WASHINGTON, D.C – Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn today announced that National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis will travel to South Carolina to visit proposed sites that are under consideration to be included as part of a Reconstruction Era national monument and to attend a public meeting hosted by Rep. Clyburn to hear feedback from the public on the proposal.
“I am thrilled that Director Jarvis will be coming to visit Penn Center, Brick Baptist Church, and other historic sites from the Reconstruction Era in Beaufort and Port Royal. Our country desperately needs to better understand this era of our history, and including these sites in the National Park System is critical to this effort. We must preserve these places and stories for future generations as well as make them accessible to the public. The National Park Service is entrusted with stewardship of our nation’s most sacred historic places, and I hope to include these sites in the system. I also thank Captain Korsnes for his participation and the U.S. Navy’s interest in the preservation of these sites.”
WHAT: Public meeting with federal and local officials and community leaders to discuss Reconstruction Era national monument proposal.
WHEN: Thursday, December 15, 12:00 P.M – 2:00 P.M.
WHERE: Brick Baptist Church, 85 Martin Luther King Drive, St. Helena Island, SC 29920.
WHO: Local elected officials and community leaders will provide information regarding the proposal. Federal officials attending to hear comments from the public include:
· Director Jonathan B. Jarvis, National Park Service
· Captain Jeffrey Korsnes, Commanding Officer, U.S. Naval Support Facility Beaufort
Below link is the public notice of the meeting
Below link is a map and description of the five proposed sites:
Earlier this year, Congressman Clyburn wrote to President Obama requesting he use his authority under the Antiquities Act to designate Penn Center and other Reconstruction Era sites as a national monument. He also introduced model legislation on May 26, 2016 to establish the Penn School – Reconstruction Era National Monument.