2006 South Carolina Historic Preservation Awards
Each year the Office of the Governor, the Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation, and the South Carolina Department of Archives and History recognize exceptional accomplishments in the preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, and interpretation of our architectural and cultural heritage. On March 28, 2006, the following individuals and organizations were recognized at the twelfth annual South Carolina Historic Preservation Awards ceremony at the Archives and History Center.
Honor Awards
The Honor Awards celebrate successful and exemplary historic preservation projects in South Carolina.
Wilson-Sottile House, Charleston
College of Charleston
Sottile Foundation
Ashley Jennings
Built around 1890 for Charleston
merchant Samuel Wilson, the Wilson-Sottile House is an outstanding example of
the Queen Anne style of architecture. In building the house, Wilson used the
finest materials available; the house features stained glass windows, marble
mantels, carved oak doors with leaded glass panels, and a mosaic floor in the
foyer. It was sold to Albert Sottile in 1912 and remained in the Sottile family
until 1964 when the College of Charleston purchased the former residence. In
2003, the College began rehabilitating the house, which had fallen into
disrepair after years of use as office space and dormitories. Architectural
engineer Ashley Jennings of Prescon LLC oversaw the rehabilitation of the
house. Funding was provided by the College of Charleston with the generous
help of the Sottile Foundation and two granddaughters of Albert Sottile. Today
this fine house is used by the Institutional Advancement Department of the
College of Charleston.
Before and After Photos
Hampton Heights Neighborhood Revitalization, Spartanburg
The Preservation Trust of Spartanburg
The Hampton Heights neighborhood, which developed between 1890 and 1930, is a significant collection of early twentieth century houses. It includes both large high-style residences and smaller, more modest bungalows. By the late twentieth century, the neighborhood was struggling with blight and neglect. In 1998, former Spartanburg City Manager Roy Lane joined with a group of Hampton Heights residents to form the Preservation Trust of Spartanburg. The Trust was established as a nonprofit organization to revitalize and restore historic properties and districts in the city. With the help of funding from the Mary Black Foundation, the Spartanburg Foundation, the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, and the City of Spartanburg, the Preservation Trust has purchased and rehabilitated about a dozen houses in the Hampton Heights neighborhood, significantly revitalizing this historic neighborhood.
Newberry Elementary
School, NewberryDonald Love, AIA
The School District of Newberry County
The building that houses the
Newberry Elementary School was constructed in 1927 and served as Newberry High
School until the 1960s. The building was then used as a middle school until it
closed in 1999. In 2001, the School District of Newberry County decided to
rehabilitate the building and use it as a new elementary school. Architect
Donald Love of McMillan, Smith & Partners managed the rehabilitation project,
which included abatement of mold, asbestos, and lead paint. The rehabilitation
carefully respected the materials and design of the historic building. For
example, the original wood trim was re-stained; the remaining original windows
were removed, repaired, and replaced; and the original lights and seats in the
auditorium were restored. Today this handsome building again serves the
community as a school.
Old Bethel United Methodist
Church, Charleston
C. Dinos Liollio, AIA
Old Bethel United Methodist Church
Old Bethel United Methodist Church was originally constructed in the late eighteenth century for a congregation that included both African American and white members. When the congregation built a new church in 1852, Old Bethel was moved to the west side of the lot and used for African American class meetings. In 1880, the building was donated to an African American congregation and moved to its present location across Calhoun Street. Six years ago, the building had deteriorated, and the congregation of Old Bethel commissioned Liollio Architecture to develop a preservation master plan and plans and specifications for stabilizing and weatherizing the building. Problems addressed included repair of historic doors and columns, installation of a new roof, and the addition of a handicap ramp that respected the historic structure. The newly rehabilitated building should serve the historic Old Bethel congregation for many more years.
Fish Dam Ford, Chester
County
South Carolina Department of Transportation
The Federal Highway Administration
The Battle of Fish Dam Ford was fought in the early morning hours of November 9, 1780. The American forces under the command of General Thomas Sumter were attacked by British soldiers led by Major James Wymess. The Americans defeated and routed the British. It was one of several battles during the campaign of 1780 in the Upstate that drove the British from the area and led to the ultimate surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown. The battle site was believed to have been destroyed by a quarrying operation, but in conducting background studies for replacing a bridge over the Broad River on the Chester/Union County line, the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) discovered the site. The site of the battle and patriot camps has changed little since 1780. To offset some damage that the bridge replacement project will cause to the site, SCDOT and the Federal Highway Administration have purchased the site of the battle and patriot camps and donated the property to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. The property will be permanently preserved as a Heritage Preserve and made accessible to the public.
Heritage Tourism Award
The Heritage Tourism Award recognizes the best use of South Carolina's cultural and historic resources in the promotion and development of tourism or use tourism to directly benefit the preservation of our heritage.
South Carolina National
Heritage Corridor
The 240-mile long South Carolina National Heritage Corridor encompasses fourteen counties and stretches from the mountains of Oconee County to the sea in Charleston County. It is a Congressionally designated National Heritage Area, the only one in South Carolina. The goal of the Heritage Corridor is to advance sustainable development of natural, cultural, and historic resources for enhanced quality of life and economic revitalization of communities. The South Carolina National Heritage Corridor has served as a catalyst for uniting citizens, businesses, nonprofits, and governmental agencies for the goal of preserving and promoting structures, places, and traditions that make this part of the state unique. By traveling the Heritage Corridor, visitors learn of rice and indigo, pirates and patriots, slaves and freedmen, cotton fields and mill villages, spirituals and bluegrass, railroads and back roads. In addition to attracting heritage tourists, the Heritage Corridor is also helping preserve history through its grant program. In 2005, for example, the Heritage Corridor gave almost $290,000 to historic preservation projects. The South Carolina National Heritage Corridor has fostered a new interest in preserving and promoting our past.
Corporate Stewardship Award
The Corporate Stewardship Award is presented to a corporation in recognition of significant achievements or landmark efforts in the support of historic preservation in South Carolina.
Publix, Gervais Street,
Columbia
Holmes Smith Developments
Publix Supermarkets, Inc.
Columbia Development Corporation/City of Columbia
The Confederate Printing Plant, built in 1864, housed the printing firm of Evans & Cogswell, one of only two producers of bonds, stock certificates, and currency for the Confederate government. In 1865, the building burned during General William T. Sherman's siege of Columbia. It was later rebuilt and a second story added. In the 1890s, the building served as a dispensary warehouse for liquor when the state government controlled and taxed the distribution of liquor across the state. In the twentieth century the building was used by the U.S. Seed Loan Program and then as a warehouse until 1977. After that the building sat vacant and was repeatedly threatened with condemnation and demolition. Between 2001 and 2004, Marty Holmes and Bill Smith of Holmes Smith Developments forged a creative partnership with the City of Columbia, the Columbia Development Corporation, and the Publix grocery store chain to save the building and bring a much-needed resource to the Congaree Vista area. The Confederate Printing Plant is now enjoying its new life as a vibrant Publix grocery store.
Archaeological Stewardship Award
The Archaeological Stewardship Award is presented in recognition of significant achievements or landmark efforts in the support of South Carolina's archaeological heritage.
Colonial Dorchester
Historic Site, Dorchester County
Ashley Chapman, Archaeologist
South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism
Colonial Dorchester Historic Site is a state park that preserves and interprets the history of the town of Dorchester. The town was founded in 1697 by a group representing the Congregational Church of Dorchester, Massachusetts. For nearly 100 years, Dorchester prospered as an inland trade center. The village was abandoned in the late eighteenth century, but a tabby fort and the brick bell tower of St. George's Parish Church remain, and just beneath the surface is one of the most complete archaeological records of Colonial America. Ashley Chapman, archaeologist with the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, has developed an educational program at the site called Discover Carolina. This program transforms the site into a living classroom. It offers visitors the rare opportunity to join park staff in hands-on archaeology. Visitors, including teachers and students, can observe and even participate in archaeological digs revealing well-preserved building foundations, street systems, and other evidence of Colonial life in the old town.
Governor’s Award
The Governor's Award is presented to an individual in recognition of lifetime achievements in the support of historic preservation in South Carolina.
Richard Hampton Jenrette
Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, Richard Hampton Jenrette was one of the founders of the Wall Street firm of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. Jenrette began his avocation of restoring historic houses in 1968 when he purchased the Roper House on Charleston's Battery. Since that time he has acquired and restored houses along the eastern seaboard, including Millford Plantation in Sumter County, South Carolina's finest residential example of the Greek Revival style. Jenrette has chronicled his passion for historic preservation in his book Adventures with Old Houses. Not only has Jenrette restored two of South Carolina's treasures, he has been generous in opening them for tours for historical organizations and fund-raising events. He has also established and endowed a nonprofit foundation to preserve the Roper House and Millford for posterity for the people of South Carolina. For his preservation efforts, Jenrette has received the coveted Louise DuPont Crowninshield Award, presented by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Hadrian Award, presented by the World Monuments Fund. On March 28, Governor Mark Sanford personally presented the Governor's Award to Richard Hampton Jenrette for his service to South Carolina.