Historical Commission

HISTORICAL COMMISSION MEETING December 14, 2017 8:00 a.m. Town Hall 100 Ann Edwards Lane Committee Room, 3rd Floor ****************** MINUTES Members Present: Rick Gutowski, Chairman; Patrick Morrissey, Vice Chairman; Robert Macdonald, Josh Kelley, Heidi Schless and Ken Shortridge Unexcused Absence: Trey Harrell Staff Present: Chris Luly, Planner Also Present: Mary Julia Royall, Town Historian and Walter Brown, Advisor Mr. Gutowski called the meeting to order at 8:02 a.m. I. Approval of Minutes Mr. Macdonald moved for approval; seconded by Mr. Shortridge. All present voted in favor. II. Public Comment John Wright, 145 Rose Lane, said that he is the President of the new African American Historical Settlement Commission (AAHSC) which was formed over the last few years. He said there was a need for this Commission and believes they were 25 years late. He said they currently have the Cainhoy, Phillips, Scanlonville/Remley’s Point, and the Snowden communities. He said that they are a 501c3 and have been appealing to Charleston County, Mount Pleasant Waterworks and the local government agencies to be recognized. He said that the main  Historical Commission December 14, 2017 Page 2 of 23 purpose of forming this commission was to sustain and retain the African American Settlement communities. He said that they are dwindling and this commission has plans and a vision on how to work with the communities. He said recently, they were at Charleston County regarding an issue with the Sol Legare community and their overlay district to be approved. He said that Parker’s Ferry is also being addressed in the next few weeks, so the commission is very actively involved with Charleston County, as well as the issues here in the Town. He said they would like to continue to partner with the Historical Commission, because he believes that together they can be the lead for some of the issues in the African American Settlement communities. He said with the support of the Historical Commission, he feels they can bridge the gap together, going forward. He thanked Mr. Macdonald for the gathering at his home where the new executive director of the Gullah Geechee Corridor, Heather Hodges, was present. He said it was a great opportunity for him to discuss with Ms. Hodges, the vision for this new commission. He said that Ms. Hodges indicated that there is much work to be accomplished and the settlement commission would like to support this. He said regarding the Gullah Geechee Corridor, when he returned home four years ago after serving in the military, he did not feel the Gullah Geechee Corridor had much to lend to economic development or substance; however, he has had several conversations with Congressman Clyburn about the African American Historical Settlement Community. Congressman Clyburn stated that one of the things that would be beneficial to the Gullah Geechee Corridor is a group such as the AAHSC. He said that the AAHSC is very active and looks forward to the great work moving forward. He also invited the Historical Commission members on December 20th at 2:00 p.m., at the AAHSC headquarters at 440 Venning Street. He said that the National Preservation Society is coming to the AAHSC headquarters to provide an update on the Sol Legare Overlay District and other issues. He added that he would like to offer his assistance with the Black History Month events in February.  Historical Commission December 14, 2017 Page 3 of 23 Mr. Macdonald asked Mr. Wright to email the details regarding the December 20th meeting to Mr. Luly for distribution to the Historical Commission members. Mr. Wright said that he would. Mr. Shortridge said that he applauds Mr. Wright and as a Historical Commission, can work together with the AAHSC. He asked if the AAHSC has bylaws and goals that are published that the Historical Commission members are able to view, since both Commissions are working towards the same goals. Mr. Wright said that they do have bylaws in place and are working directly with the Coastal Conservation League, who manages the AAHSC’s account. He said that they do have a vision statement and bylaws that were created when the Commission was formed. III. Establishment of 2018 Meeting Schedule Mr. Luly stated that it is the end of 2017 and the 2018 meeting schedule needs to be set in order to set meeting space. Mr. Gutowski asked if this is the second Monday of every month at 8:00 a.m. Mr. Luly responded in the affirmative. Mr. Morrissey made a motion that for 2018 that the current meeting schedule of the second Thursday of each month at 8:00 a.m. be maintained; seconded by Mr. Macdonald. All present voted in favor. IV. Staff Update Mr. Luly stated that he has been reviewing the Historical website, attempting to make some improvements and found that the Timeline is still available. He said there is an issue where the Timeline was hosted from the old website and said that for this reason, the Timeline cannot be installed on the History page as it was done previously. He said that he has, instead, put the link on the History Page. He said that this will link back to the previous page.  Historical Commission December 14, 2017 Page 4 of 23 Ms. Schless asked if the previous website will remain active. Mr. Luly said that he has been advised that it will. He said that the oral histories that the summer intern, Kate Gallotta, was able to transcribe, have been put onto the Town “Our History” site. He said that some are in written and audio formats. He said that he will continue to work on the website. He added that Michael Robertson will be available to present at the Senior Center in March, as requested. Mr. Gutowski reminded Commission members that the February Historical Commission meeting will take place at Cario Middle School. Mr. Luly stated that staff is organizing for Black History Month planning. Mr. Gutowski asked about the rack cards, and said there is a great deal of artwork that can be interchangeable. Mr. Brown stated that there is a change to the Black History Month Schedule. He said that the Claflin University Choir will be kicking off Black History Month on Saturday, February 3, 2018. He said that he has already notified Hibben United Methodist Church of the change. Mr. Luly stated that he will work on the stats for Quick Fact Fridays. Ms. Schless stated that this would be after December and would be done at the end of every six months. Mr. Luly responded in the affirmative. Mr. Gutowski asked if staff would be doing the rack cards. Mr. Luly said that it may not look as professional if done in-house. Mr. Gutowski said that he would like to have them professionally done and said there should be enough funding available. He would like to ensure that there are enough to be distributed in time to the hotels and other areas in Town. V. Committee Reports Quick Fact Fridays Ms. Schless stated that at the last meeting, she distributed a list of Quick Fact Fridays for 2018 with some possible topics. She said that she  Historical Commission December 14, 2017 Page 5 of 23 would like to assign responsibilities for the months in 2018. She said that since there will be only six Commission members going into 2018 with the resignation of Mr. Josh Kelley, each Commission member will be assigned two months to develop Quick Fact Fridays. Ken Shortridge: September, Churches of Mount Pleasant and May, (will select a topic at a later date). Robert Macdonald: June, Civil War in Mount Pleasant and October, Famous Visitors to Mount Pleasant Rick Gutowski: February, Black History Month and August, (Ms. Schless will assign a topic) Ms. Schless said to keep in mind that one week of the Commissioner’s monthly topics should cover their Committee area. Mr. Gutowski stated that Mr. Josh Kelley will be resigning, but requested to remain involved as an advisor. Patrick Morrissey: April, Town Street Names and July, Maritime History Ms. Schless stated that she has included a summary of all the topics that were covered in 2017, so as not to repeat for 2018. Heidi Schless: January and March, and will take two topics on the list that have not yet been selected. Ms. Schless stated that she also asked Mr. Kelley if there was any progress made on the Communications Plan for the QFF’s that were discussed at the last meeting on how to raise more awareness of the QFF’s. Mr. Kelley said that he will email this information to Ms. Schless. Historical Markers Mr. Shortridge said that the missing marker at Hobcaw Shipyard is currently in place. He said that he has not been able to find the Powder Magazine marker. He said that the Greenwich Mill marker has not been found or was stolen.  Historical Commission December 14, 2017 Page 6 of 23 Mr. Luly said that this has been missing. He asked where the Powder Magazine marker was located. Mr. Shortridge said that it was located in Hobcaw. Mr. Luly said that Loss Control has been working on the Greenwich Mill marker. Mr. Shortridge asked if Town staff goes out periodically to check on the markers. Mr. Luly said that they do not. He said that if the Public Services crew discovers a sign that is knocked over, they will either repair and reinstall them, or have them repaired elsewhere. He said that no one is actively verifying that the markers are where they should be. Mr. Shortridge said that he did find the Moultrie High School marker and sent pictures to Commission members. He said at the old County Courthouse on Pitt Street, the time crypt is still there, but hidden behind a hedge, so it cannot be seen from Pitt Street. Oral Histories Mr. Shortridge said that the oral histories that were submitted to Avery for 2016 and 2017 were not completed and the Town has not paid for them. He said that he has not been able to communicate with anyone at Avery, as they are not returning his calls. He said that one of the individuals he requested to be interviewed is no longer able to be interviewed. He said that with the elder individuals, the oral histories must be completed as soon as possible. He said moving forward, if the Town is not able to utilize Avery for the oral histories, he will attempt to contact Professor Cary Taylor at the Citadel who is part of the Oral History Consortium in Charleston, to ask him for some assistance. He asked if there are people in Town who actually do this that we are able to work with. Mr. Brown said that he contacted Deborah Wright, who is the Associate Director of Avery Institute. He added that she will be retiring. She is from York, South Carolina and is a curator, historian and is going to stay  Historical Commission December 14, 2017 Page 7 of 23 in the Charleston area. He said that the magazine that is published quarterly, The Avery Messenger, is still going to be done by Ms. Wright as the editor. He said that there are no outstanding bills with Avery. Mr. Shortridge said that the Commission has the people to be interviewed for oral histories; however, we need to find the interviewer. He said that this is his mission going into 2018. Ms. Schless asked for the record, the names of the individuals to be interviewed for the coming year. Mr. Shortridge mentioned the following: John Royall, Royall Hardware; Billy Mashce, Postmaster in Mount Pleasant for many years; Walter Brown; Elizabeth Hamlin McConnell, daughter-in-law of Mrs. McConnell who was over 100 years old and passed away last year. If she is unable, her husband, Bubbah McConnell, who is part of the Hamlin family will do the interview, and also Dallas Deer, who has been here for many years. He said there are others, as well. Mr. Gutowski asked if Emma Williams could be added to the list. Mr. Shortridge responded in the affirmative. Mr. Brown said that Emma Williams is a native of Huger, South Carolina and a graduate of Berkeley County Training School, which was the name of the black high school throughout South Carolina. He said that she attended Allen University and ended up in New York. He said she worked at Chase Bank and then became the paymaster for the New York Yankees. He said each year during the “Old Timers” baseball game, they invite Ms. Williams and a guest back to Yankee Stadium. He said when she returned to Charleston, she began working at the College of Charleston working in Admissions and Finance and is now retired. He said that from time to time, she is a visiting editor of the Moultrie News. He said that she has a wealth of knowledge and is a member of the Goodwill AME Church.  Historical Commission December 14, 2017 Page 8 of 23 Mr. Gutowski said that he met her at the Avery Institute’s annual meeting and said that she would likely be involved in doing the articles for Black History Month. John Wright, stated that he would like for the Commission to consider an added source for interviews, which are the members of the Laing Alumni Association. He added that their members are active in the various communities. Cresco Award / Comprehensive Plan Mr. Macdonald stated that he would like to follow up on Mr. Wright’s comments regarding Heather Hodges and the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission. He said that he was on the search committee for the Commission that selected Ms. Hodges, who is an attorney from Washington, DC, a graduate of American University and Tulane Law School and is a bright young woman who is now the Executive Director of the Commission. He said that Mount Pleasant is the physical heart of the corridor and it was important to introduce Ms. Hodges to the Commission members. He said the issues being faced by the settlements in Mount Pleasant are the same being faced by families on St. Helena, Hilton Head, up towards North Carolina and all the way to St. Johns River, Florida. He hopes that she will be able to address the important issues about the communities and the pressure on them and attempt to develop ways to mitigate what has been happening over the course of many years. He said that this relates directly to the development of the Comprehensive Plan for Mount Pleasant going forward. He said that the Commission members received Mr. Morrissey’s letter outlining some of the challenges for the development of the Comprehensive Plan. He said that the African American Historical Settlement Commission should take the lead. He said that Mr. Rodly Millett was working on a letter for the AAHSC and this Commission looks forward to receiving that letter. He said that the Historical Commission does not want to get out ahead of the AAHSC on neighborhoods, but instead be helpful and a catalyst to get the common  Historical Commission December 14, 2017 Page 9 of 23 objectives advanced. He thanked Mr. Wright for attending this meeting and keeping the Commission up to date. Mr. Gutowski asked Mr. Wright if he is the main point of contact for the African American Historical Settlement Commission. Mr. Wright said that Rodly Millet is the main contact as he handles Public Relations. He stated that Mr. Millet is currently working on the letter which will be forthcoming. Mr. Gutowski asked if it would be appropriate to have Ms. Hodges attend the Historical Commission meeting at Cario Middle School in February and be a speaker. Mr. Macdonald said that he would ask Ms. Hodges. Mr. Wright stated that he would like to mention that Ms. Hodges was also invited to the December 20th meeting with the National Historical Preservation Society, as well as their December meeting. Mr. Morrissey asked if there is a time limit for the Cario meeting. Mr. Gutowski said that he will make it work and will discuss with the principal of Cario. He said that they are eager to have the Commission back. Mr. Morrissey said that Ms. Hodges has a great deal to say and to try and fit this in with the Commission meeting into one class period may be challenging. Mr. Macdonald congratulated Mr. Brown for being the CRESCO honoree this year. He said he met with Mary Julia Royall earlier in the month and she provided him with a video done in 1987, “A Journey through Time, Mount Pleasant’s 150 Anniversary”. He said that it was a forty-five minute video which was very well done and he had it transferred to a CD, and mentioned that there was some flaw to the video. He said that it is a very good presentation. He said that he made a CD for himself and asked Commission members if they would like a copy. Mr. Morrissey asked how large the data is on the CD, and asked if this is something to consider putting on the website.  Historical Commission December 14, 2017 Page 10 of 23 Mr. Luly stated that it cannot be larger than the Abby Munro papers, which are now on the website, which were five or six discs. He said that he would be happy to upload the disc “A Journey through Time”. Archive Room Mr. Macdonald said that when he met with Mary Julia Royall, they discussed her collection, which contains a wealth of information about Mount Pleasant. He advised Ms. Royall that he would be happy to organize her collection, which he believes is an invaluable resource for Mount Pleasant and find it a proper home in the Town’s History Room. He said he looks forward to working with Ms. Royall and her daughter at their convenience, to see how it can be organized in a way that it can be placed in the Town’s History Room. He said that he mentioned at the last meeting and previously that Grant Gilmore at the College of Charleston, has offered to send some of his graduate students to work on the papers of the professor who did the study of the settlement communities here in Mount Pleasant and help organize this. He asked Mr. Luly that when he is available to move the boxes from the Six Mile location to the History Room, he will contact Mr. Gilmore. Mr. Luly said that he is available to do so anytime. Mr. Macdonald suggested sometime in January, 2018 and he would request that Mr. Gilmore send someone over to assist. Mr. Luly said that he spoke with the company that he believes came and scanned the documents. He said that they advised that they only came in and took a few photographs that they were interested in and said that there is no digital file of the information. Mr. Macdonald said he spoke to Mr. Gilmore about this and said that it is possible that the College of Charleston may be able to simultaneously scan the information. He asked about the status of the History Room on the plan that Ms. Carol Poplin provided. Mr. Luly said that he has not heard where the process is regarding the ordering of furniture. He said that Ms. Poplin came by and picked up the quilt and took it to be assessed to see if it can be hung for display. He  Historical Commission December 14, 2017 Page 11 of 23 said she came back to the Town with a quote, which was above the Commission’s budget and sent it to management to determine how to proceed. Mr. Macdonald said that there is no sense in moving any materials to the room until there are file cabinets and drawers. Mr. Luly said that it is a good idea to move the boxes from the Six Mile location, as there is no climate control there. Mr. Gutowski asked about access to the History Room. Mr. Luly said that only a few individuals have access at this time. Mr. Brown asked about the Sappho Ferry doors. Mr. Macdonald said that they were in an area off of Shem Creek and Lou Edens offered two doors, which Carol Poplin has looked at in terms of restoration. Mr. Brown stated that Tillman Brown, who was a member of his church, often talked about when he was Captain of the Sappho Ferry. He said that he has located his Captain’s License, which was unusual in those times, (for an African American) to be a licensed ship Captain. He said that Mr. Brown’s daughter has his Captain’s license. He said that Mr. Brown’s grandson, Marion Brown, just took the Bobcats to the playoffs for the State AA football and it was the first time in 25 years that Charleston County had a team go that far. He said at Christ Church approximately two years ago, when Dr. Marlene Seabrook exhibited her quilts, she passed away; however over the years, she formed a group of women that are quilters and repair quilts. He said that he is not sure who Ms. Carol Poplin referred Dr. DuPré’s quilt to for a quote; however, believes the ladies who do the quilting will repair the quilt for significantly less than was quoted. He said that this is a source that he is able to provide the information if the Commission is interested in pursuing this. Mr. Morrissey said to follow up on Mr. Brown’s comments, the plan for the Archive Room, the last draft presented by Ms. Poplin, was to have  Historical Commission December 14, 2017 Page 12 of 23 one of each of the Sappho doors mounted on the interior entrance walls. He said she also believed there would be enough room for an explanation panel, which would be an ideal place for Mr. Tillman Brown’s Captain’s license. Ms. Mary Julia Royall stated that the Charleston Museum has an ongoing exhibit of quilts. She said the one that just ended last month was early quilts and now there are geometric quilts. She said that they are very knowledgeable in restoring, displaying and maintaining quilts. She asked if this has been pursued. Mr. Luly said to his knowledge, he does not believe so. Ms. Royall said it would not be a commercial venture they would be seeking to generate revenue from, but it is the information they would be able to provide. She said that the Town paid a tremendous amount to have Dr. DuPré’s quilt restored. She said that she has lost track of Trisha Boyd, who did the restoration of Dr. DuPré’s quilt. She said that Ms. Boyd worked through the museum. Ms. Boyd contacted Ms. Royall when she was working on the quilt, which exhibited names on it when shown under a black light. Ms. Royall said that there were various items she accumulated from Dr. DuPré’s house when it was sold. She said she salvaged everything she was able, and there was a hand-written note by Dr. DuPré about the ladies of Mount Pleasant who made the quilt and presented it to him. She said it was last restored approximately 20 years ago. Mr. Gutowski asked Mr. Luly to follow up with both Mr. Brown and Ms. Royall’s sources. Mr. Luly responded in the affirmative. Mr. Morrissey said that when Ms. Poplin was discussing the quilt, she said that she would work with the Charleston Museum. Mr. Macdonald said that this was also his recollection.  Historical Commission December 14, 2017 Page 13 of 23 Communications Mr. John Kelley said that there is an application through social media, called Next Door, and his plan was to attempt to get the Quick Fact Friday’s out through this application. He said the Town of Mount Pleasant has recently joined Next Door and Ms. Martine Wolfe-Miller is coordinating this effort. He said that the QFF’s can be put out on Next Door, in addition to the Town’s Historical Commission app. He said that if this cannot be accomplished through the Town’s site, perhaps, a link could be posted every Friday on Next Door through the Town that would direct the reader back to the Town’s website. He said that Next Door reaches a large number of neighborhoods throughout the Town. Mr. Gutowski said that he did not believe that the Next Door app was the best source for the QFF. Mr. Kelley said that Mr. Wright mentioned that he would like to be involved in Black History Month and since he will be stepping down from the Commission, he said that the Commission could use some assistance in advertising. He said he would like to provide Mr. Wright with a copy of the Black History Month agenda and have Mr. Wright work with Mr. Rodly Millet to push the information out. He asked Mr. Luly to provide an electronic copy to him so that he is able to provide it to the Moultrie News. Black History Month Mr. Gutowski said that although Mr. Kelley will be stepping down from the Commission, he will continue working on the Black History Month notifications and will be an advisor to the Commission. Mr. John Wright, stated that as President of the African American Historical Settlement Commission, Black History Month is very important to him. He said that they are posting their agenda on their Facebook page, as well as to communities who are tied to the AAHSC. He said that they are currently working with Trident Technical College, Mount Pleasant Campus, to set up their web page and help with IT related issues. He said that he would be happy to share the information  Historical Commission December 14, 2017 Page 14 of 23 on Black History Month on their Facebook page, as well as any of the other sites. He said that he would like to thank the Commission for putting the Black History Month event together. He said that he would also like to suggest that when planning the Black History Month event, he would like to see the events taken outside of the churches. He said that churches are not a part of the larger communities. He said that he would like to provide advice and be able to make it a more fun and entertaining event, using a public venue. He said he would like to reach out to Wando High School, as well as Moultrie and Cario Middle Schools, who should know what Black History Month is all about. He said that he has attended the events of the past few years and said that those in attendance are already aware of Black History Month. He feels it should be focused on the younger audience, because there is no correlation. Mr. Kelley asked if there is a timeline on the printing of the rack cards. Mr. Luly said that he would contact the printing company regarding scheduling details. Mr. Gutowski asked if posters can be printed as well. Mr. Luly asked if he should print the same amount of posters as last year. Mr. Gutowski responded in the affirmative, and asked all Commission members to take rack cards and posters in the January meeting and put them up around the Town. Ms. Schless asked if the posters would be done in-house. Mr. Luly stated that his time to do this is very limited. He suggested utilizing the company that printed the posters and rack cards two years ago. He said that he would try to find time to work on printing in-house. Archives Mr. Morrissey thanked Mr. Luly for uploading the Abby Munro Papers onto the website. He said that in reference to Mr. Wright’s earlier comments regarding Laing Alumni, he will reach out to Pearl Ascue to  Historical Commission December 14, 2017 Page 15 of 23 spread the word, as Abby Munro was the second principal of Laing. He said that there is now a great deal of her correspondence and activities during her time in Mount Pleasant. He said that the Archive Room has already been discussed. He said after November’s Commission meeting, he noticed that some materials were being stored in the Archive Room, specifically framed items. Mr. Luly said that there were framed pictures from the previous building that may have ended up in that room, but is not sure where they came from. He said one is a plat and another is an old highway road map. He said that they are both early 20th century. Mr. Morrissey asked if there was a plan to obtain any input from Ms. Poplin on the design and ordering of furniture for the Archive Room. He said when Ms. Poplin met with them in October, she said that she would present her final design in November; however, it never happened. He asked if there has been any update. Mr. Luly said that he understood that she would not be coming back before the Commission. He added that she took the Commission’s ideas and incorporated them into her design. Mr. Morrissey said that he would simply like to know if the plan has been finalized, if a copy of the plan has been shared, and the status on whether the furnishings have been ordered. Mr. Luly said that he will follow up with Ms. Poplin on the furnishings as well as a finalized floorplan. Mr. Morrissey asked if Mr. Luly would also request from Ms. Poplin who she requested to repair Dr. DuPré’s quilt. He said that when looking online, he noticed that there are tabs for linked forms for gifts to the Town. He asked if they were older prior forms that were used or are they the product of the recent legal review that began in October, 2017, where Legal Counsel was going to come up with a Town-wide gift program. He said that he did not see this link previously and when looking at the Abby Munro Papers, he noticed the link for this. Mr. Luly said that he has not seen or heard about it.  Historical Commission December 14, 2017 Page 16 of 23 Mr. Morrissey said that on December 20th, it will be the 180th birthday of the Town and it will be covered in this week’s Quick Fact Friday. Mr. Macdonald said that it was his understanding that the Town’s Legal Counsel was working on the gift policy and procedure. He said it should ideally be reviewed by the Historical Commission and said if it is on the website, it would be prudent to know what forms are being displayed. Ms. Schless said that these forms were on the previous Town website and said that she will look them over again. Mr. Morrissey said that he did discuss this with Legal Counsel following a previous Commission meeting where this was discussed. He said that he did receive email feedback stating that the Town’s Legal Counsel were working on a Town-wide gift policy that would not only be limited to historical items, but uniform to all elements. Mr. Brown said that it appears that the Commission is missing a teachable moment, such as the birthday of the Town of Mount Pleasant. He asked if the Town has any plans to celebrate the 180th birthday of the Town. Mr. Luly said that he does not believe so. Mr. Gutowski said that he recalls bringing the subject up to the Town and their response was that they were not going to get involved. Mr. Brown said that the Town is missing a beautiful opportunity with a new Town Hall, because the ground itself that Town Hall is sitting on is history. Mr. Gutowski said that he neglected to mention that Mr. Trey Harrell was not present and has an unexcused absence. Mr. Morrissey said that he did the Quick Fact Friday for today, which talks about the Town’s birthday next Wednesday. He said the picture that accompanies his QFF, is the 1838 map and the 1837 South Carolina Ordinance that establishes the Town, and lists a Commission. He said that all those names are very familiar for anyone who drives around Mt. Pleasant and those members were commissioned to come up with the  Historical Commission December 14, 2017 Page 17 of 23 first plat. He said the plat shown on his QFF is the plat. He said in the 1880’s the Town commissioned a pamphlet of all South Carolina ordinances affecting Mount Pleasant and the very first entry into that pamphlet is the ordinance establishing the Town of Mount Pleasant. He said that there is a link to that for his QFF this Friday, along with the founding documents. Mr. Gutowski asked if Mr. Morrissey’s QFF can be made permanent on the website. Ms. Schless stated that Mr. Gutowski asked at the last Commission meeting if all of the QFF’s could be made available permanently on the website. She said that she will need to coordinate with Mr. Luly to make the adjustments to the template and address those issues. She asked Mr. Morrissey if the actual plat in hard copy is still in existence. Mr. Morrissey said that when researching it, the attributions to those using it were to the South Carolina Historical Society. He said that he is assuming that it exists with them. Ms. Schless asked about obtaining a copy of it to hang in the Archive Room. Mr. Morrissey said that he feels strongly about doing this, which is why he requested the plat console filing cabinet in the archive room. VI. General Discussion – Items of Interest Mr. Macdonald said that it is shocking that the Town is ignoring its birthday. He would like to suggest to the Commission to request a formal meeting with the new Mayor to explain who the Commission is and seek his assistance in promoting the purposes of this Commission and the preservation and enhancement of the history of this Town. He said that the Commission is not well promoted at all and most of the citizens are not even aware the Commission exists. He suggested that Mr. Gutowski, as the chairman, request a formal meeting with the new Mayor. He recommended that the Chairman of this Commission write a formal letter to the Mayor, so there is a record.  Historical Commission December 14, 2017 Page 18 of 23 Mr. Luly said that he will discuss with the Clerk of Council. Mr. Morrissey stated that between the November meeting and this meeting, he forwarded the Commission’s input to the Comprehensive Plan Commission and it exists in their records. He said that he will send a copy to the recording secretary to ensure it exists in the Commission’s records. (Email shown at the end of the minutes) Mr. Wright suggested the Commission send a letter to both the Post and Courier and the Moultrie News regarding the 180th birthday of the Town. Mr. Morrissey said that while researching material to write his QFF on the birthday of the Town, he found a write up in the Moultrie News; however, it was in March of 2017. He said that it would be great for them to pull that article from their archives and republish again. Mr. Gutowski asked Mr. Kelley to follow up with the editor of the Moultrie News, Sully Witte. Ms. Schless asked how the Communications Committee will be handled moving forward, since Mr. Kelley is stepping down from the Commission. Mr. Gutowski stated that Mr. Kelley will still handle communications for the Black History Month events; however, the Commission will have discussions regarding the responsibilities of the Communications Committee. He said there is a pending application awaiting Town Council’s approval. Mr. Kelley stated that he hopes that Town Council will approve the application at the January Town Council meeting. Mr. Shortridge said that he was asked where Bowman Road and Stuart Engals got their names. Mr. Brown said that his wife, who grew up in Mount Pleasant, advised him that there was a gentleman by the name of Stuart Engal that had a big house on the frontage road. He said that his wife did not have any  Historical Commission December 14, 2017 Page 19 of 23 additional information, but remembered the house and the gentleman who lived there. Ms. Royall stated that Anna Knapp owned the property that the street goes through; however, she is unable to verify that information.  Historical Commission December 14, 2017 Page 20 of 23 Letter to Comprehensive Plan Commission (as per Mr. Morrissey) November 17, 2017 VIA EMAIL Liz Boyles Principal Planner, Town of Mount Pleasant eboyles@tompsc.com C. Gregory Dale FAICP McBride Dale Clarion gdale@mcbridedale.com Dear Ms. Boyles and Mr. Dale, Under town ordnance 13016, the Historical Commission is tasked with the purpose to preserve, protect and promote the integrity of properties significant to local history, architecture, archeology, engineering, economics, transportation and culture. We are also tasked to encourage preservation efforts in co-ordination with community desires and the town’s land use comprehensive plan. As I have been selected to compile our input, please accept the following as a collective current submission of the town’s Historical Commission to your call for comment on the Comprehensive Plan review: --Protection of the Sweetgrass Basket Overlay District: In June of 2017 the Commission sent a letter to Mayor Page documenting our June 8 vote to ask that a moratorium on actions related to zoning matters that impact the Sweetgrass Overlay District be enacted pending the conclusion of the current Comprehensive Plan review and revision process. The overlay district was recognized by the town in an effort to protect its cultural and environmental heritage. The Historical Commission has received numerous communications from concerned citizens over the last year alarmed by the issuance of waivers to zoning restrictions in the district. Our Commission values the intent of the designation of the overlay district and asks that it be preserved, and its  Historical Commission December 14, 2017 Page 21 of 23 status and protections be enhanced in any revisions to the Comprehensive Plan. Our June letter is attached for reference and elaboration. --Development of connecting paths trail and parklands along the Christ Church Line: The line cuts across the middle of Mount Pleasant, from Wampancheone Creek (Boone Hall Creek) to the marsh facing Dewees Inlet at what was called Fort Palmetto. Boone Hall Plantation contains the northern/western terminus. The center portion of the line is protected in part by preservation easements held by the South Carolina Battlefield Trust, and winds through the parish property of Christ Church, through the construction site of the Primus neighborhood and then through lands that will be included within the Town’s new Rifle Range Park. The developer of the Oyster Point Neighborhood off Rifle Range Road has already created a trail and park at the southern end of the line. This old civil war fortification, with the existing partial protections afforded it, can serve as a foundation for a trail linking the Mount Pleasant icons of Boone Hall, the Pinckney National Historic site, and the old Christ Church (before there was a Town of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina was divided into parishes; the Town’s footprint and the area beyond was within Christ Church Parish). With the Oyster Point and Primus developers contributing sections, and the future construction of the Rifle Range Park, there is potential for a park system that both connects existing tourist and recreation land use and provides a center of gravity for the Town away from Charleston Harbor. If bike trials or greenways are provided along Long Point Road past the plantations and perhaps a wooden bike/ walking bridge over Wampancheone (Boone Hall Creek), this trail could connect to Palmetto Islands County Park. An eastern extension could connect the Laurel Hill County Park. The unconnected pieces are already in place to create something of a Frederick-Law- Olmsted-vision, something like Boston’s Emerald Neckless: a park system that preserves the cultural and environmental heritage of the Town, provides a buffer around some of its most significant historic properties, and create a trail system that would become its own attraction. As the Comprehensive Plan incorporates the often stated  Historical Commission December 14, 2017 Page 22 of 23 community desire for pedestrian and bike trails, consideration ought to be given to pedestrian overpasses over main thoroughfares ( ie: Highway 17), that would give this park system integrity. Undeveloped areas of land along the paths should be considered for pocket parks, passive parks and wooded buffers. An online map of the civil war berm is available at http://scbattlegroundtrust.org/mountpleasant/ , which can be linked through the history tab on the Town’s website. --Protections for older structures and archeological sites: At one open house held by the Town last year an architecture student came to the Commission desk and decried the destruction of what she determined was a Reconstruction era freedman’s cottage at the clear-cut development of Indigo Square across from Towne Centre. The Comprehensive Plan should recommend protections for buildings of a certain age (we propose 75 years, but this can be debated). Possible mechanisms for such protection would require those seeking demolition permits to warrant the age of the building and if greater than a certain age, to commission an archeological survey of the structure for submission to the Town before any consideration of the destruction request. Incentives might be considered for restoring or incorporating portions of older buildings to new uses. As an example, the Commission is aware that Home Depot is considering use of the stone entry way to the historic Laing Campus on Hwy 17 in their new construction on that land. Further, the Commission was made aware that a building at 605 Long Point Road, on the block for redevelopment as commercial office space, was a segregated school house built by the county school district in the late 1920s or early 30s. We hoped to begin discussions with interested parties to either its incorporation on site or relocation. As part of the assembly of Town Archives for our history room in the new Town Hall, we have found archeological surveys commissioned by developers pre-development ( ie: Long Point/ the former Palmetto Grove Plantation; Hobcaw plantation). These surveys allow an informed discussion on what is being lost. Such surveys should be required of all development over a certain size, density or foot print and the resulting report widely disseminated to interested parties before authorizations for land clearing, construction or re-zoning. These concerns should be  Historical Commission December 14, 2017 Page 23 of 23 addressed in requirements for impact studies in all development above a determined scope. --Respect for the integrity of our historic landscape: Charleston developed as a city state: an urban core with an agricultural and natural periphery. We should respect that land use by staying a town and not seeking to be a city. As the Charleston County land use plan seeks to maintain the character of rural areas, our development in contact with rural areas should gradually become less dense. We should not build up to our boundaries. We should respect existing designations of “scenic highways” (ie Long Point Road) and maintain tree canopies where they exist. View easements should be considered. Many of these suggestions are broad, but appropriate for the initial phase of the comprehensive plan review. We hope that the Commission can remain engaged in the process as specific recommendations are advance. Please contact me at your convenience with any questions or requests. With kindest regards, Patrick Morrissey Vice Chair, Mount Pleasant Historical Commission VII. Adjourn Mr. Macdonald moved to adjourn; seconded by Mr. Kelley. All present voted in favor. There being no further business, meeting adjourned at 9:18 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Barbara Ashe December 14, 2017