Study Architecture 
ProPEL 
Author(s): Alice Guess
On a scenic oak lined road that follows the curves of the river between downtown Charleston, SC and the island resort community of Kiawah Island lies a vine covered ruin of concrete block walls. In front of the building is a sign that reads Historic Site PROGRESSIVE CLUB. A Community Service Center Est. 1948. Nothing about the sign or the broken walls gives any indication of its cultural or historical significance. Nothing about what remains suggests this site was the center of a community education and engagement movement that became a model for communities across the nation during the civil rights struggle. Important figures such as Martin Luther King and Andrew M. Young came to this place to learn about strategies for voter education and community organization that were developed by The Progressive Club. In 1989 Hurricane Hugo caused significant damage to the roof structure of the building. In a community with limited means, struggling to recover losses to person property the uninsured building was left relatively unprotected. While there have been efforts to stabilize the structure since that time, it has deteriorated to the point where it might not be possible to rehabilitate the remaining fabric. In its current state the site cannot be seen, it is invisible to those without knowledge of its story. The oral tradition of this coastal community is still strong and as a result the history of this place is largely anecdotal and individualized. It is also relatively recent. While these aspects place this site outside of the realm of traditional preservation might they also provide an alternative mode of persistence? This paper will explore the potential for the oral record of the place to suggest a model for the rehabilitation of the physical site. While the structure may not be reconstructed in the traditional sense, might it still have the power to speak.
Volume Editors
Anthony Abbate, Francis Lyn & Rosemary Kennedy
ISBN
978-0-935502-90-9
