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Community group seeks to restore Brooklyn School as community hub; state preservation assessment underway
Summary
Representatives from a community group told Colleton County Council they have secured grants and begun assessments to renovate Brooklyn School, now listed on a national historic registry, and seek county support for renovations, services and a mobile health facility connection.
A community group that is working to restore the historic Brooklyn School presented plans to Colleton County Council on June 3, 2025, saying it has secured preliminary grants and is moving forward with preservation assessments and project planning.
Octavia Lewis, representing the group’s effort to restore the building, told the council the Brooklyn School is now registered as a national historic site and that the group has received a $50,000 grant to support planning. The county-funded or state-funded grant (described in the presentation as a $50,000 award) will help the group hire an architect to produce professional renderings and guide rehabilitation work. The group has also engaged the state preservation and archive department and a lead conservation company to assess the building; the assessment will identify hazardous materials and produce a full renovation plan.
Why it matters: presenters said the goal is to renovate the school into a community hub that can host educational, athletic and health services for residents who have limited access to nearby facilities. The group described progress on a new baseball field and said mobile health providers are willing to serve the site if an indoor restroom is available for patient use.
Key details provided in the presentation:
- The Brooklyn School has been entered on a national historic registry and the project has received a $50,000 planning grant (as stated by the presenters).
- A lead conservation company is assessing the building to identify hazardous materials and to produce a renovation plan; that assessment will guide next steps.
- The group said it will seek architect-rendered plans if a further grant application is successful; they will also produce a written project plan for the council.
- The group requested county support and said it will provide the council with a written document outlining the full plan and funding requests.
Council response and next steps: council members praised the effort and said county staff and the new county administrator expressed interest in coordinating resources. One council member asked for the project’s written vision so the county could better “connect the dots” on what help might be available; the presenters agreed to provide a written plan.
Ending: presenters emphasized the project’s community benefits, including potential mobile health access and expanded youth and adult athletic programming; council members said they would follow up after receiving a written plan.
