Marking 100 Years of Public Library Service in Beaufort County

Latest update: 14 June 2024 - gmc

Although there were several significant libraries and library societies in Beaufort District before 1865, Beaufort County Library sees the Beaufort Township Library as our foundation institution. That facility officially opened to the white residents in town on March 25, 1918. Here's a synopsis of the role that the Clover Club played in bringing public library services to Beaufort County 100 years ago. (The group still supports Beaufort County Library today, too - but that's a topic for another post).

The Clover Club, a local women's literary and musical group of less than 30 members, was founded in 1891. On February 4, 1902, in the 100th anniversary year of the founding of the Beaufort Library Society, the women began a small subscription circulating library. The women's group bought the books as well as served as volunteer librarians. The circulating library was open only a few hours a week and had no permanent base of operations.

At the time of the Fire of 1907, the Clover Club's library collection shared a building on Bay Street with the Masonic Lodges. Most of the Clover Club's library collection was saved  due to the heroics of its neighbors. The Library reopened at another location less than a week after the conflagration.

At the Clover Club's 20th anniversary meeting in 1911, the ladies realized a need for a permanent library building and undertook to raise a building fund to meet the requirements of steel industrialist Andrew Carnegie.  Carnegie donated more than $40 million of his personal fortune towards 1,679 new library buildings in communities large and small across America. Carnegie believed that "the community which is not willing to maintain a Library had better not possess it" and thus required a local contribution. He built 14 Carnegie Libraries in South Carolina, including the Beaufort Township Library.

Clover Club Records, BDC

The Clover Club held a variety of fund-raising theatrical and musical shows beginning in 1911 and influenced local politicians to help. The City of Beaufort donated a lot on the corner of Craven and Carteret Streets. State Senator Neils Christensen procured $7,500 from the Carnegie Foundation of New York for the building, with the understanding that the library would be supported locally.

Like many of the Carnegie Libraries, the Beaufort Township Library was made of brick. Because Carnegie paid for the building materials, many communities used brick, a more costly material to purchase but a material much less costly to maintain by the local communities. Under the terms of the Carnegie program, local communities were responsible for building and maintaining the libraries.

Construction began in early Spring 1917. J.H. Moore of Camden, SC was awarded the contract.  The building's cornerstone was installed by the Harmony Masonic Lodge on 7 June 1917. 

 The Members of the Clover Club Group were on hand for the festivities.

The installation of the building's cornerstone was handled by the Masons with great dignity.

As planned, the Clover Club turned over its collection of 2000 books to the new Beaufort Township Library when the building was completed and ready for use.

Because the original Minute book of the Beaufort Township Library Board of Trustees was accidentally destroyed by a fire at the Secretary's home in 1927, we have been unable to discover why there was such a gap in time between the transfer of the Clover Club Collection in October and the official opening of the Library to the public on Monday, March 25, 1918. 

For 40 years, members of the Clover Club managed the Beaufort Township Library. Miss Adeline Scheper, was the Librarian for its initial decade, 1918-1928. Mrs. John (Etta) Foster was interim in the immediate aftermath of Miss Scheper's death in 1928. Miss Mabel Runnette was the Beaufort Township Librarian for 30 years, 1928-1958.

Because of racial segregation, the Beaufort Township Library Board of Trustees purchased the Berean Presbyterian Church in 1931 for $1500.00 in order to provide a library facility for African-Americans. Geneva Green was named Librarian. In 1938 after the death of the prominent African-American attorney who sought so hard to get a public library for Black Beaufortonians, the Colored Branch was re-named the J. I. Washington Public Library.

Here are a few photographs of Beaufort Township Library from our Beaufort County Library Records archival collection housed in the Beaufort District Collection:

By act of the General Assembly in 1962, the Beaufort Township Library was transformed into the Beaufort County Library. Shortly thereafter, the facility was integrated though the J.I. Washington Colored Library continued to operate until 1965.

You can review an abbreviated Library History on the Beaufort County Library's website.   

We suggest that you make an appointment to our Research Room for assured personalized service to review the contents of the Beaufort County Library Records and the contents of the Clover Club Records. We are privileged to take care of both archival collections in the BDC Research Room.

Phosphate Lecture Coming this Saturday

 

Learn about the industry that saved Beaufort with Dr. Shepherd McKinley, Senior Lecturer at the University of North Carolina Charlotte who will present Stinking Stones and Rocks of Gold: Phosphate, Fertilizer, and Industrialization in Postbellum South Carolina, 2014. Dr. McKinley won the South Carolina Historical Society's George C. Rogers, Jr. award for the best book of South Carolina history in 2013. The University of Florida Press recently released the book in paperback in case you'd like to purchase and get a copy autographed at the conclusion of the program.

Supplemental Materials are available in the BDC's Wordpress blog: Phosphate Industry in Beaufort County, 1867-2005: List of Materials and Links

Don't forget that the Living History Encampment is at the Arsenal (713 Craven Street) across from the Beaufort Branch Library (311 Scott Street), all day Saturday, 9 am to 5 pm. Visit the encampment and then attend Dr. McKinley's lecture or attend Dr. McKinley's lecture at 1 pm and then visit the encampment mid-afternoon. In either order, you're sure to enjoy learning more about Beaufort District's deep and broad mid-19th century history. 

Reminder: The Civil War is Back This Weekend

Beaufort History Museum will present its third annual Living History Encampment on Saturday, March 24, 2018 from 9 am – 5 pm in the Arsenal courtyard. The Beaufort County Library is a co-sponsor and BDC staff will be on hand to share information about the Civil War and Reconstruction periods with visitors throughout the day. At 1:00 PM, we'll cross the street and head to the Beaufort Branch Meeting Room (311 Scott Street) to host Dr. McKinley's lecture on the industry that saved Beaufort District after the Civil War.

This year, the popular Encampment event will include displays of South Carolina militia from 1860 – 1861 and describe the militia’s role in defending the Port Royal Harbor, and subsequently in defending the mainland against the Federal forces. Also featured will be military impressions of the Union infantry, marine and naval forces that used Beaufort as a base of operations during the Civil War after the Battle of Port Royal Sound on Nov. 7, 1861. In addition, the role of civilian abolitionists and teachers involved in the Port Royal Experiment will be presented, along with the early transitions of Freedmen in this area. 

Activities in the Arsenal will occur on a rotating and continuous basis and re-enactors love to interact with visitors. 
 

As mentioned above, the story of Beaufort District is quite unlike the story in the rest of the South. While much of the South was suffering economic and social collapse in the aftermath of the Civil War, Beaufort prospered in the 1870s and 1880s and into the 1890s on account of the rich deposits of phosphate oar on land as well as along the bottom of some of our waterways. Phosphates were a necessary ingredient in fertilizers. In the 1870s, 50% of the phosphate mined in the United States was mined in South Carolina and 50% of South Carolina's ore was mined in Beaufort County.  

"History of Phosphate Mining" program Sat., March 24 | BDC@ Beaufort Branch Meeting Room, 311 Scott Street, 1st floor| 1 pm First come; first served

Come hear about the industry that saved Beaufort with Dr. Shepherd McKinley, Senior Lecturer at the University of North Carolina Charlotte who will present Stinking Stones and Rocks of Gold: Phosphate, Fertilizer, and Industrialization in Postbellum South Carolina, 2014. Dr. McKinley won the South Carolina Historical Society's George C. Rogers, Jr. award for the best book of South Carolina history in 2013. The University of Florida Press recently released the book in paperback in case you'd like to purchase and get a copy autographed at the conclusion of the program.

Local Fiction for Book Clubs

As most of you know, the Beaufort District Collection concentrates on the facts of past events. In other words, we do not do any fiction based programs, though we do have a core collection of books that serve as a literary history of Beaufort District that includes fictional titles.

A customer called a few months ago to ask for suggestions for a Book Club. The parameters the customer provided were: no Pat Conroy titles (they had already covered those); no non-fiction; the title needed to be currently in print and available; and, preferably under 300 pages in length.

Here's the list I suggested: 

A Sea Island Lady by Francis Griswold (1939) This is arguably high on many of our locals's "best book eveh" list. One tends to either love it or hate it. It's a sweeping antebellum to 1920s historical novel based on some of the key people and events in Beaufort's past. However, it is quite a tome weighing in at almost 1000 pages.

Due East by Valerie Sayers

Famous All Over Town by Bernie Schein

Haint Blue by Carl Linke

Hilton Head by Josephine Pinckney

Little Glory by Roger Pinckney

Lowcountry Boil by Carl Smith

Minnow by James McTeer

Reefer Moon by Roger Pinckney

Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill


Swift Currents by David Grimm

The Yemassee by William Gilmore Simms

Even though High Sheriff, Lowcountry Witch Doctor by Sheriff Ed McTeer and Coffin Point: The Strange Cases of Ed McTeer, Witchdoctor Sheriff are non-fiction, the content reads like fanciful fiction. I added these to the list of recommendations as well. Both are quick and entertaining reads and give the dish on some unusual shenanigans.

You can hear local native author Valerie Sayers speak about another of her novels Who Do You Love? on Monday, March 12th at the 2018 Books Sandwiched In series sponsored by the Friends of the Beaufort Library. The group meets at the USCB Center for the Arts, 805 Carteret Street at Noon. 

3rd Annual Living History Encampment, March 24, 2018

Beaufort History Museum will present its third annual Living History Encampment on Saturday, March 24, 2018 from 9 am – 5 pm in the Arsenal courtyard. This year, the popular event will include displays of South Carolina militia from 1860 – 1861 and describe the militia’s role in defending the Port Royal Harbor, and subsequently in defending the mainland against the Federal forces. Also featured will be military impressions of the Union infantry, marine and naval forces that used Beaufort as a base of operations during the Civil War after the Battle of Port Royal Sound on Nov. 7, 1861. In addition, the role of civilian abolitionists and teachers involved in the Port Royal Experiment will be presented, along with the early transitions of Freedmen in this area.

Re-enactors coming to Beaufort from several states will stage the encampment in the walled Arsenal courtyard space and provide a unique opportunity for visitors of all ages to interact with the soldiers, abolitionists, teachers and Freedmen, and to learn firsthand how life was lived in Beaufort during the Civil War years. The Museum is partnering with other Beaufort organizations, including the Beaufort County Library, to plan and conduct the Living History Encampment, along with these educational events:

“Our annual Living History Encampment is one of our most popular events, attracting more than 600 visitors in a single day last year”, said Carol Lauvray, BHM Board of Directors President. “The event is educational and entertaining, and provides a chance for people of all ages to get a real sense of everyday life in Beaufort during the Civil War years. We are very grateful to encampment organizer, Daniel Gidick of Charleston, to the other re-enactors, and to our partner the Beaufort County Library, for all of their efforts to make this remarkable event available to the public each year.”

The encampment will offer a fascinating look at everyday life in Beaufort during that period, with re-enactors actually setting up camp in the Arsenal courtyard, staging cooking demonstrations and drills, and portraying soldiers and sutlers who traveled through the region selling everyday goods. Re-enactors will interact with visitors to the event, talking about the life of soldiers, the Port Royal Expedition, the Emancipation of African Americans, and military operations between Charleston and Savannah.

Admission is free to the Encampment in the Arsenal courtyard on Saturday, March 24, however donations to support the Museum are much appreciated. On Saturday, March 24, the day of the Encampment event only, admission to the Museum on the second floor of the Arsenal will be specially priced at $5.00 per visitor ($4.00 for Seniors). Children and active military and their families are admitted to the Museum free of charge at all times. 

(The text is from the Beaufort History Museum's press release 28 February 2018.)

Black History Notes 2018- Re-cap

Things got a little hectic during February so I did not get to make my usual number of posts here in Connections. Here are the "Black History Notes" posted into Facebook last month:

28 February - "Black History Note:" Soldiers, sailors, nurses, artisans, laborers, officers, scouts, and spies: African Americans were at the center of the Civil War from the moment it began and played many roles in the war’s conduct and resolution. Our recently uploaded L.C. Hall Collection of stereoscopes includes some images of African American residents. Take a look! http://bit.ly/2suq91j

28 February - Last call (and also a "Black History Note") : Today is the FINAL DAY to see the Combahee Ferry Historic District exhibit here. It leaves tonight at 5 pm. (Many thanks to the SC DOT for letting us borrow this informative and educational exhibit and to Dr. Eric Poplin of Brockington and Associates for coming down back in November to lecture about it.)

27 February - "Black History Note:" The American landscape is littered with former abodes of enslaved people, both south and north of the Mason-Dixon line. Joe McGill has made it his mission to sleep in slave quarters over the past several years including some here in Beaufort County. McGill shares the scope, breadth, and goals of his Slave Dwelling Project in this YouTube video: https://youtu.be/pARedEd5LI0

26 February - "Black History Note:" Investigate online resources for African-American genealogy research through the SC State Library's Black History Guide. http://guides.statelibrary.sc.gov/black-history/genealogy

25 February - "Black History Note:" The History Makers website, the largest video oral history collection online, features interviews with hundreds of African American leaders, including our own Emory Campbell, native son of Hilton Head Island and former Executive Director of Penn Center. http://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/emory-campbell-41


24 February - "Black History Note:" The Chronicling America website contains digital images of thousands of newspapers, including almost 70 historical African American newspapers published between 1850 and 1950. You can search and browse 10 African-American newspapers published in South Carolina between 1865 and 1922 by selecting the "All Digitized Newspapers" tab, choosing "South Carolina" as the State and "African American" in the Ethnicity box.

While you're on that website, look at the Beaufort Republican and the Beaufort Tribune and Port Royal Commercial newspapers. These newspapers were owned by abolitionists who stayed in the area during Reconstruction. News coverage was sympathetic to the plight of African-Americans.

23 February - "Black History Note:" The State Library has a guide to Black History resources. (I noticed that as the book covers went by, that our Library has copies of most suggested titles, particularly for the Gullah and Geechee Culture and the Slavery and Emancipation headings.) http://guides.statelibrary.sc.gov/black-history

22 February - "Black History Note:" Have a question about African-American records? Find answers on History Hub! History Hub is a support community for history enthusiasts, researchers, citizen archivists, family historians, and archival professionals sponsored by the National Archives. https://historyhub.history.gov/gro…/african-american-records

21 February - "Black History Note:" Soldiers, sailors, nurses, artisans, laborers, officers, scouts, and spies: African Americans were at the center of the Civil War from the moment it began and played many roles in the war’s conduct and resolution. See how many African Americans you find in our latest contributions to the Lowcountry Digital Library. http://bit.ly/2EsLXAb

20 February - "Black History Note:" A monumental project is underway. When it's completed, 1.5 million historical documents will be accessible online, finally allowing descendants of former African-American slaves to learn more about their family roots. Read more http://bit.ly/2BG4Gll

19 February - "Black History Note:" Harriet Tubman freed more enslaved people in Beaufort and Colleton Districts in one day than she had done through the Underground Railroad in years. Come see our exhibit "Combahee Ferry Historic District" to learn more. It's leaving in less than 2 weeks so don't delay.

18 February - "Black History Note:" Check out the 28 African Americans highlighted by GALE based on sources in Biography in Context. There is an influential person for each day of Black History Month. Watch for the Beaufort SC notable. Free inside our buildings; valid Library card and password necessary to access the database from your home or office.

The Old Plantation

17 February - "Black History Note:" Check out "The Old Plantation" by Susan Shames. She uncovers the Beaufort District origins of the painting using genealogical, historical, and art history research methods and sources. It's a masterful book. The book is available in the BDC and in our Local History sections at the branch libraries. Call #: 759.13 SHA.

16 February - "Black History Note:" Martin R. Delany was the first black line field officer in the U.S. Army and held the highest rank an African American would reach during the Civil War. In 1865, he served with the Freedmen's Bureau on Hilton Head Island. (Image courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution NPG.76.101)

15 February - "Black History Note:" Fold3 is offering free access to some of its African-American related records during February. https://www.fold3.com/

14 February - "Black History Note:" South Carolina did not keep separate registers for vital records according to race. Vital records are crucial documents in genealogical research. Vital records are birth, marriage, and death registrations and certifications that this state began keeping in the 1910s. Details for accessing South Carolina's vital records: http://www.scdhec.gov/VitalRecords/

13 February - "Black History Note:" Watch the discussion about the challenges of interpreting the post-Civil War period in the national parks and about the first Reconstruction-era monument in Beaufort, South Carolina. http://cs.pn/2D3gJi8

12 February  - "Black History Note": Harriet Tubman was a freedom fighter. Learn about what she did in Beaufort District during the Civil War https://www.civilwar.org/learn/biographies/harriet-tubman…

11 February - "Black History Note:" A search on "Black History" in Hoopla gets over 2500 hits to e-books, audio books, music, movies & more. And all it takes is a valid Beaufort County Library card! https://www.hoopladigital.com/search…

10 February - "Black History Note:" The Library provides access to Ancestry Library Edition to help folks discover their roots. The ALE Learning Center includes an online guide on how to African-American genealogy research. http://bit.ly/2FBroO2

9 February - "Black History Note:" Drop by our Research Room to read the newly arrived Port Royal Experiment by Kevin Dougherty. This supplements the wonderful and enduring Rehearsal for Reconstruction by Willie Lee Rose.

8 February - "Black History Note:" Beaufort had several privately funded institutions dedicated to educating African Americans. While Penn School is the best known, Mather School and Harbison Institute also taught black students basic education, practical and/or higher level academic skills.

7 February - "Black History Note:" Gullah has been spoken on the sea islands since the arrival of African enslaved people here. Now it's a course at Harvard University. https://courses.harvard.edu/index.html

6 February  - Two "Black History Notes" opportunities brought by the BDC to you today!

1) We hope that you get a seat for Andrea Allen's presentation about "Jim Crow" before they are all gone! http://beauforthistorymuseum.wildapricot.org/event-2760102
2) The Combahee River Historic District exhibit is open until 5 pm this afternoon. (Gentle reminder - Time is starting to run out: the exhibit leaves at the end of this month.)

5 February -  "Black History Note:" African-Americans challenged segregation in many ways over time. The Moving Image Research Collection at USC, Columbia has a video "Quest for Civil Rights: Penn Center" that examines the role of a local institution in securing equal and fair treatment under the law. Watch online https://mirc.sc.edu/islandora/object/usc%3A44072

4 February - "Black History Note": Test your knowledge of the role of African-American troops in Civil War history https://www.civilwar.org/…/african-americans-civil-war-hist… PS: Make note of the number of questions that relate to Beaufort District's history.

3 February - "Black History Note": Jim Crow laws impacted the lives of every African-American in virtually every part of the United States. Andrea Allen will share the history of Jim Crow laws on the people of this area during Lecture #3 of the Beaufort History Museum / Beaufort County Library local history series. Closed when full so don't delay! Sign up today! http://beauforthistorymuseum.wildapricot.org/event-2760102

2 February - "Black History Note": Sometimes surviving planter's journals include lists of enslaved people as does one of Charles Cotesworth Pinckney's journals for Pinckney Island near Hilton Head Island. The Lowcountry Digital Library hosts this College of Charleston owned journal at http://lcdl.library.cofc.edu/lcdl/catalog/lcdl:31102

1 February - "Black History Note" : The rice growing skills of the enslaved Africans were the foundation of the lowcountry rice industry that brought riches to their masters. You can learn more at today's Beaufort County Historical Society lecture. Dr. Daniel Littlefield's presentation on "Black Rice" is at 2 pm today in the Wesley Methodist Church Fellowship Hall at 701 West Street in Beaufort. The lecture is free and open to the general public. Supplemental materials list is in our Wordpress blog http://bit.ly/2kuCM8o

I've decided to continue this "Black History Note" series on a weekly basis on the BDC's Facebook
page. Expect to see the "Black History Note" posts on Wednesday mornings.