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Mosquito Beach Historic District

Coordinates: 32°40′27″N 79°58′55″W / 32.674109°N 79.981857°W / 32.674109; -79.981857
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Mosquito Beach Historic District
Buildings in the district in 2021
Mosquito Beach Historic District is located in South Carolina
Mosquito Beach Historic District
Mosquito Beach Historic District is located in the United States
Mosquito Beach Historic District
LocationMosquito Beach Road, Charleston, South Carolina.
Coordinates32°40′27″N 79°58′55″W / 32.674109°N 79.981857°W / 32.674109; -79.981857
Area8.36 acres (3.38 ha)
NRHP reference No.100004409[1]
Added to NRHPSeptember 23, 2019

The Mosquito Beach Historic District located on James Island, South Carolina was the weekend destination for thousands of African Americans during the height of Jim Crow. It was added to the National Historic Register on September 23, 2019.[2] The 8.36-acre site, located between two creeks, was formerly owned by a member of the Legare family. In the 1950s, African Americans began using the land, which was more akin to a dirt road on a creek rather than a natural beach, for recreation. The four structures and corresponding pavilions were a safe refuge for the community. Usage of Mosquito Beach declined after nearby Folly Beach was desegregated.[3][4]

The owner of the Pine Tree Hotel, one of the remaining structures in the historic district, received a $490,000 grant for the restoration and renovation of the hotel from the National Park Service's African American History Civil Rights program in 2020.[5] The structure was going to be almost completely rebuilt and further lifted to avoid floods in the area.[6] However, on April 15, 2022, a fire destroyed the structure. Nonetheless, because the Historic Charleston Foundation was in the process of reconstructing it, "windows, roof trusses, and other materials" had already been removed and will be used for the reconstruction of the hotel.[7]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ National Register Listing, 2019. Retrieved fromhttp://schpr.sc.gov/index.php/Detail/properties/62145. Accessed on August 2, 2020.
  3. ^ Behre, Robert (July 25, 2019). "Mosquito Beach getting new buzz as an important civil rights site". Post and Courier. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  4. ^ Holmes, Alissa (July 26, 2019). "Mosquito Beach on James Island could become national historic site". Live 5 News. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  5. ^ Porter, Mikaela (December 4, 2020). "Owner of Civil Rights-era hotel on James Island hopes renovation work can begin in December". Post and Courier. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  6. ^ Id.
  7. ^ Quinlan, Lauren (April 19, 2022). "Historic Charleston foundation set to continue reconstruction after fire at historic Black hotel". Live 5 News. Retrieved April 19, 2022.