Back to School: School Materials in the BDC

It’s that time of year again when children whine and parents cheer... You guessed it: it’s back to school!! Here in the Beaufort District Collection, we have a plethora of materials that cover the history of local schools as well as original materials that have been created by students over the years. Items such as these are extremely important to preserve as they capture glimpses of how young people viewed the world at their time. Some materials even include young people interviewing old folks through different decades which will be a wonderful resource for researchers to utilize in fifty years!

Graduation Day at Mather School [1950]
from the Lucille Hasell Culp Collection.

The Beaufort District Collection contains many different formats of materials. In this post, we will dive into examples from archives, books, microfilm, plans, posters, prints, and vertical files. The bulk of our materials come from donations. Items may come from another branch, the Friends of the Library, or a kind patron who found an old yearbook they no longer want. We would not have the vast selection we have now without the generosity of our community. Now, without further ado, let’s LEARN about our school materials!

Books

Look back 1965-1972: Civil Triumph: The Integration of Beaufort High School by Beaufort Middle School, 2002.

After thirty years, eighty Beaufort Middle School Students participating in the 2002 Humanities Program worked together to collect local oral histories of the integration of Beaufort High School. Prior to setting forth, students spent their time in class reading, researching, and participating in Socratic seminars all relating to the tribulations of slavery to equality and the impact of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. BMS students then interviewed retired teachers, staff, and alumni who worked at or attended local schools from 1965 to 1972. They even interviewed Emory Campbell, previous director of the Penn Center, who provided his personal experience with integration and the Civil Rights Movement. 

Beaufort Family Histories: Downtown Beaufort as a Classroom by Lady's Island Middle School, 1997.

School related titles in the BDC.

In 1997, one hundred and twenty eighth grade students and their teachers worked together to create their own documented history of Beaufort and its families. Students worked together by studying the graveyards of Beth Israel Synagogue, St. Helena's Episcopal Church, and the Tabernacle Baptist Church. They also interviewed family members; some of their own, and some from the different congregations. There are quotes from the students all throughout the book where they talk about learning to interview people, rub gravestones, and enjoying the hands-on research. Even Shelly was quoted with saying, “I am not interested in history, but this project was fun.” So, take it from Shelly, if you are looking for a fun way to glimpse into Beaufort’s past, come take a look at Beaufort Family Histories: Downtown Beaufort as a Classroom.

The History of Robert Smalls School by the Robert Smalls Association, 1991.

Robert Smalls High School Band Marches in
the Decoration Day Parade [1957] from
the Lucille Hassel Culp Collection.

This is a small, but detailed account of the Robert Smalls School and its immense impact on Beaufort’s history. There are multiple black and white photos of the school from varying years as well as photos of numerous principals who led the school. The schools very first teachers are listed by name along with serving committee members, artists, and musicians brought to the school by Principal W. Kent Alston. This history covers the destruction and construction of various buildings that the school has called home since 1925. The Robert Smalls Association, comprised of alumni, is still in existence today and raises funds annually to provide scholarships for college students. 

Annuals

Shelves of school annuals in the BDC.

Remember how I mentioned that the bulk of our materials come from donations? Well, this is a section of our collection that heavily relies on donations. If you or a loved one have a Beaufort District school annual that you wish to part with, you may contact the BDC via email (bdc@bcgov.net) or phone (843-255-6468) to see if you can help fill in any of our year gaps. We would greatly appreciate it!

Our school annuals are catalogued and searchable through the SCLENDS catalog. We also have a page on our WordPress Blog titled Yearbooks & School Annuals in the BDC that lists all of our holdings as well as their years. Either resource gives patrons the opportunity to browse our selection of yearbooks to see if we have the specific school and/or year they seek. 

Vertical Files

Vertical files hold materials such as clippings, pamphlets, or articles pertaining to the subject of the file. These files act as a gateway; they can provide context that may point researchers to a new path of resources. If you are interested in learning more about the importance and use of these files, you can check out The Value of Historical (and Permanent) Vertical Files. Most of the school vertical files have articles, pamphlets, newsletters and/or programs from events held at the individual schools through time gathered from a variety of places at a variety of times. There are more than 50 designated school vertical files (e.g. VF SCHOOLS--MARY FIELDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, 1934-1997) and over 130 school related vertical files (e.g. VF BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT.) 

Materials from VF SCHOOLS -- BEAUFORT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

Vertical File Spotlight: VF SCHOOLS -- BEAUFORT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. In this select vertical file you will find: a report card from the 1933-1934 school year, a Beaufort Gazette clipping from 1942 announcing a new Beaufort Elementary School Building, and a 1999-2000 Annual Report featuring artwork from a student. This is only a small glimpse into the endless realm of possible materials that you may find within our school related vertical files. 

Posters & Prints

The posters and prints within our collection do a wonderful job at visualizing the array of time periods that we cover here in the BDC. From a Harper's Weekly print that was published in 1865 to a poster from an event that was held last week, there is a lot of ground to cover when it comes to the history of Beaufort District. 

Print #86 and Poster #450.

Print #86 comes from Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper and was published on November 29th, 1862. It is entitled, "Sketches in Beaufort and its vicinity, South Carolina," as it depicts numerous spots in and around the area. However, there is one specific reason I chose this print. The center bottom drawing depicts the Beaufort College Building, which is now part of the University of South Carolina Beaufort campus in Downtown Beaufort. The building itself has lived many lives and served many purposes, including housing a freedmen school for young Black children throughout the Reconstruction era.

Poster #450 is one of our newest editions to our poster collection. St. Helena's Anglican Church began hosting this event as a support system for adoptive and foster families navigating a new school year. Now, their Back to School Bash has turned into a community wide event that serves as a welcoming space for all. Families can expect food and refreshments, music and games, giveaways and prizes, free school supplies, and most of all, community connection.

Archival Collections

The Beaufort District Collection is home to over 250 archival collections. A decent amount of them are related to our local schools, but there is one in particular I wanted to share with you today. The Folklore Project at Beaufort High School consists of three handmade booklets from 1972 that contain information on Gullah culture and folklore. 

The Folklore Project at Beaufort High School.

The booklets are titled as follows: "Gains From Their Life Roles: Samples of Beaufort's Folklore," "Unbelievable Beliefs: Roots, Superstitions, Remedies," and "Voices of Old Folks." Senior student contributors worked together to interview elderly citizens of Beaufort, write and edit the contents of the booklets, and illustrate the covers and pages throughout. The young students under the direction of English teacher Ms. Lee P. Shaffer set out on a mission to preserve the slowly fading rich culture of Beaufort; which will now be forever maintained and remembered within our collection. 

Microfilm

Reels of the Penn School Papers.

Here in the BDC, we have an extensive microfilm collection. From local newspapers to census records, Beaufort City and County Council minutes to primary documents produced by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History; all of these records are searchable in the SCLENDS catalog. An incredible resource that we are lucky to have available to view on microfilm is the Penn School Papers from 1862 to 1976. The original records are housed at UNC Chapel Hill (some of which have been made available online, too!).

The Penn School was founded on Saint Helena Island in 1862 by Laura M. Towne and Ellen Murray. Both of these women were Northern missionaries who established the school in order to provide education to formerly enslaved people in the area. The school endured many changes throughout the Civil War, the Reconstruction Era, and the many years leading up to its closure in 1948. The Penn School Papers cover various aspects of the school: correspondences, inventories, financial records, annual reports, and minutes. There are also more personal elements that detail the daily happenings at the school such as club rosters, newspaper clippings, class schedules, special events, and even photographs. 

Plans

The smallest accumulation of catalogued materials in the BDC would be our plans, which is why not many people are aware of them. Our two drawers of plans consist of fifty building, site, and airport outlines. 

Repairs and Restoration of the
Janie Hamilton School [1993].

Repairs and Restoration of the Janie Hamilton School [1993] was a building plan created by William Blount Shepard III for the school on Daufuskie Island to be presented to the Beaufort County School District. The Janie Hamilton School was constructed in 1937 to educate the native children on Daufuskie that were unable to make the walk to Mary Fields School located on the opposite side of the Island. These building plans proposed safety and structural improvements to almost every aspect of the building including the framework, roof, windows, wiring, and more, without demolishing the building and removing almost sixty years of history. 

Port Royal Elementary School Play [1950]
from the Lucille Hasell Culp Collection.

If you are interested in any of the materials I have shared today or wish to explore our collection for yourself: walk-ins are sometimes accepted, while appointments are always encouraged. To make an appointment, send an email to bdc@bcgov.net or give us a call at 843-255-6468. We hope to hear from you soon!

Schools Related Vertical Files in the Research Room

As COVID-19 concerns continue to interfere with normal operations at some local K-12 schools, I've decided to write about some of the school related materials we share through the Research Room. Today's post will focus on the vertical files we have about individual public and private schools throughout Beaufort District's history. Just be aware that this list is may not be complete.

Some of the schools are no longer in operation while others have just come into existence over the past few years. Some are publically funded schools. Some are private institutions. The vertical file contents vary widely. Some of the vertical files contain a lot of clippings; some of the vertical files have only a sheet or two. Some school vertical file have articles, pamphlets, newsletters and/or programs held at the individual schools through time gathered from a variety of places at a variety of times. The files for the schools that my children attended 15 - 20 years ago are the fattest because I picked up hand-outs about those schools whenever I attended any of their school activities and events. Thus, collection has been hit-or-miss and inconsistent across schools and time. Dates for a school's years of operation are given when research has been done. Going forward, any newly created vertical files will include the dates of the school when possible. As of this writing we have over 50 specific school vertical files. I've decided to arrange the schools into two broad categories: Public Schools and Private Schools. 

Public Schools: Beaufort County Training School ; Beaufort Elementary School ; Beaufort Middle School; Beaufort High School;  Beaufort-Jasper Academy for Career Excellence; Bluffton Middle School; Bluffton High School; Bridges Preparatory School; Broad River Elementary School; Coosa Elementary School; Daufuskie Island Elementary School; Hardeeville Consolidated School; H.E. McCracken Middle School; Hilton Head Elementary School; Hilton Head Middle School; Hilton Head High School; Humanities School of Beaufort; James J. Davis Elementary School; Joseph S. Shanklin Sr. Elementary School; Lady's Island Elementary School; Lady's Island Middle School; Lobeco Graded School; Mary Fields Elementary School, 1934 - 1997; May River High School, 2016 - ; M.C. Riley Elementary School; Mossy Oaks Elementary School; Port Royal Elementary School; River Ridge Academy, 2015 -  ; Robert Smalls Schools, 1925- 1984; Robert Smalls Elementary School; Robert Smalls Middle School; Royal Live Oaks Academy of the Arts and Sciences, 2012 -  ;  Shell Point Elementary School; St. Helena Elementary School; St. Helena High School, 1954 - 1971; Whale Branch Early College High School; Whale Branch Elementary School; and Whale Branch Middle School. 

Private Schools: Beaufort Academy; Beaufort College;  Eleanor Christensen Montessori School;  Harbison Institute; Heritage Academy; Hilton Head Christian Academy; Hilton Head Preparatory School; John Paul II Catholic School;  Mather School; Okatie Academy and Child Development Center; Penn School, 1862 - 1948; Sea Pines Montessori Academy; Sheldon Academy; and St. Peter's Catholic School.  

Make an appointment to visit the Research Room and staff will be happy to share the contents of the Schools vertical files with you. Please give us at least several days notice in order to have the best odds of getting your preferred date and time. Into the foreseeable future, the BDC will be offering 3 appointment slots per work day: 10 to Noon; 1 - 3 and 3 - 5 provided that the slot you request isn't already spoken for on the BDC's calendar. 

School Annuals in the Research Room (latest update: 7 May 2025)

Last updated: 7 May 2025 - gmc

Questions about local school yearbooks come up on a very regular basis in the Research Room. 

Our collection of school yearbooks in the Beaufort District Collection comes from donations through time. That means that our coverage of schools is completely dependent on donations. I rejoice when someone calls to offer us school annuals (or Marine Platoon books) found while clearing out a property. As I often say and occasionally write, getting the opportunity of first refusal is the best gift of all.

The full list by school name in alphabetical order with the annual year is: 

Battery Creek High School: 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2002

Beaufort Academy: 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2002

Beaufort High School: 1921, 1923, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1980,1981, 1982, 1983,1985, 1987, 1990, 1998, 2005, 2007

Beaufort Jasper Career Education Center: 1993

Beaufort Junior High School: 1963, 1965, 1969, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979

H.E. McCracken High School: 1973, 1975

H.E. McCracken Middle School: 2007

Hilton Head Island Middle School:  2004

Lady's Island Elementary School: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002

Lady's Island Junior High School: 1985, 1986, 1987, 1991, 1992

Mather School: 1954, 1956, 1957

Praise Christian Academy: 1995

St. Helena High School: 1956

Robert Smalls High School: 1964, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1992

Robert Smalls Junior High School: 1989

As you can see, coverage is hit or miss. 

The Mather School, Robert Smalls High School and St. Helena High School were predominantly black schools.  

• Mather School was a private boarding school founded to educate African-American girls in the late 1860s by Rachel Mather. It began to admit males to its religious training classes in the mid-20th century. The Technical College of the Lowcountry campus on Ribaut Road in Beaufort occupies the former Mather School property.
• Robert Smalls High School used to sit on the County administration building property at the corner of Ribaut and Boundary Streets, 1924 -1970 for the High School. The Robert Smalls Junior High School adjacent to the RSHS continued to operate at the site until 1984 when the new Robert Smalls School was opened on what is now 43 W K Alston Dr, Beaufort, SC 29906; and
• St. Helena High School, open from 1954 to 1971, was on the site of the present St. Helena Elementary School.
  

In response to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, three Black students petitioned School District 1 Board of Trustees to transfer into white schools in July 1964. The first Black students to integrate the white schools in Beaufort County were Rowland Washington who attended Beaufort High; Craig Washington who transferred into Beaufort Elementary; and Janelle Drake who went to Mossy Oaks Elementary. When the schools opened in late August that year, nine Black students entered classrooms at formerly all-white schools. The Beaufort Gazette named the nine students as Ronald Washington [Rowland Washington], Reginald Butler Jr., Paula Butler, Craig Washington, Mae Cathlie, Banessa Newsome, Dwight Smith, Lucy Smith, and Jeannelle Drake. Five of the nine students were military dependents. At the time the article was written another ten Black students were awaiting finalization of their petitions for transfer into white schools. [Source: "Nine Negro Students Enter Four County White Schools," Beaufort Gazette, 3 September 1964, pp. A-1, A-3.] 

Gradually the integration process unfolded so that by the 1970-1971 school year, Robert Smalls High School, St. Helena High School and Beaufort High School merged into one high school for all north of the Broad high school students. Each school contributed some tradition to the new integrated high school entity: The school's name became Beaufort High School; the school colors became green and white (green from the green/gold of Robert Smalls, green/white of Beaufort High and red/white of St. Helena High), the athletic teams became Eagles (from St. Helena High).  [Source: Look Back 1965-1972: Civil Triumph: The Integration of Beaufort High School ... by Beaufort Middle School (2002), p. 23].

We have BDC vertical files on each of these schools and one on "Schools - Integration" more in the Research Room. You can borrow a copy of Look Back from one of the branch library local history section. 

You can see some school related postcards in the Russell J. Arnsberger Collection and some school related photographs in the Lucille Hasell Culp Collection through our partnership with the Lowcountry Digital Library.

A request: If you happen to have a yearbook from schools within Beaufort, Jasper or Hampton counties, South Carolina, I'd love to have the right of first refusal for the BDC.