St. Helena Island, SC, 29920
843-838-2432
URL : http://www.penncenter.com
overview : Penn Center, Inc. National Historic Landmark District, located on St. Helena Island, South Carolina, is the site of the historic Penn Normal, Industrial and Agricultural School, founded in 1862 as one of the first schools for freed slaves. The school closed in 1948, and today its mission is to preserve and promote the history and culture of the Gullah people of the Sea Islands. The 50-acre campus of originally restored school buildings and the serenity of moss-draped live oaks create an ideal backdrop for conferences, retreats, meetings, and weddings. Penn Center houses one of the largest repositories of historical photographs, manuscripts and artifacts on African Americans in the Sea Islands dating from the Civil War to today. Researchers may access the historic collection of images through the Southern Historical Society website of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Center also provides historic tours, special lectures, demonstrations and artistic performances on Gullah history, culture and native crafts. The York W. Bailey Museum at Penn Center is open to the public Monday - Saturday (admission fee), including exhibition space, art exhibits, lecture room, videos, and a gift shop.
hours (subject to change) : York W. Bailey Museum Monday - Saturday 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (Closed Easter, July 4th, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year's,)
topics : african American
