LASR.net Homepage




Menu

Penn Center Inc.


category : Other Attractions
After Union occupation of the sea islands in 1861, Northern missionaries Laura Towne and Ellen Murray and abolitionists founded Penn Center in 1862 for the education of newly freed Sea Island slaves. The Penn School operated through the end of World War II when education was provided by the Beaufort County school system. The school preserved much of the Island's African-American history and culture through collections, historical documentation, oral histories, musical recordings and handicrafts (especially sweetgrass baskets). The facility also served as a meeting place for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. prior to the March on Washington in 1963. The Penn School and Center is available today for tours, educational enrichment, conventions and group enrichment. More than 1,000 works on African American Gullah culture and Sea Island history are housed in the Laura Towne Library. Each year, the site is the setting for the Heritage Days Celebration, featuring Gullah song, dance and art. Introduced in 2005, the two week Gullah Studies Institute is designed to introduce audiences to the Gullah Culture and Penn Center.


Admission:

  • Checks Accepted: Yes
  • Visa/Mas
    Hours:

Attractions and Upcoming Events

Barefoot Farms

U-pick year-round (greenhouse)

Saint Helena Island, SC Farms

Captain Eddie's Fishing Charters And Sightseeing Cruises

Offshore and inshore fishing charters on the 27' "Glory Hallelujah II" or inshore on the 17' "Little Glory Hallelujah"

Saint Helena Island, SC Charters

Gullah-N-Geechie Mahn Tours

This historical tour of St. Helena and the surrounding Sea Islands brings to life stories and contributions of enslaved Africans and their native cultures and how it significantly influenced the growth and development of South Carolina's and America's culture. Offers "receptive operators"

Saint Helena Island, SC Tours

Penn Center Inc.

After Union occupation of the sea islands in 1861, Northern missionaries Laura Towne and Ellen Murray and abolitionists founded Penn Center in 1862

Saint Helena Island, SC Other Attractions

Rev's Step On Tours

Rev's tour is an "UNFUGULLABLE"

Saint Helena Island, SC Tours

Things to do Other Attractions near Saint Helena Island, SC

Plantation Course at Edisto

The 18-hole championship golf course at Edisto Beach, designed by Tom Jackson, once was ranked as one of the "Top 25" courses...

Cool Breeze Kayaking

This guided trip ventures into the calm, secluded salt-marsh creeks of Hilton Head's Barrier Island Ecosystem. After prelimin...

Daws Island Heritage Preserve

This island contains four Late Archaic Period shell rings dating to 4,500 years ago. Twenty-three other sites ranging from 10...

The Vacation Company

Beautiful private homes and villas for rental on lovely Hilton Head Island. Island wide locations: Palmetto Dunes, Shipyard...

Hilton Head Island

Hilton Head Island is famous for its 12-mile stretch of glistening sands. But a visit to Hilton Head is more than just a day ...