What does it mean for a property to be located in an “historic district?”

When Congress passed the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) 50 years ago, it affirmed historic preservation’s importance to the United States’ cultural, environmental, and economic well-being. The passing of the NHPA also formed an official framework for what had previously been a largely informal activity, taken up in grassroots efforts like those seen in Charleston […]

Saint Michael’s Church in 1861 (via loc.gov) Article edited August 1, 2017 re: James Hoban and footnote number 12. One reason Charleston’s history is so alluring is that it is multi-layered, complex, and flavored with the diversity of several ethnic, cultural, and religious groups. In the late-17th century, inhabitants of the nascent colony included Africans, […]

Image from the 2008 City of Charleston Preservation Plan The Thomas Mayhem Pinckney Alliance is dedicated to recognizing and promoting significant sites and places in Charleston related to African American history. As Black History Month comes to a close, it is an apt time to highlight the considerable influence African and African American labor has […]

On June 1, 2014, at the site of the future International African American Museum on Concord Street, the community gathered to honor an influential Civil Rights figure from Johns Island, SC as a portion of Esau Jenkins’ iconic VW van was sent to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture.  The Mt. […]