Much has been said and written about the College of Charleston Foundation’s interest in purchasing McLeod Plantation from the Historic Charleston Foundation.
Since the College and the College of Charleston Foundation first announced their intentions in September, we have listened carefully to the community, studied the property and its history, and weighed the pros and cons of owning McLeod Plantation. We initially believed that the considerable expense and commitment that would be required to purchase, restore, maintain, and open McLeod Plantation to the public was justified by the multiple academic and recreational benefits it would provide to our students, faculty, and staff. Moreover, these benefits aligned with the values and goals of the College’s new Strategic Plan, and we felt confident that an investment in McLeod Plantation would be an investment in the future of the College and the Lowcountry.
Our plan included using the plantation as a living laboratory for our historic preservation program, engaging our students and faculty in the restoration of all 13 historic plantation buildings and the long-neglected gravesites. Our archeology students would help uncover McLeod Plantation’s history. Our African-American Studies program and our Avery Research Center would help research, preserve, and interpret the plantation’s long history.
Our biology and environmental sciences programs would study the property’s ecology.
We envisioned two or three small buildings being built along the back boundary of the plantation to support the educational, research, and preservation activities of students and faculty. In addition, we planned a several-acre student farm — a sustainability project that would yield produce for our main dining hall. The remainder of the fields would be converted to a large grassy ‘college green’ that would be used by all of our students and the local community for recreation, relaxation, and special events. The green and the new buildings would be hidden from the existing plantation buildings by a line of bushes and trees.
Despite our best efforts to engage all stakeholders, explain our thinking, and provide complete transparency by putting our intentions and due diligence documents on our Website, some individuals misrepresented our plans. Fortunately, many groups and individuals sought to participate in an honest and meaningful dialogue about McLeod Plantation and the very serious issues surrounding its stabilization, preservation, and long-term upkeep. Among them were several African-American heritage and cultural organizations who were respectful of both the property and the College, and who indicated a desire for continuing interaction with the College. The discussions that took place during the due diligence phase of the purchase process were valuable and instructive in ways that extend far beyond the property itself.
I believe that the knowledge gained and the relationships that were built have the potential to benefit our institution and community for generations to come.
A few days before Christmas, members of the university community and I met with representatives and leaders from six different African-American and Gullah/Geechee cultural heritage organizations and two other preservationist groups to discuss the College’s possible purchase of McLeod Plantation. These same groups came back together a few weeks later at McLeod Plantation for a follow-up discussion.
What we heard and what we learned at those meetings was profound. We heard clearly that the establishment of a student recreation field at McLeod Plantation would detract from an accurate historical interpretation of its buildings, including the row of slave cabins, and the marked and unmarked gravesites. We heard the descendants of slaves speak frankly and passionately about their ancestors’ sacrifices and how McLeod Plantation endures as a legacy and living testament to their struggles for freedom. We heard that the College should expand its efforts to study and preserve African-American history. We also heard strong support for our plans to restore and maintain the historic buildings and the gravesites of McLeod Plantation. Most importantly, there was unanimous agreement that we had opened a much-needed dialogue between the African-American community and the College — one that I am confident will continue far into the future and far beyond the issue at hand.
Unfortunately, with the fields at McLeod not available for a college green that would support recreational and other student and community usage, the benefits the College would derive from ownership of McLeod Plantation are limited to a small proportion of our students and faculty. Accordingly, we can no longer justify the costs associated with purchasing the property, preserving the buildings, restoring the gravesites, and maintaining McLeod Plantation in perpetuity. While we are disappointed with this outcome, we are also energized and inspired by the important lessons we have learned and by the exciting new opportunities that have arisen.
The College remains deeply concerned about McLeod Plantation’s future. Its priceless structures are in disrepair, and, without immediate stabilization, some of them could be lost forever. Fortunately, the College is willing to offer its expertise to assist in the preservation and interpretation of McLeod Plantation, regardless of who owns the property.
The College has a long and proven track record in the preservation and stewardship of historic properties. With 76 buildings that are more than 100 years old and a few that are over 200 years old, the College is Charleston’s largest historic preservationist. To appreciate the College’s considerable investment in these treasured assets, one needs to look no further than the center of our historic campus, where a major exterior restoration of Randolph Hall and the Cistern Yard is currently underway.
We extend our deepest appreciation and thanks to those who helped us explore the costs and benefits to the College and the community of our potential purchase of McLeod Plantation. We look forward to building upon the many relationships that were established along the way. And we stand ready to help ensure that historic McLeod Plantation lives on to tell its story to future generations.
