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Local nonprofit seeks to restore All Star Bowling Lanes as memorial and community hub
Summary
Ellen Zisholtz told the Orangeburg City Council her nonprofit has placed All Star Bowling Lanes on the National Register in connection with the Orangeburg Massacre, raised $2 million for preservation and plans a phased redevelopment with 16 lanes, a lunch counter, exhibits and a civil‑rights trail.
Ellen Zisholtz, director of the Center for Creative Partnerships, told the Orangeburg City Council on Dec. 3 that her nonprofit has secured national recognition and funding to preserve All Star Bowling Lanes, a site linked to the Orangeburg Massacre.
"We were able to get All Star Bowling Lanes on the National Register for the Orangeburg Massacre," Zisholtz said, and she told the council the nonprofit has raised $2,000,000 for preservation. She said the organization owns about two-thirds of the adjacent parking and an empty lot next to the lanes and envisions a commemorative park running from Russell Street to the bowling lanes.
Zisholtz outlined a phased restoration plan. Phase 2 is expected to finish by the end of the month, she said, and phase 3 — for which she indicated funding is in place — will cover a facade restoration coordinated with National Park Service funding, installation of restrooms and interior finishes. The restored bowling alley would include 16 lanes intended for tournaments, a lunch counter, a community room for conversations and screenings, commemorative exhibits and outdoor seating.
She described partnerships tied to the project, saying a national bowling organization that represents Black bowlers has joined the effort and framed the site’s history as part of a broader social‑justice story in the sport. Zisholtz also said the project will include a civil‑rights trail linking the university to the bowling lanes and a technology component that will use interns and AI mapping for an exhibit planned in March.
"I really feel like what we're doing is gonna be special for Orangeburg," Zisholtz said, adding that she hopes the venue becomes a site for reconciliation and community events. She named Bill Hine as chair of a history committee, thanked a volunteer named Randy and identified Paul Turner as a technical expert on the metaverse mapping project.
The presentation drew thanks from council members and an invitation for a future site tour; no formal action or council vote was taken on the redevelopment plan during the meeting. The nonprofit’s ownership of adjacent lots and its fundraising totals were presented directly by Zisholtz.
