| | | | | | A Nonprofit Membership Organization Working for South Carolinians Since 1990.
| | | | | | Headlines + Happenings April 23, 2026 | | | | | | | |
Preserving the Dawkins House: Restoration & Research Underway | |
Efforts are gaining momentum to restore the Dawkins House in Union, South Carolina - an important site connected to the Civil War era and the broader history of the state. At Preservation South Carolina, we are proud to be a partner in this initiative to stabilize, rehabilitate, and prepare the house for its future role as a Corporate and Alumni Center on the campus of USC-Union.
A Landmark with a Remarkable Story: Located at the end of N. Church Street in downtown Union is an unassuming building that does not outwardly show its history as the one-time state capital of South Carolina during the Civil War. When Judge Dawkins built his house in 1845 with Federal and Georgian architectural attributes, it was added onto a pre-existing structure. Today, the house is 4,500+ square-feet located adjacent to the University of South Carolina-Union campus. It is also a “terminus” home in that it is located and its front door is at the end of N. Church Street, which connects to Highway 176, the main route from Union to Columbia.
Preserving Stories, Not Just Structures: Through generations, the Dawkins House has witnessed the people, craftsmanship, and traditions that shaped our state. As part of our preservation effort, USC-Union is launching a genealogical and archives course focused on the history of the house and those connected to it.
The program will support research to better identify individuals whose stories remain incomplete in the historical record. Anticipated to begin this fall, the course will be open to both students and Union County residents interested in ancestry research and local history. | | | | Thomas Dawkins' property is listed on two pages of the 1850 schedule | | Preservation Campaign Fundraising Thermometer | | | |
How You Can Help: Through the Dawkins House Preservation Campaign, we have an opportunity to restore this landmark and ensure its legacy continues for future generations.
Our Adopt-a-Feature Program allows individuals and organizations to directly support the restoration of specific architectural elements—from the grand staircase and historic windows to porches and interior spaces—creating a meaningful, tangible connection to the project.
Momentum Is Building: In just one month, we have raised an additional $37,500 toward our campaign goal of $845,000—an encouraging sign of the strong commitment to preserving this important place.
These critical funds will support essential repairs, long-term preservation, and continued research into the full history of the property and the individuals connected to it.
| | | | We are grateful for the continued support that is making this work possible, and invite you to learn more and be part of this important effort. | | | | | | | | - After launching their independent website in summer 2025, the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission has just been recognized as an exemplary state publication by the South Carolina State Library through its Notable State Documents Awards Program. Check out their award-winning website here.
-The National Park Service recently published two reports highlighting the federal historic preservation tax incentives program. The Annual Report on the Economic Impact of the Federal Historic Tax Credits for Fiscal Year 2024, can be found here. The second report, Federal Tax Incentives for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2025, can be found here.
- The Julius Rosenwald & Rosenwald Schools National Historical Park Campaign to create a multi-site national park honoring the legacy of visionary philanthropist Julius Rosenwald – and the impact of the nearly 5,000 schools he helped to create in the South during the Jim Crow era – has gained new urgency due to the need to preserve the original school structures and the powerful history that they embody. View the campaign and learn about ways to get involved, here.
- The 2026 South Carolina Historic Preservation Conference is April 24, 2026 at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History in Columbia. View lecture series and registration information here.
-View recently published post by The Civil War Picket on the Dawkins House, its restoration, and ongoing fundraising efforts, here.
- View recently added South Carolina sites, districts, and properties to the National Register of Historic Places, here. | | | | | | Photo courtesy of Anna Garrison | | The E.T. West House is officially on the market! Since acquiring the circa 1890 property in December 2024, our goal has been to restore the double front porches. Now that the restoration is complete, this historic home is ready to welcome a new steward. | | | |
The E.T. West House is located within the West Broad Historic District of Darlington. It was commissioned for Emmit Thomas West, who was born in Kentucky and moved to Charleston with his parents in 1850. While in Charleston, West worked as a messenger for the Southern Express Train and was a crew member during the Santee Train Wreck of 1886. By 1889, West and his wife, Mary Julia Welling, moved to Darlington.
This residence is one of numerous properties in the district designed and built by Lawrence Shelton Reese—a self-taught Black carpenter, architect, and entrepreneur. Reese’s work is distinguished by intricate woodwork and elaborate Gothic-inspired detailing, which can be found in this Queen Anne Victorian home. His firm also installed woodwork in the Darlington Presbyterian Church, constructed the Tobacco Ware House, and raised residences across Broad, Jessamine, and Lee Streets in Darlington.
We are excited to see this special property begin its next chapter with a new owner who will continue to care for and appreciate its history. View listing here. | | | | | | Phase I Stabilization Construction | | The Pottersville House Update | We are pleased to share an update on the Pottersville House project in Edgefield, South Carolina. For our new subscribers, we also offer a brief overview of this important initiative and its significance.
Edgefield is home to one of the most important ceramic traditions in the American South—Edgefield pottery. | | | |
Beginning in the early 19th century, artisans in the Edgefield District produced distinctive alkaline-glazed stoneware using the region's rich natural kaolin deposits. This craft was shaped by the skill and craftsmanship of enslaved and freed African American potters, including David Drake, whose vessels are now celebrated as some of the most significant works in American ceramics.
Today, the Town of Edgefield, in partnership with Preservation South Carolina, is advancing efforts to honor and interpret this legacy through a Pottery Heritage Tourism Project centered at the historic Pottersville House.
With support from grants provided by the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism and the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, the Town has completed stabilization and weatherization planning for the property. This month, we are pleased to share that Phase I Stabilization Construction is complete.
We are grateful to our project partners, including Meadors, Inc. and Midwest Maintenance, for their expertise in this first phase.
We look forward to sharing additional progress and good news in the months ahead as this important preservation effort continues to take shape. | | | | | | | | 2026 South Carolina Historic Preservation Awards Call for Nominations | | Since 1995, the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, Preservation South Carolina, and the Office of the Governor have recognized exceptional accomplishments in the preservation, rehabilitation, and interpretation of our architectural and cultural heritage with a series of statewide awards.
We are pleased to announce a new award category this year, the Organizational Excellence Award, which will be presented annually to a nonprofit organization or foundation, based or primarily active in South Carolina, whose collection of work demonstrates sustained achievements in the support of historic preservation in South Carolina.
We invite you to nominate those individuals or organizations that represent the best of historic preservation in our state. Nominations submitted in previous years that were not selected to receive an award may be updated and resubmitted. Learn more about the program, and view award recipients, here. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Preservation South Carolina1109 Broad Street, 2H Camden, SC 29020803.729.7782 | | | | You are receiving this email as you signed up for our newsletters. Want to change how you receive these emails?
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