On June 17th, 2025, at the St. George Rosenwald School, speakers Dawn Dawson-House, Timika Wilson, Dr. Valinda Littlefield, Holley Owings, Tripp Muldrow, Zach Bjur, and Rick Huffman presented the South Carolina Rosenwald Schools State Historic Planning Trail Study final report. The presentation was attended by community members, Rosenwald School representatives, legislative members, and project team members. The St. George Rosenwald School was a gracious host, providing the attendees with a brunch spread and lunch. Dawn Dawson-House, Executive Director of the WeGOJA Foundation, and Zach Bjur, Land, Water, Ocean Project Manager for the Conservation Voters of South Carolina, began the presentation with an overview of the Planning Trail Study and the roles WeGOJA and CVSC played in leading the project. Timika Wilson, WeGOJA Foundation Project Leader, followed with the RSTS team introductions, a description of the steps taken to begin this study, and the committee members crucial to the success of this project. After the initial overview, Holley Owings, head of the design team, gave an overview of what occurred during the site analysis, branding, and final reporting phases that Earth Design, Inc. lead. Tripp Muldrow, representing the planning firm Arnett Muldrow, spoke on the branding created for the new state trail. After the design details were discussed, oral historian, Dr. Valinda Littlefield, presented her work in the six Rosenwald School communities. Dr. Littlefield, along with a team of associates, conducted numerous oral interviews with community members that attended the Rosenwald Schools chosen for the study. With the interviews she collected, she compiled a series of videos aimed at preserving the histories of these schools, the people that attended them, and the societies they were located in. To close out the presentation, the next steps of the study were discussed. These include ongoing exhibition and curriculum development, legislative engagement, and oral history transcription. Rick Huffman, founder of Earth Design, closed the presentation with words of thanks for all the support the RSTS team received during the study. The day concluded with a Q&A period, where audience members were encouraged to ask questions about the planning study.
As part of our continued collaboration with the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism (SCPRT), our team recently visited the Great Branch Teacherage Rosenwald site in Orangeburg County. This unique stop gave us the chance to experience one of the few remaining teacherage, residences built to house teachers at Rosenwald schools.
We were welcomed by Mrs. Rosa Kennerly along with several alumni and community members, who generously shared their memories and experiences connected to the school. It was a special opportunity to hear firsthand stories that help bring the history of the site to life.
We spent time walking the large campus and touring the teacherage, which is filled with artifacts and furnishings that reflect the era when the home was occupied by school principals and teachers. Photo albums, mementos, and everyday objects gave SCPRT staff a deeper sense of what life was like for educators who lived and worked at Rosenwald schools.
We wrapped up the visit with a thoughtful conversation about the community’s hopes for the site and how those ideas can be reflected in the Rosenwald School Trail Study. We’re grateful for the warm hospitality and meaningful dialogue—and look forward to continuing this work together.
As part of our ongoing work on the South Carolina Rosenwald Schools Trail Study, our team recently hit the road with staff from the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism (SCPRT) to visit several of the rural schools included in the project. The goal was to give SCPRT a chance to see the two-room schoolhouses up close and to meet the community members who are working hard to preserve their stories.
We kicked off the day at Mt. Zion Rosenwald School in Florence County, where Mr. Terry James and several community members gave us a warm welcome. Mt. Zion hasn’t been restored yet, so it was a valuable opportunity to show what an unrestored school looks like. After sharing some great stories, our hosts treated us to a delicious homemade lunch—grilled chicken, chicken bog, mac and cheese, and a table full of desserts.
Before leaving Florence, we made a quick stop at historic Jamestown on the way we saw the site of another Rosenwald School in the area. From there, we traveled to Pine Grove Rosenwald School in Columbia. While our time there was short, we had a nice visit with school director Mrs. McGriff and her husband, who were working in the community garden and getting ready for an upcoming Easter egg hunt.
Our last stop of the day was Hope School in Pomaria, where we met with Ms. Tenetha Hall and a few members of her board. We spent our time talking about the school’s current needs and future programming ideas. It was a long day on the road, but incredibly rewarding. Each school has its own story, and it was helpful for SCPRT to experience those differences and similarities firsthand. We’re excited to keep building momentum for this important project.
NCSU: Voices of The Russell School. In September, 2024, the WeGOJA and Earth Design team visited NC State University to explore the extraordinary exhibit on the historic Russell Rosenwald School in Durham, NC. The exhibit showcases cutting-edge technology, including 3D scans, virtual tours, and immersive VR experiences, which left our team thoroughly impressed. Visitors can navigate the school through 360-degree images paired with alumni interviews, providing a vivid and captivating insight into its history and significance. The exhibit also highlights the broader Rosenwald Schools program, preserving the Russell School’s legacy in an engaging, interactive way across digital platforms. Our team was blown away by how the technology allowed us to fully experience the school without physically being there. The immersive quality made it feel as though we were stepping into the space, despite it being miles away. We wanted to see firsthand how these technological innovations could enhance the storytelling and visitor engagement in museum or digital environments. Some of these traveling exhibits offer exciting opportunities for the new South Carolina Rosenwald School network, helping to extend their reach and preserve history in a truly interactive and impactful way.
On April 26, 2024, at the South Carolina Historic Preservation Conference held at the SC Department of Archives and History in Columbia, SC, speakers Dawn Dawson-House, Dr. Valinda Littlefield, Tripp Muldrow, Holley Owings, and Zach Bjur presented the rich history of the Rosenwald Schools in South Carolina. This presentation built upon the one delivered earlier this year at the Landmark Conference, aiming to educate the audience about the ongoing South Carolina Rosenwald Schools Trail Study. The study seeks to evaluate the potential for a group of existing Rosenwald School sites to become South Carolina’s first state park focused on African American and Jewish history. This effort is a collaboration between the Conservation Voters of South Carolina, the WeGOJA Foundation, SC Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism, SC Department of Archives and History, and local preservation groups. It will focus on six key sites: Great Branch Rosenwald School and Teacherage, Lincolnville, Hope School, St. George, Mt. Zion, and Pine Grove. The project involves working closely with school alumni and community members to assess the current state of these schools and to craft narratives that emphasize their historical and cultural significance. Over the next 18 months, the team will produce a comprehensive report that will guide the development of both a physical and virtual trail, highlighting the successes of the Rosenwald Schools and the communities they served. During the conference, participants raised important questions, including how additional schools could be integrated into the trail, what to do if a Rosenwald School site is known but not included in the study, and ways to support these preservation efforts. For more information or to get involved, visit [https://scrosenwaldtrail.org](https://scrosenwaldtrail.org) or contact us at info@wegoja.org.
Dawn Dawson-House, WeGOJA Foundation Executive Director, presents why the RSTS Study is so important in helping to develop a statewide trail of Rosenwald Schools that will showcase this important aspect of African American history in SC.
From Vision to State Park: A study of Rosenwald Schools will help determine the viability of a new historic trail.
Speakers, Timika Wilson, Dr. Larry Watson, Dr. Valinda Littlefield, Tripp Muldrow, Holley Springs, and Zach Bjur presented the rich history of the Rosenwald Schools in South Carolina at the 2024 Landmark Conference at SC State University. These early-20th century schools were built to serve rural African American children. Booker T. Washington and Julius Rosenwald helped to ensure that the Black community could have a sustainable network of schools focused on community and education based on a cost shared model with funding from the Rosenwald Fund, the community, and the state. With over 500 schools built in SC, this network has regrettably been lost over time. At least 44 schools remain in some shape or form across SC. The Rosenwald Schools Trail Study seeks to determine whether a set of extant sites could become South Carolina’s first state park focused on African American and Jewish history. The study is a collaborative effort of the Conservation Voters of South Carolina, the WeGOJA Foundation, the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism, the SC Department of Archives and History, and Rosenwald preservation organizations across the state. The study will focus on six sites: Great Branch Rosenwald School and Teacherage. Lincolnville, Hope School, St. George, Mt. Zion, and Pine Grove.
During the study, the Master Planners and Oral Historian will engage with alumni and community stakeholders to assess site integrity and build a descriptive narrative to design a plan that shares this important history with the public. This 18-month initiative will provide a report that any school and stakeholder could utilize to develop an interconnected trail both virtually and physically highlighting the success of the students and surrounding communities.
Key concerns from participants at the conference included: how other schools may be incorporated and included in a wider trail, what to do if you know a Rosenwald School isn’t depicted, but should be, and how best to assist in this important work. Join our community of volunteers, stakeholders, and advocates at our website for project updates and inquiries.
