Our Projects
Second Founding of America is committed to honoring the Reconstruction Era by discovering and presenting its history through active research and telling the little-known stories of the period through visual and performing arts and community presentations.
Second Founding of America, through its Advisory Board, is partnered with other like-minded organizations to promote related projects. In addition to collaborative community outreach and educational programming, SFA is the philanthropic partner with the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park and the Reconstruction Era Historic Network.
According to the January 13, 2017 Proclamation by the Obama administration, “ . . . during Reconstruction, the first African Americans enlisted as soldiers, the first African American schools were founded, early efforts to distribute land to former slaves took place, and many of the Reconstruction Era's most significant African American politicians, including Robert Smalls, came to prominence. African American political influence and land ownership endured there long after setbacks in other regions. In short, crucial questions related to land, labor, education, and politics after slavery—and some early hopeful efforts to address them are a crucial part of the American story which are reflected 150 years later. The significant historical events that transpired in Beaufort County make it an ideal place to tell stories of experimentation, potential transformation, hope, accomplishment, and disappointment. In Beaufort County, including St. Helena Island, the town of Port Royal, and the city of Beaufort, many existing historic objects demonstrate the transformative effect of emancipation and Reconstruction.”
Although Second Founding of America was originated in Beaufort, it is our hope to create a template to help other communities uncover their history, so they can better inform their present and future. While Beaufort created a template for what could be achieved as a result of Reconstruction, it by no means tells the same story as other communities.
The following is a sample of projects where SFA initiating and/or working with others:
• The Reconstruction Youth Chorale
• The Second Founding Storytellers
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“Emancipation, Robert Smalls and the NW Quadrant”
• The Visual and Performing Arts Project(s)
• The Civic Action Project(s)
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Explorers of a Hidden Past Scholarship Program
• Teaching Teachers to Teach Reconstruction (Partnering with Facing History and
Ourselves)
• Historic Preservation Initiatives:
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Restoration of the Deacons Study House at Brick Church on St Helena Island
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Restoration of the Stokes’ Family Freedman’s Cottage (funded by Beaufort County)
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Restoration off structural elements at The Grand Army Hall of the Republic
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Rebuilding the original steeple at First African Baptist Church (funded by Beaufort County)
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Design and Installation of storm water system to protect Brick Baptist Church and the adjacent historic burial plots
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Providing directional and roadside interpretative signage for the Park and Network sites in Beaufort County
Community Series
The Exploring History Community Series presents a unique and diverse roster of distinguished speakers, authors, historians, artists and performances. Event topics focus on the Reconstruction Era and its impact. The events are recorded and made available to the public for educational purposes.
These events are hosted in part by the Second Founding of America, the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, the USCB Institute for the Study of the Reconstruction Era and the Gullah Geechee Heritage Corridor Commission.
Support for Reconstruction Era National Monument
Second Founding of America: Reconstruction Era -- with partners -- is seeking funding and other support for improving the four sites that are included in the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park and to restore period buildings as additional visitor centers at Brick Baptist Church on St Helena Island and Camp Saxton in the Town of Port Royal.
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Children Teaching Children
Second Founding of America: Reconstruction Era is developing educational initiatives to teach children the stories of Reconstruction so that they can educate other students through visual art, music, oral histories and books on a variety of topics.
Currently in its second year is the Reconstruction Era Youth Chorale that will travel to schools and public events.
Also in progress is the Children’s Video Project which will create a series of short videos and books telling the stories of people and places in this important but neglected part of our national history.
History of Beaufort's Northwest Quadrant A Village Built by Freed Slaves
Known as the Northwest Quadrant, only because that’s where it sits on a map and no one has taken the time or interest to name it in historical context like other neighborhoods in the City of Beaufort, the neighborhood embodies considerable history and structures relating to what took place during the Reconstruction Era in the City of Beaufort.
One of its most unknown historical features is that many of its vacant blocks, abandoned by their white owners, were purchased by former slaves that became Union soldiers who received preferred opportunities to purchase them at federal tax sales.
A second significant feature is that many of its earlier structures were built by the hands of freedmen who became craftsmen who, after work each day, pooled their skills to help each other build cottages unique to the period and financial considerations.
Over time many of the cottages were handed down to family members both close and extended, while others were sold. Becoming part of the important Historic Landmark District also brought challenges: repairs and replacement materials were restricted to original materials that drove the cost of maintenance beyond the ability of many families to maintain them. Furthermore, when structures were handed down, they often were deeded to multiple people many who did not occupy or maintain them. In some cases, with absentee owners who may not have even known each other, the properties became subject to heirs property dividing the rights which prevented even those living in them from maintaining property to which they did not have a clear deed or other rights necessary to borrow funds and make changes. Many of these cottages fell to fires, decay and neglect and those found unsafe had to be removed. Yet some significant structures remain: some have been restored by people moving into the neighborhood while others are awaiting the attention they deserve though the process is complicated and the restoration costs generally higher than new construction.
Reconstruction Era plans to work with the Historic Beaufort Foundation to establish a fund pool to help those who want to fix up their homes for themselves and the next generation and those who want to purchase and restore those that present the best living example of the work of freedmen during and after the Civil War.
To learn more about the history of the Northwest Quadrant, watch a short video produced and edited by local middle school students as a part of our Reconstruction Era Storytellers program.
Visual Interpretation
Second Founding of America: Reconstruction Era has an artists’ studio where local artists will be translating stories of Reconstruction and showing them in the Center.
Second Founding of America: Reconstruction Era, thanks to the Santa Elena History Foundation Board, occupies space at the Santa Elena History Center for interpretation, a shared lecture room, a shared event/reception space and exhaling materials for public display.
Stay tuned for lectures, community discussions and much more. Learn more on the "Learning Center" tab. Join us in discovering The Second Founding of America.
