Apr 8, 2025
by Holley Owings
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.
