Charleston County, South Carolina – Charleston County leaders have prioritized historic settlement towns, and on Thursday, they will explore funding programs to protect the neighborhoods and sites.
The Settlement villages Grant Program was established to save settlement villages from falling into disrepair, and one aspect of the effort is assisting inhabitants in protecting their cultural legacy. Ten communities applied for a preservation or beautification project some months ago, and the Center for Heirs Property Preservation assessed the applications. Each settlement community is eligible for up to $4,500 through this one-time opportunity.
“Generally, there aren’t funds available for these types of projects,” said LoElla Smalls, Charleston County’s director of community development and revitalization. “So this was useful for the settlement communities. They collaborated with the Center on initiatives that were meaningful to them and how they wished to commemorate their past.”
Phillips Community, which is located in Mount Pleasant, is among the candidates. Richard Habersham, president of the Phillips Community Association, stated that the community is seeking to raise funds for a new monument.
“We received a graveyard in Rivertowne from this community.” My great-grandfather and grandmother were to be buried there, but there are only three headstones left,” Habersham explained. “We wish to honor the folks from Phillip who are buried there but do not have a headstone. The monument will include all of the persons that founded the Phillips community.”
Other settlement community improvements include landscaping, signage, a blessing box, and more. Officials stated that all of this is being done to boost the visibility, resiliency, and sustainability of these communities in the coming years.
“This will put us in the records. It will put us in a position where people will take us seriously because we know our history, which is the most important thing. “Then we can pass it down to the next generation,” Habersham remarked.
On Thursday at 5 p.m., the county council is due to consider the grant awards.
