Penn Center Historic District
National Historic Landmark

Penn Center Historic District

Frogmore, Beaufort County, South Carolina
Listed
September 8, 1974
Type
District
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
74001824

About this property

The Penn Center, formerly the Penn School, is an African-American cultural and educational center in the Corners Community on Saint Helena Island. Founded in 1862 by Quaker and Unitarian missionaries from Pennsylvania, it was the first school founded in the Southern United States 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. The campus was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1974. Darrah Hall and the Brick Baptist Church on the campus were declared part of Reconstruction Era National Monument in January 2017. In 2019, it became the Reconstruction Era National Historic Park, along with Fort Sumter.

Location

Frogmore, Beaufort County, South Carolina
32.38967, -80.57558

Categories

ENGINEERINGBLACKPOLITICS/GOVERNMENTSOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Penn Center Historic District

This page lists Penn Center Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Green, The
Listed
0.5 mi
Corner Store and Office, The
Industrial
0.5 mi
Corner Packing Shed, The
Industrial
0.6 mi
Bailey, Dr. York, House
Industrial
0.6 mi
Knights of Wise Men Lodge
Industrial
0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Penn Center Historic District listed on the National Register?

Penn Center Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 8, 1974.

What type of historic resource is Penn Center Historic District?

Penn Center Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Penn Center Historic District a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Penn Center Historic District has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Penn Center Historic District?

The period of significance for Penn Center Historic District is recorded as the civil_war era.

Can I research the history near Penn Center Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Penn Center Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Beaufort County

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South Carolina history

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