Clarendon County Archives: Why Preservation Requires More Than Keeping Things Where They Are

The Freedmen Reparations Fund Trust recently opened communication with Clarendon County regarding the Clarendon County Archives building in Manning, South Carolina, also known historically as the Hannah Levi Memorial Library / Manning Library.

After speaking with County Administrator Walt Ackerman, it is clear that there has been significant public misunderstanding about the County’s intentions regarding the Archives facility and its contents.

Based on the discussion, the County is not describing a plan to throw away, destroy, or abandon the historical records. The concerns being raised by the County are preservation concerns. Many of the documents inside the Archives are fragile, one-of-a-kind, and vulnerable to damage from handling, moisture, humidity, building conditions, and age.

Mr. Ackerman explained that the County’s goal is to preserve the documents, preserve the memorabilia, and make the records more accessible to the public through scanning and digital access. He also stated that the building itself has serious challenges, including humidity, water intrusion, limited space, and accessibility barriers.

That matters.

Historical preservation is not only about keeping records inside an old building. Preservation also requires protecting the records from damage, making sure the public can access them safely, and ensuring the building itself can remain useful over time.

For Descendants of American Slaves and Verified Freedmen, access to historical records is not optional. Genealogy records, slave records, Freedmen records, probate records, land records, estate records, church records, school records, tax records, court records, family papers, and local archive materials can be necessary to reconstruct family history, confirm ancestral connections, identify community roots, and preserve evidence that may not exist anywhere else.

Some documents cannot continue to be handled over and over by the public. Old paper, ink, folds, and fragile pages can deteriorate quickly. Once certain records are damaged, the information may be lost forever. Digitizing those records can help protect the originals while allowing descendants, researchers, families, and the public to access the information more widely.

FRFT’s concern is focused on protecting records that may be important to Descendants of American Slaves, Verified Freedmen, local families, researchers, churches, schools, land history, estate history, genealogy research, and community memory.

The Archives building also deserves serious attention. The Hannah Levi Memorial Library / Manning Library is a historic property tied to the public memory of Clarendon County. It should not be treated as a burden. It should be treated as a preservation opportunity.

That is why FRFT is exploring whether the building can be supported through the Freedmen Historical Marker Program as an Anchor Marker site.

The Anchor Marker model is designed to help historic properties become visible, supported, and sustainable through public history, sponsorship, donor recognition, digital marker access, heritage education, genealogy access, and community preservation support. This type of model can help create a pathway where a historic building does not simply wait on government funding, but becomes part of a broader preservation and tourism strategy.

This is also where donor sponsors, local businesses, preservation supporters, and community partners may be able to help.

Possible sponsorship opportunities could include support for document scanning, acid-free archival boxes, safe storage materials, digital access tools, genealogy access tools, slave record preservation, Freedmen record access, public history displays, educational exhibits, Anchor Marker recognition, site preservation planning, and community-facing historical programming. Sponsorship support can help create a practical bridge between immediate preservation needs and longer-term public funding or renovation plans.

FRFT’s donor sponsor pathway allows businesses, families, and supporters to participate in preservation work in a structured way. For a property like the Clarendon County Archives building, sponsorships could help support both the physical site and the records connected to the people, families, churches, schools, land history, genealogy, estate history, slave records, Freedmen records, and community memory preserved there.

This is especially important because Clarendon County already holds major historical significance connected to Briggs v. Elliott and the larger Brown v. Board of Education legacy. Preserving the Archives building and its records can strengthen the County’s public history, tourism, education, genealogy access, and cultural preservation efforts.

FRFT and AFLF are not entering this matter with accusations. We are entering with a preservation solution.

The goal should be simple:

Protect the records.

Protect the building.

Improve public access.

Preserve genealogy records.

Protect slave records and Freedmen records.

Support responsible digitization.

Create a sustainable funding pathway.

Respect the community’s concerns.

Preserve the history for future generations.

Public misunderstanding can slow down preservation work. Clear communication can help move it forward.

FRFT will continue working professionally to understand the County’s plans and to determine whether a preservation package can be submitted for County Council review. If there is a path for FRFT to help support scanning, storage, public access, sponsorship, historical marker visibility, genealogy access, slave record preservation, Freedmen record access, or long-term preservation planning, we believe that path should be explored.

The Clarendon County Archives should not become another historic site that fades because the public only saw the conflict and not the solution.

This is a preservation moment.

Help Support This Preservation Work

Preserving historic records, archives, buildings, genealogy access, slave records, Freedmen records, and cultural memory requires real resources. FRFT’s preservation work is supported by donors, sponsors, and community partners who understand the importance of protecting history for future generations.

Donations and sponsorships help support preservation outreach, historical marker development, records protection, public education, reports, advocacy materials, genealogy access, and the work needed to keep important sites and records from being forgotten.

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