It’s a New Year and new things are happening in Preservation!  All this is so exciting!  

Here’s what’s going on!

McCullough House Inn at Princeton owned by the Fork Shoals Historical Society is getting a facelift!  The 1812 structure needs its original handmade brick restored and repointed and the work has begun.  Stucco was applied to the house in 1930 and that is being removed in order to get down to the brick so that the soft mortar can be replaced.  The bricks and the mortar being over 200 years old must be carefully reworked.  Many of the bricks were damaged when the stucco was removed and those will have to be turned back to front to put a good surface to the weather, and the mortar will have to be replaced for all the bricks since the original was local red dirt and lime.  When this work is finished, the exterior will be ready for another 200 years.  The next step is raising funds for replacing the roof with cedar shakes or similar, like the original owner, Joe McCullough, would have used.  Donations to Fork Shoals Historical Society PO Box 442 Pelzer, SC 29669 or the Facebook page for PayPal, Venmo.

Piedmont Historical Preservation Society’s YWCA is almost completed the exterior work with the porch rails and the fretwork in place.  The interior demolition has been done, and it is ready for the stud walls to go back up, for the HVAC system to be installed, and the plumbing to be replaced.  The goal is to start moving the museum in by fall 2024 and celebrating next Christmas with the original holly wreaths.   The museum is growing weekly and visitors are welcome on Tuesdays from 10 to 2:30 at the current site, 3 Main Street, Piedmont, SC.   An anonymous donor has offered to match up to $40,000 for this restoration effort.  Please consider giving to make this campaign complete by April 2024.  Piedmont Historical Preservation Society  PO Box 284 Piedmont, SC 29673 or Facebook page for PayPal or Venmo.

Also, I am congratulating my friends at Upstate Preservation Trust for receiving two grants from Greenville County Historical and Natural Resources Trust and the State Land Bank and receiving funding from a major donor to purchase the historic property, the 1823 Oakland Plantation, owned by the Simpsonville YMCA along with fifty acres.  The plan is for the house to be restored and the land to be turned into a local park.  This will be UPT’s first preservation effort, but not their last.  Their vision is to become the stable funding source for the Upstate to use for many such projects.  They will be applying for other grants to continue their work.  Please give this fledging group of young preservationists your support.  They are Greenville’s preservation future.  For donations visit perserveupstate.org

Preservation Rising!

Historically yours,
Moonville Mae 
acpeden07@gmail.com■