MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) — Residents of a Black settlement community in Mount Pleasant have found a way to preserve their history amid ongoing gentrification seen through developments, mansions and a demographic shift.
Scanlonville was initially developed as a historic Black post-Civil War community, but now, less than 10% of land remains with the original families. From a court battle to protect their buried ancestors to the excitement of an upcoming heritage park, the community is fighting to protect that small percentage that’s left.
“It’s a big difference,” Walter Olsten, a 96-year-old resident of Scanlonville, says. “Back then, well, we ain’t had nothing but a little horse and wagon road. Just about all of the old folks is about gone now back from what I grew up with. I hope to keep it alive.”…