...the place where freedom began
A template like no other By all accounts, Historic Mitchelville is revered as a template for African Americans to explore and test the possibilities promised by democracy. No such template exists elsewhere in the United States of America, signifying the uniqueness and importance of Historic Mitchelville as the
place where freedom began.
Template (noun) A gauge, mold, or pattern that functions as a guide to the form or structure of something being made
The significance of Mitchelville After Union forces attacked two Confederate forts and the Sea Islands of South Carolina in 1861, Confederate forces retreated to the mainland. Hilton Head Island immediately became the headquarters for the Union Army and, correspondingly, men, women, and children emerged to face an uncertain but promising freedom with the Union Army. Many former slaves and escaped freedmen arrived from the unconquered mainland every day. While those already residing at local plantations had places in which to live, the refugees needed everything: food, clothing, and homes. The Union Army both housed and employed these formerly enslaved individuals until major issues of overcrowding and prejudice rose to the surface of their overlapping living conditions. Civil War Union General Ormsby Mitchel — a true trailblazer — found an ethical and practical solution, setting aside a large parcel of land for those newly freed. This order of 1862 not only separated the formerly enslaved individuals from the military personnel, but allowed for cultivation and occupancy of their own land. Freedmen and families were given quarter acre lots and materials to build homes. This “experiment in citizenship” as Mitchel labeled it was a radical idea and one of great significance. It addressed the former enslaved persons ‘longings and previously denied rights to own land; to vote; to keep families intact; to negotiate wages
Freedmen and families were given quarter acre lots and materials to build homes.
Photos left page Haribus repe peratem olestius. On rem explibu saecus. Harunt verferum volorit omnime pedipidunt hil iduciur.
Photo right page Haribus repe peratem olestius. On rem explibu saecus. Harunt verferum volorit omnime pedipidunt hil iduciur.
for labor; to seek formal education; to form religious institutions and commercial enterprises; and to live with a sense of security. In turn, freedmen elected their own officials, created their own system of laws, built three churches and four stores, and established the first compulsory school system in the state of South Carolina. They also volunteered for the ongoing Civil War, and Black soldiers built nearby Fort Howell to protect what was now known as Mitchelville. As such, “what had begun as only a military mission grew into something more than that.” Mitchelville became a vibrant, self-governed community, both defined and accentuated by the customs and cultures of native islanders—the Gullahs, and those brought to America from a multitude of countries and islands. At its height, Mitchelville boasted 1,500 to 3,000 residents and demonstrated freedom and opportunity for African Americans diverse in backgrounds and origins.
At its height, Mitchelville demonstrated freedom and opportunity for African Americans diverse in backgrounds and origins.
IMPACTING GENERATIONS
Historic Mitchelville continued to impact the lives of the formerly enslaved across the United States and for generations to come.
An unparralelled relevancy Despite its vibrancy and population, the town declined after the Union Army left the area in 1868. The formerly enslaved individuals relocated either inland on Hilton Head Island, across the state of South Carolina, and even further across America. Changing hands of the coastal property allowed its historical significance to fall into obscurity and by 1937, Mitchelville had disappeared from maps of the region. While as a town, Historic Mitchelville functioned at its fullest for only a few years, it continued to impact the lives of the formerly enslaved across the United States and for generations to come. It was here, in this template, that thousands had been gifted the space to learn, the skills to move forward, and the chance to seek new opportunities. Its residents thrived as citizens, charted their own course, and proved that Blacks could stand on their own. Those inhabitants of Historic Mitchelville took this knowledge and right of entrepreneurship and citizenship as they settled in other places, personifying the American Dream and underscoring the true concept of a template — of something being made. Shedding light on the unique story and unparalleled relevancy of Historic Mitchelville has proven years in the making. After decades of the land lying dormant, three successful archeological investigations, the first in 1986, brought new light to Historic Mitchelville. Collected artifacts and objects, alongside primary documents such as contemporary speeches, photographs, and newspaper articles, illustrated the pioneering ongoings of this rich historic site. In 1988, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and in 1995, the Town of Hilton Head and the State of South Carolina recognized its historic value and erected the official State historical marker.
Photos left page
Haribus repe peratem olestius. On rem explibu saecus. Harunt verferum volorit omnime pedipidunt hil iduciur. Photos above
Haribus repe peratem olestius. On rem explibu saecus. Harunt verferum volorit omnime pedipidunt hil iduciur.
Now, in this moment, the relevancy of Historic Mitchelville could not be greater.
In 2010, the Mitchelville Preservation Project was officially organized and later renamed the Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park Site (HMFP), with the dedicated mission “to preserve, promote and honor Historic Mitchelville, the first self-governed town of formerly enslaved people in the United States.” HMFP advances this mission through exhibitions, tours, and signature events of Historic Mitchelville, as well as learning opportunities including lectures, forums, and related cultural experiences. Now, in this moment, the relevancy of Historic Mitchelville could not be greater. The social justice movement underway equates to an invigorated dedication to and investment in human rights and, specifically, empowerment of Black lives—both from a historical and a contemporary standpoint. As one example, the National Trust for Historic Preservation recently allocated more than $1.6 million in grants to 27 sites and organizations across 22 states and the District of Columbia. These grants, provided through a partnership with the prestigious Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, fund communities — including Historic Mitchelville— to protect, restore, and interpret African American historic sites and uncover hidden narratives of the African American contribution to the American story. Also in 2020, the National Basketball Association formed a foundation dedicated to “drive economic empowerment in Black communities through employment and career advancement.” The James Beard Foundation launched its Food and Beverage Investment Fund for Black and Indigenous Americans, citing that “the structure of the food system was built, literally and figuratively, on the backs of Black and Indigenous Americans.” As indicated by such initiatives on a national scale, this is a moment in which inequity and racial disparity are not only at the forefront of discussion, but at the forefront of actions. And to fully honor and celebrate today’s citizens, we must also honor and celebrate those who came before them — those who pioneered at Historic Mitchelville.
National organizations leading action initiatives
Need master plan artwork here
A dynamic master plan With no other site serving as such a template or illuminating the authentic story of the place where freedom began for America’s Black citizens, Historic Mitchelville is uniquely positioned to broaden the awareness and recognition of its rich story. Actions to do so began more than three years ago under the leadership of HMFP’s Board of Directors, setting sights on an activated Park to more broadly attract and inspire visitors, and to instill a deeper appreciation for the significance and the peoples of Historic Mitchelville. In 2018, the governing body secured $250,000 from the Beaufort County Council to create a Master Plan and subsequently engaged a creative team to create the blueprint. And just as the original citizens formed a dynamic, layered experience for the site, so does the Master Plan.
The plan, published in 2020, encompasses research, community feedback, and counsel from significant entities. It fully activates the 24-acre site of modern-day Historic Mitchelville though interpretive mediums, architectural structures, pedestrian trails, and curated experiences that respect the site’s origins and include: A Visitor Center | An
18,000-square- foot, premier architectural feature for the site and for Hilton Head Island that includes gift shop/bookstore, standing theater, lobby and welcome area, permanent and temporary exhibition areas, restrooms, offices, event space with 250-person capacity, and multiple terraces. Exhibition space throughout draws on imagery, archaeological object display, media, and narrative text to connect Mitchelville with larger themes of freedom, self-determination, citizenship, and opportunity.
B Ghost Structures |
Interpretive Houses, Church, General Store | Framed-out three-dimensional structures without walls, including up to ten reconstructed houses that represent and interpret the orientation and clustering of homes, church as contemplative space, and general store at Mitchelville during the historic period. Impressions of artifacts found on the site are revealed in the sides of a seatwall or in a plaza paving and further conveys the history of human habitation on this site.
C Interpretive Trail | Exterior
exhibits located along the interpretive trail to include six stops and various exhibit panels for an augmented reality tour “Virtual Mitchelville.” Visitors download the app to watch an interpretive animation depicting daily life at Mitchelville or survey the town as it once may have appeared.
D Classroom / Lab | A
4,000-square-foot classroom and lab building with an artifact
processing area (wet room), climate-controlled artifact storage, a curatorial area, at least two classrooms, offices, and restrooms. This allows for continued archeological work of the site, furthering the discovery and preservation of Historic Mitchelville.
E Event Lawn and Freedom
Plaza | Two central outdoor gathering and interpretive spaces for the site. The Event Lawn sits below the visitor center terrace and includes interpretive footprints delineating Mitchelville-era houses and quarter-acre lots which represent the approximate size of a property owned by residents of Mitchelville. Freedom Plaza encompasses 5,200-square feet and includes paving, plantings, and seating opportunities. The design concepts include footbridges and interpretation of the concept of crossing water and the sacrifices required to secure freedom and the journey of freedmen and women during the Civil War from the mainland to Hilton Head Island.
An american story worth writing…
After more than a century in obscurity and with a social justice movement underway, the time to activate Historic Mitchelville is now, and the way to do so is through completion of the Master Plan.
The plan was created with the full intent of implementing all elements in one single phase, and to do so requires an investment of $23 million. As such, HMFP invites philanthropists, leaders, and visionaries to join us as we leverage momentum and invest in this significant piece of America’s history — as we launch new dialogues — as we generate national recognition for this template like no other. To build the Master Plan as envisioned honors the legacy of the formerly enslaved individuals who shed their shackles for citizenship. To build the Master Plan as envisioned lifts up the diverse chronicles of Mitchelville’s citizens, so that the diverse chronicles of all who came after are also lifted. To build the Master Plan as envisioned is to ensure that Mitchelville never lays dormant again, but instead creates countless opportunities for islanders and visitors from distances near and far to gain an education and appreciation of this historic site and to participate in the conversations it invokes. At a national level, Mitchelville remains an important, but heretofore largely forgotten, chapter in the story of freedom, selfdetermination, opportunity, and citizenship rights in America — a story still being written.
Will you help us to write it?
WE’RE READY
A RECAP PAGE OF VISUALS/INFOGRAPHICS SHOWING EXPENSE NEED?
33.33% Two 33.33% Two
33.33% Two
20% 35% 80%
FOLDER with Business Card Slot
LOGO CONTACT INFO SOCIAL AND WEBSITE