Community presses to preserve Old Ellington School; councilmember secures grant to document its history

Residents and community members told the Town of Ravenel on April 29 that they want the town to preserve the cultural and historic value of the Old Ellington school site as plans for a new town center move forward.

A community representative said the mayor asked local volunteers to gather input; a March meeting drew about 26 residents who raised concerns about preserving history, maintaining cultural connections to the Black community, and including community resources for all ages in the new town center. The representative proposed a series of follow-up meetings, including several Zoom sessions in May, to collect memories and plan for contractor engagement.

Eric Grant, who identified himself to the council and said he was awarded a grant from the Charleston Scientific and Cultural Education Fund, said his project will collect photos and other records that document the Miley Hill E.B. Ellington School and the broader community. "My intention is to begin with collecting pictures from all the generations that have attended the school," Grant said, and he thanked the mayor and the Town of Ravenel for initial financial help to start the project.

The Mayor noted that the town has an updated asbestos report for a facility the town purchased and said that the report has been renewed to permit moving to a demolition bid phase if appropriate. Council members discussed leaving a visible historical element in the new design; the Mayor later told the architect the story of the school's "red chair," and the architect plans to incorporate a red chair in the new building.

Next steps described at the meeting include additional community outreach sessions, coordination with historians (including contact with the late school's daughter for historical information), and aligning contractor schedules once the town completes environmental and bidding prerequisites.