Mount Pleasant celebrates historic Longpoint Elementary School's revitalization with Friday open house

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCIV) — On Friday, a Mount Pleasant community is celebrating a historical moment as work continues to bring back a sacred gem.

It’s been two years since the historical Longpoint Elementary School moved two miles from its original location, and now community members will have a chance to step inside.

Longpoint Elementary School opened its doors in 1904, serving as an education center for young African American students until 1953.

For the past two years, the community has been working to bring it back to life.

In 2021, the school was moved about two miles from its original location and work started to revitalize the building, while also keeping its historical value intact.

The school house is now a museum and cultural education center dedicated to the students who once walked the halls. People will be able to walk through and see the same desks, walls, and floors from when it closed back in the 50s.

Read More: Long Point Schoolhouse officially moves into Snowden community

One of the school's alum, Joseph Palmer, said it's nostalgic to remember the students and the feeling of being back where they started.

"My grandmama went to the school and our old people went to the school, so it's a memory. It's like- look where we came from, look where we are at and the potential of where we could be," Palmer said.

Friday is not only a celebration, but a reflection of the past, as community members are invited to join in a tour and take a look at history.

John Wright- president of the African American Historic Settlement Commission- said they'll be doing more than just a tour.

Read More: Preservation of Long Point Schoolhouse highlights Black history in Mt. Pleasant

"We'll also be able to have symposiums and educational programs that we'll be able to talk about what that era was like ... we want to concentrate on the museum aspect of it, what Mount Pleasant was like, what this community was like and how the school served them," Wright said.

The Longpoint Elementary Schoolhouse will host their celebration Friday at 5 p.m. Anyone from the public is encouraged to attend.

As the school enters its final phase of revitalization, the African American Historic Settlement Commission is still accepting donations. Leaders hope to have the school completely open as a museum by next year