VIRTUAL London Heritages Conference

Abstract

On South Carolina’s coast, Gullah Geechee craft practices partnered with federal funding to launch an unprecedented educational endeavor: the Port Royal Experiment (f. 1862). As the first foray into reconstruction following the emancipation of 10,000 enslaved people, the Penn School on St. Helena Island was dedicated to education for the newly freed. In the mid-twentieth century, the site transformed into the Penn Center, which was integral to organizational efforts for the Modern Civil Rights Movement. Today, the Penn Center is one of only two National Historic Landmark Districts (est. 1974) in the US dedicated to African American history. Still, its coastal location is threatened by climate change and errant development. This paper will showcase ongoing digital documentation at the site at multiple scales with a suite of tools, from RTK photogrammetric aerial surveys to LiDAR scanning and low-cost tools (e.g., Ricoh 360). Digital documentation in historic preservation can often be viewed as a one-and-done approach: a singular record to establish a baseline of current conditions, sometimes developed into HBIM, but often used as a reference point that is statically archived. Using ongoing university-based field work and research exercises at the site, this paper will demonstrate integrated documentation methods to tackle proactive preservation, particularly underscoring the importance of iterative scans. By studying late 19th-century building practices, 150 years of site evolution and adaptation, and current methods to engage diverse audiences, the work engages myriad cultural, social, and economic contexts to invest in community-based service learning for placekeeping, preservation education, and resiliency.