The Seashore Farmers' Lodge No. 767 is an historic building in coastal South Carolina that was erected to house a fraternal lodge for African-Americans. The Lodge was built about 1915 by local black farmers. Their organization provided insurance, advice, and burial assistance to members, and the structure was the headquarters for the outfit. In 1953, a new pavilion opened at nearby Mosquito Beach, and the Lodge fell into disuse.
Seashore Farmers' Lodge No. 767 | |
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| Location | Northeastern corner of the junction of Sol Legare and Old Sol Legare Rds. |
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| Coordinates | 32°40′54″N 79°58′02″W / 32.68167°N 79.96722°W |
| Built | c. 1915 |
| Architectural style | Vernacular |
| NRHP reference No. | 07001043[1] |
| Added to NRHP | Oct. 3, 2007 |
Restoration and recognition edit
In 2007, the Lodge had been vacant for a decade and was in near ruinous condition. The Town of James Island agreed to contribute $50,000 toward the restoration of the building.[2] In 2009, a restoration of the Lodge was undertaken at a cost of about $100,000 including the recreation of a missing porch.[3] The Lodge was added to the National Register on October 3, 2007 as a significant illustration of the importance of fraternal orders in the cultural life of the lowcountry African-American community in the early twentieth century.
The Lodge has a lateral gable roof of raised-seam tin with exposed rafters, wood clapboarding, concrete piers, and windows with wooden full-panel shutters as simple openings.[4]
References edit
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ Robert Behre (July 14, 2008). "Seashore Farmers' Lodge an endangered ruin". Charleston Post & Courier. p. B1.
- ^ Edward Fennell (Sep 17, 2009). "A Sea Island gem". Charleston Post & Courier. Retrieved Dec 4, 2012.
- ^ "Seashore Farmers' Lodge No. 767, Charleston County". National Register Properties in South Carolina. South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Retrieved Dec 4, 2012.
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