MOUNT PLEASANT, SC (February 18, 2022) - The Mount Pleasant Historical Commission enlisted Cultural Heritage Management International to excavate a Scanlonville survey marker for future display at the Charleston Museum. Mount Pleasant Council Member Howard Chapman, Mount Pleasant Historical Commission Members Deborah Sutherland (Chair) and Bryan Blalock, African American Historic Settlement Commission President John Wright, Mount Pleasant Settlement Communities Task Force Members and Ed Lee and Jacquelyn Gore, along with community members and stakeholders were present at yesterday’s unveiling.
The excavation followed an exploratory archaeological dig to collect data and artifacts, take dimensions, capture photographs, and perform a survey. Present at the dig on February 15 were several Scanlonville residents including longtime resident Ed Lee, also serving as an East Cooper Civic Club executive board member. Mr. Lee had the honor of removing the last pieces of dirt to reveal and read aloud the marker inscription, which stated: Scanlonville, February 14th, 1870.
This past year, local resident, Dr. Nathaniel Horton, rediscovered the original 1870 survey marker. Click HERE to read Dr. Horton’s journey. Since then, the Historical Commission has worked with neighborhood residents, the East Cooper Civic Club, historic preservation specialists, Cultural Heritage Management International, and the Charleston Museum on the next steps for this marker.
About Scanlonville
Scanlonville is situated on a large swath of land on the Southwest tip of Mount Pleasant, along the Cooper River in an area formerly known as Remley’s Plantation. It was created by Robert L. Scanlon, most likely a former slave and freedman carpenter who purchased the 600-acre property for $6K in an 1868 auction in trust for the Charleston Land Company to help African Americans obtain property. By 1870 the land had been designed and platted into half-acre town lots and two-acre farm lots. During the late 19th to 20th century, Scanlonville had a park, wharf, stores, nightclubs, school, hotel, and cemetery. It was home to Riverside Beach, one of the few area beaches open to African American customers. Its waterfront pavilion attracted famous musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and James Brown. View the Scanlonville video HERE. For more information about Mount Pleasant, visit Our History website at www.tompsc.com.
