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South Carolina Historical Society seeks $458,000 to support $1 museum admission and statewide programming
Summary
The South Carolina Historical Society told the Economic Development Budget Subcommittee it needs $458,000 to offset costs of a $1 admission policy and expand statewide programming ahead of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.
The South Carolina Historical Society asked the Economic Development Budget Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee for $458,000 to support a $1 admission model and expand statewide programming ahead of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.
The request aims to preserve and broaden access to the society’s collections and public programs: the society said it operates an archive at the College of Charleston’s Addlestone Library and a museum in the Fireproof Building on Meeting Street in Charleston, a National Historic Landmark designed by architect Robert Mills. The society noted one high-profile item in its collections: condolence notes and letters sent to Mother Emanuel AME Church after the 2015 massacre.
In testimony the society’s representative, Miss Hsu, said lowering museum admission to $1 in 2024 doubled museum attendance versus the previous year. The society asked the committee for $458,000 to cover staff costs, annual exhibition support, building upkeep, program supplies, and marketing to expand outreach statewide; a budget breakdown was included in the society’s materials and was cited in testimony as page 11 of the handout.
Hsu said the society runs statewide programs for K–12 and higher-education audiences, quarterly free family days, and a $5 architecture tour of the Fireproof Building; she said those initiatives support both education and heritage tourism. The society also described a partnership with the State Museum to create a traveling exhibition on South Carolina’s role in the American Revolution to be shown around the state.
Committee members asked about artifact conservation and partnerships. Hsu said the society has in-house archival expertise but outsources specialized conservation work when necessary; she described an account book of early state founder Henry Laurens (spelled Henry Lawrence in the transcript materials) that is undergoing conservation at an external studio. The society said it coordinates with the State Archives and the State Museum and that board members and staff include a chief development officer and multiple volunteers and managers who travel with the society’s work.
The committee welcomed the request and praised the society’s work to expand access and programs; representatives said they would try to help within a constrained budget year. Hsu emphasized that 2026 marks the start of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution and framed the society’s work as statewide and educational in scope.
