Columbia, S.C. -The South Carolina Department of Archives and History (SCDAH) announces the dedication of the state’s two thousandth historical marker, which honors Finley High School, on Friday, October 18, 2024. The ceremony has been planned by the marker’s local sponsor, the S.L. Finley Restoration Association (the school’s alumni group), with financial support from SC Archives & History Foundation. The marker was approved by SCDAH in 2023 in recognition of the school’s long service as an African American public school in Chester during segregation. Finley High School was founded in 1923 as Chester Colored High School, and while the marker discusses the school’s longer institutional history, it will be placed at the site of Finley’s 1956 equalization-era campus. The dedication ceremony will be held at 10:30 AM at the Finley High School Campus, 112 Caldwell Street, Chester, SC 29706.
The story of Finley High School is the story of the struggle for equality and equity for black children in early 20th century America, especially in the South. This historical marker celebrates the faculty, staff and students who strived for a quality education and to better their community.
SCDAH Director, W. Eric Emerson, Ph.D. said, “The South Carolina Historical Marker Program is the oldest, most visible, and most popular form of historic preservation overseen by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. The approval of the 2000th state historical marker is a tangible reminder that for generations, South Carolinians have placed significant value on those historic sites that have shaped both them and their forebears.”
Administered by the South Carolina State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), South Carolina’s official state historical marker program was established in 1936 and is one of the oldest programs of its type in the country. Since the program’s creation, historical markers have been approved by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History (SCDAH) and erected all across the state.
Throughout its history, the South Carolina Historical Marker Program has been state-managed but locally driven. SCDAH reviews and approves all new state historical markers; however, the agency has never received regular state funding for new markers. Rather, it depends on the citizens of South Carolina to propose, document, fund, and maintain state historical markers.
About the South Carolina Department of Archives and History:
The South Carolina Department of Archives and History is governed by the SC Commission of Archives and History. Its mission is to preserve and promote the documentary and cultural heritage of the Palmetto State. The department houses one of the most comprehensive state archival collections in the nation, spanning more than 325 years of South Carolina history.
About the State Historic Preservation Office:
The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) encourages and facilitates the responsible stewardship of South Carolina’s irreplaceable historic and prehistoric places. The SHPO was established in 1969 to implement the goals of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, which extended federal support to state and local preservation efforts. The SHPO, which receives federal funds through the National Park Service, is a program of the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.
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