025 Spring Project. The research and digital documentation being provided by the professors and students are very important to the process of the Historic Jail actually becoming listed in the National Registry of Historic Places.

The Lincolnville Preservation & Historical Society sincerely appreciates Dr. Amalia Leifeste, Director of Graduate Programs in Historic Preservation; Craig Bennett, Preservation Structural Engineer and adjunct professor; and Dr. Frank Ordia, Assistant Professor, and each student for contributing mightily to the preservation of Historic Lincolnville.

Constructed around 1899, the Old Jail stands as a significant symbol of the town’s rich heritage, deeply connected to the African American struggle for equal rights from the Reconstruction Era through the Civil Rights Movement. The Lincolnville Preservation & Historical Society aims to protect and preserve this historic structure, which has suffered damage from long-term neglect and severe weather events over the years.

This preservation project serves as a foundational step toward the broader vision of transforming the Old Jail into a cornerstone of Lincolnville’s Cultural Heritage District and the planned Historical and Recreational Park.

Historic Wesley Church is a vital historical landmark that embodies the African American struggle for independence and equal rights during the late 19th century. Lincolnville. Built in 1887, Wesley Church is one of the oldest surviving institutional buildings in Lincolnville, and it stands as a powerful symbol of the town's early settlement by African Americans. As one of the few remaining structures from this era, the church is not only a place of worship but also a testament to the resilience and determination of the community.

Lincolnville Preservation & Historical Society aims to ensure the stabilization and preservation of Wesley Church, protecting its historical significance for future generations. The preservation will begin with a comprehensive site assessment to evaluate the church's current condition, followed by the implementation of immediate stabilization and weatherization measures to prevent further deterioration. Emergency repairs will be conducted to safeguard the building from the elements and other threats. The original pews and chandelier remain in the church.