Town of Bluffton awards 10th historic preservation grant

The Town of Bluffton has awarded its 10th Historic Preservation Grant to Campbell Chapel A.M.E. Church, continuing efforts to preserve one of the community’s most historically significant landmarks.

The $20,000 grant, issued in mid-March, will help fund the fabrication of custom windows and jib doors as part of ongoing rehabilitation work at the chapel, located at 23 Boundary St. It is the second grant the church has received through the town’s preservation program.

Originally constructed in 1854 in the vernacular Greek Revival style, the church was first known as Bluffton Methodist Church. In 1874, the property was sold to nine formerly enslaved congregants and became Campbell Chapel A.M.E. Church. The building holds deep historical significance, having survived the 1863 Burning of Bluffton by Union troops and enduring numerous natural disasters, including a tornado in 1933.

“Perseverance is symbolized in this building,” Bluffton Mayor Larry Toomer said. “Campbell Chapel represents the determination of the nine formerly enslaved congregants who provided a place to worship, educate and support the community in the Reconstruction Era.

“Campbell Chapel continues to be an integral part of Bluffton, its history, and how it has and continues to serve Bluffton. Preserving this church and its story is of utmost importance.”

The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2019 and became part of the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network in 2023.

The funding comes from Bluffton’s Historic Preservation Grant Program, which launched in January 2022. The program provides financial assistance to owners of “contributing resources” within the Old Town Bluffton Historic District for the preservation, restoration or rehabilitation of historically significant properties.
To date, the town has awarded more than $236,000 in grants to support eight preservation projects. Bluffton currently has 86 designated contributing resources, including homes, churches, schools, and historically meaningful sites such as the Heyward and Huger coves.
Owners of qualifying properties may apply for grants of up to $30,000 for residential buildings and up to $20,000 for non-residential or commercial structures.

For more information about the Historic Preservation Grant Program, contact Glen Umberger, the town’s historic preservationist, at gumberger@townofbluffton.com.