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Archives displays 1776 constitution, requests staff funding and exhibit‑hall expansion
Summary
Dr. Emerson presented the department's preservation work (including the 1776 constitution on exhibit) and requested moving two SHPO positions to state funding, $175,000 recurring for insurance/IT increases and $2,000,000 nonrecurring to complete exhibit‑hall expansion.
Dr. Emerson of the Department of Archives and History brought historical artifacts to the subcommittee and summarized preservation, digitization and public‑access work, including a display of South Carolina's 1776 constitution.
Why it matters: The archives preserve documentary heritage and support public access to records and research; the department sought funding to stabilize staff support for SHPO work, cover growing insurance and state IT costs, and complete a planned expansion of exhibit and meeting space.
Emerson said the agency distributed about $1.5 million in historic preservation grants last year across planning and implementation awards, described digitization projects (e.g., McCrady plats, Charleston ward books) and said the first priority is to move two SHPO staff from federal to state funding (a net zero cost to the state line item but a request to align FTEs to state funding). The department requested $175,000 recurring for insurance and DTO cost increases and an additional $2,000,000 toward a roughly $3.57 million completion cost for an exhibit‑hall expansion (he estimated completion in 2028–2029 if funded).
What's next: The department offered to supply further breakdowns and thanked the subcommittee for prior support on conservation and digitization work.
