Copyright Live 5 News WCSC
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A North Charleston community has been working with the city to become a Historic District in hopes of helping preserve and protect the neighborhood of Liberty Hill. Liberty Hill has been a cornerstone of North Charleston’s African American heritage for over 150 years. But residents say rapid development is threatening to erase that history forever. The community wants to preserve the culture of Liberty Hill and encourage thoughtful development in the area that is affordable to strengthen the identity that has stood strong. Community leaders say becoming a historical district could also benefit the neighborhood economically, opening the door to grants and other funding through historic preservation efforts. “It’s an opportunity for the city to show that development doesn’t mean erasing your history and growth doesn’t mean destroying your history,” lifelong resident of Liberty Hill, Seth Whipper, said. The city of North Charleston has been working on this proposal and say the next step is a property survey to help define specific characteristics for the historic district. The city says this documentation would provide the basis for any design guidelines that would be implemented through the approval of a historic district.
