Installing 24 new Historical Markers in 2020-21

May 25

WeGOJA Foundation Seeks to Install 24 new Historical Markers in 2020-21

Funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, the WeGOJA Foundation is currently managing an initiative to install more than 20 new South Carolina Historical Markers at historically significant African American sites in rural communities across the state.

Historical markers document and identify sites and structures that significantly contributed to the history of South Carolina. The program is managed by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, and relies on donations and sponsorships at the local level, mostly from communities or civic organizations.

The marker program was officially established in 1936 and currently documents more than 1,700 historic places in South Carolina. When the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission was established in 1993, however, there were only 36 properties documented in the historical marker program or listed on the National Register that were associated with African American history. Since its inception in 1993, the SCAAHC has worked with local organizations to identify, list and / or install historical markers at more than 300 heritage sites. At the bottom of this webpage is a listing of the markers approved in 2021, with links to their descriptions in the GreenBookofSC.com when available. Installations will be taking place in 2021 and 2022.

Part of the WeGOJA Foundation’s mission is to help the SCAAHC continue to identify and document these significant places and to help communities navigate the historical marker and National Register processes.

More information about the Historical Marker Program can be found here.