Happy Birthday Lady Liberty

A ceremony of dedication to a famous monument was held 124 years ago on October 28th. This monument is none other than the Statue of Liberty. It was made in France as a gift to the people of the United States. The French artist Frederic Bartholdi designed the statue after being inspired by a comment said by Edouard Rene De Laboulaye. It is a universal symbol of freedom, democracy, and international friendship. The statue represents Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom. She holds a torch in one hand stretched upward, a tablet in the other that is inscribed with the date of the American Declaration of Independence, and a broken chain lies at her feet. President Grover Cleveland presided over the Dedication Ceremony. The statute was installed near Ellis Island, which has ever been in its shadow. Immigrants who went through the gates there felt hopeful as they looked at the inspiring monument. It was designated a national monument in 1924 by President Calvin Coolidge. Ever since, it has been one of America's most famous symbols.

We're the Best, We're the Top...

Family Tree Magazine has published a "Best State Websites 2010" list and the South Carolina State Archives was picked as one of the best across the country! The magazine mentions our online records index with over 300,000 records (many with images) including state land grant plats, Confederate veteran records, criminal court records, and so much more. They even talk about our section dedicated to maps of how our counties were formed. We are thrilled to be part of this list and are excited to have the years of work our staff have put in be recognized. We hope you continue to utilize our site for research, we are adding to it all the time!

Seeking Rosenwald Schools

by Haley Grant, USC Public History Graduate Student

This summer, I had the opportunity to survey Rosenwald Schools as part of my graduate internship in the State Historic Preservation Office at Archives and History. I looked in Allendale, Barnwell, Chester, Chesterfield, Darlington, Edgefield, Fairfield, Hampton, Lancaster, Laurens, and Union Counties—of those eleven counties surveyed three Rosenwald Schools were found standing. Canebrake School in Saluda County, Black Creek School in Chesterfield County, and Mt. Calvary School in Allendale County (above left) have now been confirmed and further documented. SHPO staff members Brad Sauls, Jennifer Satterthwaite and even Tracy Hayes from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Southern Office tagged along as their company and driving skills made concentrating on navigation a great deal easier.

The surveys were conducted using topographic, satellite, and Google Street View maps. Fortunately, many rural roads are in Street View! Unfortunately, this does not mean that all rural roads shown in Street View are nicely paved the entire distance needed to search for a particular school (I’m talking to you, Red Point School in Union)! Street View helped in narrowing down possible existing schools versus schools that were simply not standing. Counties were chosen if surveys had not been conducted, to follow up on past surveys, or if the possibility of a standing school looked promising. In total, forty-three schools were site-surveyed. Along the way, several possible Equalization Schools were spotted, and many wonderful historic buildings were ogled.

But more on what we found! The Canebrake School in Saluda County (left) is currently in use as a residence and has been owned by the same local family for over fifty years. Originally, the school was a Two-Teacher Tuskegee Plan and has had minimal additions over time. No construction date is given. Black Creek School in Chesterfield County (below) is also currently used as a residence. This school follows a typical Two-Teacher Rosenwald Plan and was built in the 1925-1926 budget year.

Mt. Calvary School (pictured at top) 1920-1921, in Allendale County was the last found. The school sits across from a church in a very rural setting. In poor condition, this school is overgrown both with greenery and political election signs. The Allendale Historical Society has been made aware of our findings and will hopefully spur on some community action. For more information about Rosenwald Schools see http://www.shpo.sc.gov/rosenwaldschools.htm and
http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/southern-region/rosenwald-schools/region/rosenwald-schools/

Celebrating Archives Month

Did you know that October is National Archives Month? South Carolina Archives have lots of great events and exhibits planned and we hope you'll join us in celebrating the wonderful treasures we preserve! The theme this year, Documents Can Change a Nation, focuses on the importance of the records archives have. We don't just have paper, we have records that resonate and mark significant state and national historical events! We encourage you to visit our 2010 Archives Month website for all the latest event and exhibit happenings in South Carolina. http://scarchivesmonth.palmettohistory.org