The Penn Center, formerly the Penn School, is an African-American cultural and educational center in the

Corners Community Corners may refer to: * A community formed at a crossroads or other intersection; a few examples include: ** Balcom Corners, New York ** Bells Corners in Ottawa ** Dixon's Corners, Ontario ** Five Corners, Wisconsin (disambiguation), any of three c ...

, on Saint Helena Island. Founded in 1862 by Quaker and Unitarian missionaries from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, it was the first school founded in the

Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

specifically for the education of African-Americans. It provided critical educational facilities to Gullah slaves freed after plantation owners fled the island, and continues to fulfill an educational mission. Leigh Richmond Miner photographed students and activities at the school. The campus was designated a

National Historic Landmark District National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

in 1974. Darrah Hall and Brick Baptist Church on the campus were declared part of Reconstruction Era National Monument in January 2017. In spring of 2019, it became the Reconstruction Era National Historic Park, along with Fort Sumter.

Description and history

The Penn Center is located about one mile south of Frogmore on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The campus is divided by the road, and includes a number of historic buildings related to the original function as a school, including classrooms, living spaces for students, teachers, and administrators. The dates of construction of many of the buildings is not known, and they are not considered architecturally significant. The oldest building on the campus is the 1855 Brick Church, built by the plantation owners of the island. At the outbreak of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

in 1861,

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

forces quickly captured Saint Helena Island, prompting the local plantation owners to flee. The military administration of the island partitioned the old plantations, giving the land to the former slaves who lived there. The Penn School was established in 1862 by

Laura Matilda Towne Laura Matilda Towne (May 3, 1825 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – February 22, 1901, in St. Helena Island, South Carolina) was an American abolitionist and educator. She is best known for forming the first freedmen's schools (those for newly fr ...

, an abolitionist missionary from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as a school for the freed slaves, which was named for William Penn, Quaker champion for human liberty and founder of Pennsylvania. For many years the work was financed by Philadelphia Quaker abolitionists. Ellen Murray, a Quaker teacher, joined her in the work. Charlotte Forten, born into a wealthy free black family in Philadelphia, joined them as the school's first black teacher. The Brick Church was used as an early meeting, educational, and administrative space, and the school's first dedicated educational building was constructed in 1864, from prefabricated parts shipped from Pennsylvania. The school remained an active educational institution for the island's population until 1948, when the state took over public education on the island. The institution then became the Penn Center, and as continued an educational mission for the island's preschoolers and adults, as well as maintaining a museum, cultural center, and conference meeting space. and With the creation of the Reconstruction Era National Monument (which in spring 2019 was elevated to National Park status), Brick Baptist Church is protected by a Park Service building easement and Darrah Hall, on the campus of the Penn Center, has been deeded over to the Park Service, as well as the adjacent parking area.

Gallery

File:Penncenter1.jpg, Farmhouse File:Penncenter2.jpg, Building File:Penncenter.jpg, House File:Basket Making, Penn Normal, Industrial and Agricultural School.jpg, Basket making class File:Sewing Class, Penn Normal, Industrial and Agricultural School.jpg, Sewing class File:A Class in History, Studying Abraham Lincoln, Penn Normal, Industrial and Agricultural School.jpg, History class

References

External links

Penn Center - History and Photos
SCIway.net, South Carolina Information Highway

at South Carolina Department of Archives and History
Official website of the Penn Center, St. Helena Island, South Carolina

Brick Baptist Chuch web site
{{Authority control Gullah history Gullah culture National Historic Landmarks in South Carolina Buildings and structures in Berkeley County, South Carolina Museums in Beaufort County, South Carolina African-American museums in South Carolina Education museums in the United States National Register of Historic Places in Beaufort County, South Carolina Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina 1862 establishments in South Carolina Saint Helena Island (South Carolina) School buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina

Description and history

Gallery

See also

References

Further reading

External links