Quick Fact Friday

 

The Laing School was built by the Freedman’s Bureau at the corner of King Street and Royall Avenue in 1868. It was founded by Cornelia Hancock, a Quaker who served as a nurse in the Union Army, and named for Henry M. Laing, a Quaker supporter of Freedmen’s education and advancement. Throughout Reconstruction the Freedmen’s Bureau built, funded, and staffed hundreds of schools for recently emancipated slaves throughout the South, both children and adults. The education, resources, and opportunities from these schools helped provide a foundation for African Americans to begin establishing lives as free citizens.

 

 

For more information: Town website (Laing School History by Dorothy Fludd) and MountPleasantHistorical.org

 

 

 

Image Credit: MountPleasantHistorical.org

 

 

 

                           Quick Fact Friday

 

Next month is Black History Month and the Historical Commission is excited to kick off its 8th annual celebration on Saturday, February 5th, at 3pm, in the Town Council Chambers at Town Hall. The event will be a discussion and presentation on the creation and significance of the new Reconstruction Era National Historic Park. The Network is managed by Reconstruction Era National Historic Site in Beaufort, and facilitates research and programs related to Reconstruction at locations across the country.

 

 

 

Image Credit: National Park Service website

 

 

 

 

 

 

                QUICK FACT FRIDAY

 

Did you know that February is Black History Month? The Town of Mount Pleasant Historical Commission will kick off its 8th annual Black History Month celebration on Saturday, February 5th, at 3pm, in the Town Council Chambers at Town Hall. At this event, retired Beaufort mayor Billy Keyserling, resident and retired ranger Michael Allen, and park superintendent Scott Teodorski will discuss the creation and significance of the new Reconstruction Era National Historic Park.

 

Image Credit: 1880 Census form

 

 

 

 

                            Quick Fact Friday

 

According to Hamlin historian Elizabeth Hamlin “Liz” McConnell, Hamlin Community was established in 1701, not long after Copahee Plantation was purchased in 1696 by one of her ancestors, Thomas Hamlin. The plantation originally encompassed approximately 1,200 acres of land. It was later divided into Copahee and Contentment Cottage with around 400 acres remaining today, known as Hamlin Farms and owned by McConnell’s brother, Osgood Darby Hamlin III. The area is now bisected by Rifle Range Road and Hamlin Road.

 

 

 

Image Credit: Mount Pleasant Magazine article

 

 

 

 

                    Quick Fact Friday

 

As we continue on our exploration of the settlement communities within Mount Pleasant, our subject today is the Snowden Community and its historical gem, the Snowden School House. Although Snowden is an unincorporated portion of Charleston County, it is surrounded by the neighborhoods and commercial areas of Mount Pleasant. Snowden is located around the area north of Long Point Road including Egypt Road, Community Road, and Snowden Road. Snowden is one of the oldest Gullah-Geechee communities formed after The Civil War by freed slaves. Its close proximity to the Wando River allowed residents to shrimp, crab and fish both for profit and personal use. Additionally, the newly-freed residents of Snowden set up their own farms increasing the area’s agricultural renown for crops such as figs, peaches, blueberries, watermelons, and pecans.

 

Image Credit: https://mountpleasantmagazine.com/2018/remembering/schoolhouse-cultural-center-snowden-community-preserves-historic-landmark/