Penn Center on St. Helena Island
Located in heart of the South Carolina Sea Islands you will find Penn Center which is one of country’s first schools for freed slaves. It is also one of the most important African American historical and cultural institutions in existence today. The center is located on St. Helena Island, which is one of the most beautiful and historically distinct of the South Carolina Sea Islands. St. Helena Island is located approximiately 67 miles from Tybee Island or about a 1 hour and 35 minute drive.
Penn Center is located in the 50 acre campus of Penn School and sits at the heart of Gullah culture. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1974 and is part of the Penn School Historic District which is comprised of 19 buildings related to and used by Penn School–Brick Church, Darrah Hall, one of the oldest buildings on St. Helena Island, old burial grounds, Gantt Cottage where Martin Luther King Jr. lodged, a Nature Trail, Chowan Creek, acres of pines, native flora and fauna.
The mission of Penn Center is to promote and preserve the history and culture of the Sea Islands. They serve as a local, national and international resource center, and act as a catalyst for the developm
ent of programs for self-sufficiency. Penn Center operates the History and Culture Program, the Land Use and Environmental Education Program, the Program for Academic and Cultural Enrichment(PACE) and partners with the University of South Carolina—Beaufort to offer the Early Childhood At Risk Initiative.
Penn welcomes its visitors through its Conference Center and the York W. Bailey Museum. Visitors may tour the museum Monday through Saturday from 11:00 am through 4:00 pm with an admission fee of $4 for adults, $2 for children and seniors. Group rates are $2 per person.
A Sample of Penn Center Programs:
The Annual Penn Center Heritage Days Celebration is held every second weekend in November to celebrate and showcase the unique cultural heritage of the Gullah people of the Sea Islands. Other public programs include the Community Sing held every third Sunday from September to May to highlight the African American tradition through song. Each Labor Day, Penn sponsors its Labor Day Celebration on the “Green” at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park. For a complete listing of other programs, see the Penn Center calendar of events. (Download the PDF file linked on this page for the annual calender of events.)
The York W. Bailey Museum was founded in 1971 to interpret the history of Penn School and to share the cultural legacy of the Sea Islands. Located in the Cope Industrial Building, the museum is open to the public Monday through Saturday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm and by special appointment. The museum features the permanent exhibition, “Education for Freedom” which tells the story of Penn School and its history. Exhibitions in the main gallery change every six to eight weeks.
The Laura M. Towne Archives and Library is open to the public by appointment only. It features prints from one of the oldest collections of photographs of African Americans in the country. Its holdings include copies of the original diary of Laura Towne and of records, books, and audio recordings that date back to the founding of the school. Penn maintains an archival collaboration with the Southern Historical Collection at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where originals of enduring historical value are professionally preserved and made available to researchers. Please see the description of the Penn School Papers at the SHC’s website.
For more info visit their website: http://www.penncenter.com.
