Mount Pleasant Magazine Sept-Oct 2018

53 www.VoteBestOfMP.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.ClemsonCarolinaTickets.com feature The schoolhouse was transformed into a residence after it closed in 1953, following the opening of nearby Jennie Moore Elementary. In 2000, the well-made structure managed to survive an interior fire and has withstood a slew of hurricanes throughout the years. Beneath new additions and upgrades, this landmark still remains intact – a testament to the spirit of the people who built it with their own hands and to the teachers who worked hard to provide students with curriculum that would engage and excite. Despite the years of wear and tear, there’s a resilient beauty in this building, whose roof is heavy with fallen leaves and branches. It was built by those who wanted to see a brighter future for their youth at a time when segregation hindered access to education for all. Snowden is one of the oldest Gullah-Geechee communities formed after The Civil War by freed slaves. Its close proximity to the Wando River allowed residents to shrimp, crab and fish both for profit and personal use. A self-sustaining enterprise that flourished in the days following slavery, residents set up their own farms and catapulted the region’s agricultural landscape to new heights. “Land has always been the fabric that has woven us together,” said Stokes-Marshall. “Land offered us a community where we could survive.” The news of the schoolhouse’s relocation prompted a final walk-through back in June, where former students, politicians, press and community members made their way up the sturdy steps for an afternoon of nostalgia. All look forward to the day when this landmark is restored and will serve the community in a new way. “For me, preservation is a passion that I don’t think will ever turn off,” said Sullivan. “It’s in my DNA. It comes from inside.” “My mother went to school here,” said Jenkins. “I want to see this done. It will be so rewarding to know that part of my history, my legacy, will live on.” Want to be a part of history and see this historic landmark, which predates The Civil Rights Movement, take shape as a cultural center? Log on to www. gofundme.com/long-point-school to make a donation, and visit www.scca-sc.org for more information. Photo by Jess Wood. Rated Best Seafood by Southern Living Magazine 9 Years in a Row 215 Meeting St., Charleston 843.723.6000 | Open 11am until 7 days a week | hymanseafood.com | like us on facebook 2015,2016,2017 Voted Best Crab Cakes in Charleston Charleston Living Magazine readers poll survey BY LOCALS (not tourists) Family owned businesses since 1890