The Lincoln High School Preservation Alumni Association is in the process of creating a museum and heritage complex in the Historic Lincoln High School facility in Sumter, SC. Lincoln High School was the center of African American educational, civic, and community life in Sumter from its founding in 1874 to 1969. SC Humanities supported the museum planning process with a Planning Grant.
The “Picturing Lincoln” project is now at a pivotal point wherein the construction has begun and the museum design and elevations have been obtained. The project team is currently in the process of planning for the installation of a permanent exhibit, which is expected to take place in late 2025 or early 2026. The museum’s goal is to enhance the understanding of the Lincoln story. It will illuminate the history of African American education in Sumter as well as a larger story about the Sumter African American community. The museum will also explore the historic Walker cemetery and the iconic Manning Avenue through visual materials and guides. Collected images, stories, and materials will link the history of Lincoln High School together with the Sumter African American community, South Carolina, and beyond.
Though Lincoln School was established by 1874, the core of Lincoln High School’s current building was constructed in 1937 and expanded in 1952 and 1967. Rosenwald funds were used to construct two adjoining buildings on the campus in the early 1930s. Lincoln High School consists of the main high school building (1937; expanded 1952) containing a cafeteria, library, science wing, and gymnasium (1952). The school complex testifies to the ongoing struggle and persistence of African Americans to improve educational facilities and opportunities in Sumter County and in South Carolina during the early to mid-twentieth century. Lincoln High School stands as one of the few remaining, substantially intact, public schools erected for Black students in Sumter County, and it is the only surviving African American facility in the county to offer secondary education from its opening to its closing more than three decades later.
Project Director Deloris Pringle said, “The Lincoln Museum and Heritage Complex is in a unique position to create a sense of belonging and pride in cultural identity and history.” She shared about how the wider community has been invited to be involved in the planning process for the museum: “The alumni committee engaged the local community in the goals of the project and have spent a lot of time communicating to others through talks and community events.”
More information about the Lincoln High School Preservation Alumni Association can be found on their website here: https://www.lincolnsumter.org/. A more complete description of the “Picturing Lincoln” project can be downloaded HERE.
The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. Established in 1973, this 501(c)3 organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state. It presents and supports literary initiatives, lectures, exhibits, festivals, publications, oral history projects, videos, and other humanities-based experiences that directly or indirectly reach more than 250,000 citizens annually. South Carolina Humanities receives funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as corporate, foundation and individual donors. The National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.