| | | | | | A Nonprofit Membership Organization Working for South Carolinians Since 1990.
| | | | | | Headlines + Happenings February 6, 2026 | | | | | | | | The Edgefield Hotel Kickoff Ceremony | |
January 8th marked the official kickoff of the restoration of the Edgefield Hotel! We are thrilled to celebrate this milestone alongside owner and developer, Bryan Beal, Edgefield town officials, and the community.
Built in 1919, the former Plantation House Hotel, most recently named the Edgefield Hotel, is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. It sits on the site of former hotels that welcomed guests and served the community since the town was established. It tells the story of economic and social transitions in the town’s history. Because the Edgefield Hotel was conceived of and built by the people of Edgefield, it has always been a source of community pride.
The nearly $12M project will preserve the building’s original footprint and architectural character while transforming the 22,000 square-foot property into a premier destination in the heart of downtown Edgefield.
Developers will preserve as much of the original footprint, materials, and architectural elements as possible. This includes refurbishing existing elevators, preserving historic corridors and balconies, and designing guest rooms that provide intimate, thoughtful accommodations. Design plans emphasize layered textures, classic detailing, and materials that complement the hotel’s early-20th-century origins, striking a careful balance between historic preservation and meeting modern hospitality standards. | | | | A Restored Edgefield Hotel (Left) | | Lobby of the Edgefield Hotel (Right) | | | | The restored Edgefield Hotel will play a meaningful role in Edgefield’s tourism economy while honoring one of the town’s most historic landmarks. The hotel will support the area’s strongest visitor drivers: hunting, fishing, and golf, while also creating a new destination for leisure travelers, positioning Edgefield for long-term economic and cultural impact.
We remain committed to this historic property and its preservation and integration back into the community.
| | | | | | | | - February is Black History Month. Established by Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1926, this year marks the 100th anniversary of honoring, promoting, and celebrating African American life, culture and history.
- Hilton Head Island Gullah Celebration February 1-28, 2026. Discover the rich cultural heritage and history of the Gullah people on Hilton Head Island through a lineup of events. Learn more and view events, here.
- The Horry County Museum to feature a talk on The Slave Dwelling Project, founded by Joseph McGill. February 7, 2026 at 1PM. The event is free and open to the public. Learn more here.
- Register for the 2026 African American Heritage Conference titled "Uplifting Voices" on February 28, 2025 at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Learn more, register, and view 2025 conference presentations here.
- Save-the-date for the 2026 South Carolina Historic Preservation Conference on April 24, 2026 at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History in Columbia.
- Nominations are OPEN to the 2026 National Historic Preservation Awards with a deadline of March 20, 2026. Learn more here.
- View recently added South Carolina sites, districts, and properties to the National Register of Historic Places, here.
- Discover more about the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) by watching their video series "Preservation at Work" on the agency's Facebook and Instagram. | | | | | | First Union African American Baptist Church, Daufuskie Island | | February is Black History Month | February marks the celebration of Black History Month, a movement established in 1926 by historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson. This year's theme, " A Century of Black History Commemorations," recognizes the 100th anniversary of honoring and celebrating African American life, culture, and history.
Join us, and our statewide partners, in observing this month by exploring one, or a few, of the over 400 African American sites listed in the Green Book of South Carolina, an online travel guide produced by the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission.
| | | | We invite you to explore other resources to celebrate, honor and learn about Black History in South Carolina. | | | | | | Strom Thurmond Federal Building, Columbia | | Public Buildings Reform Board | The Public Buildings Reform Board (PBRB) is currently reviewing several historic properties in South Carolina for their potential sale and adaptive reuse, including the U.S. Custom House in Charleston and the Strom Thurmond Federal Building in Columbia. This process aims to reduce maintenance costs and return these properties to local communities for redevelopment. | | | | According to PBRB member, Michael Capuano, approximately $50 billion is needed to immediately address the backlog of deferred maintenance and repair liabilities across the General Services Administration’s (GSA) national real estate portfolio. GSA currently receives roughly $600 million annually to address the skyrocketing maintenance and repair needs. Reducing the federal real estate portfolio can create meaningful public benefits such as saving taxpayers billions in operating and maintenance costs, allowing federal employees to move into safer, modern workplaces, and returning historic buildings to the community.
A public hearing was held in Charleston on January 29th at the Gaillard Center to discuss the future of the three underutilized federal properties in South Carolina, which includes both the Strom Thurmond Federal Building and Courthouse in Columbia, and the U.S. Custom House in Charleston.
What's next? PBRB is currently preparing a set of urgent property recommendations where potential buyers already have shown interest. These recommendations will be submitted by December 31, 2026 to the Office of Management and Budget who will approve or disapprove the recommendations. There are no additional public hearings planned in South Carolina.
The Public Buildings Reform Board is an independent agency established under the Federal Assets Sale and Transfer Act of 2016 that works to identify opportunities for the reduction and consolidation of federal real property inventory and reduce the costs of the federal government. Learn more about the PBRB here. | | | | | | | | 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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