Historic Preservation and Community Planning

Phone: 843.953.3888
R. Grant Gilmore III, Director

About the Program

The goal of the major in Historic Preservation and Community Planning is to introduce the student to the history, theory, and practice of historic preservation, and to the necessity of linking preservation with parallel issues in community planning. It is no longer adequate to consider the preservation of particular buildings or landscapes without the larger vision of the surrounding context of the object.

The historic preservation major is firmly located within the liberal arts tradition at the College. It is not intended to be “training” for the technical field of historic preservation, but rather as an introduction to the broader issues which are constantly being grappled with by preservationists.

The intention of the program is to awaken in the student an appreciation for the complexity of the field of historic preservation. Through a combination of general and survey courses and specific practical applications (including a required field internship), the student will begin to understand the multitude of forces acting upon cities, towns, and rural areas that either encourage or hinder the preservation of historic sites in the 21st century. And of course, Charleston, one of the cities most closely associated with the preservation movement in America, serves as the perfect laboratory for the study of preservation and urban design issues.

Majors

• Historic Preservation and Community Planning, B.A.  

Minors

• Historic Preservation and Community Planning Minor