Why Preserve?
Other sections of this website focus on the various programs of the State Historic Preservation Office, as well as information about historic properties in the state. This section helps answer the question of why we engage in these efforts, what we gain when we do, and how to inspire others to join in.
Courthouse Square in Abbeville
Preserving Our Past to Build a Healthy Future: A Historic Preservation Plan for South Carolina 2007-2015 (PDF, 5 MB) describes seven ways historic places are important to to South Carolina's future:
Historic places give us roots.
Historic places enhance community pride.
Historic places teach and inspire us.
Historic places make our communities more attractive.
Historic places encourage travel and tourism.
Historic places are assets for downtown revitalization and economic development.
Preserving historic places is good for the environment.
The Value of Historic Preservation is a PowerPoint slide show based on the Preservation Plan that you may download and use for presentations. It includes slides and a script. It is very large (33 MB) and make take some time to download.
See also Smiling Faces Historic Places: The Economic Benefits of Historic Preservation in South Carolina (PDF)
Field work at the Johannes Kolb Site in Darlington County