Historic Frances Jones House Nears Completion

When summer strikes Daufuskie, visitors come from all over to see all the island has to offer. And this summer, tourists and islanders will have a new way to experience the island’s beautiful beaches and unique Gullah culture. The Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation, South Carolina’s statewide organization interested in protecting, preserving and advocating for our state’s historic structures, is launching its Daufuskie Endangered Places Program, which will introduce tourists to Gullah history and roots while preserving some of Daufuskie Island’s most significant home places.



How does the Daufuskie Endangered Places Program work?
Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation has partnered with descendants of original Gullah families who have owned these homes for generations. The Trust then leases the homes from the owners, rehabilitates the homes in a manner that respects the historic integrity of the structure, then rents the home to travelers who want to experience the Gullah heritage and Daufuskie Island’s natural beauty.
The homeowners gain a renovated, livable structure when many of these homes had been in disrepair and can enjoy their ancestor’s homes on a scheduled basis. Once Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation recoups the original investment incurred to rehabilitate the income from rentals and donations to DEPP, the owners of the homes and property can choose to cancel the lease and use the home as a vacation home or continue to rent the home and gain income from rentals of the vacation home as originally established.
With future plans for more cottages available for rent, the Daufuskie Endangered Places Program’s first home place, the Frances Jones house, will be available for rent this summer.
The Frances Jones House is currently undergoing renovations with plenty of modern amenities, but to maintain authenticity, the home’s floors will still creek and the home is situated under mammoth Live Oaks, which Daufuskie and South Carolina’s Lowcountry are known for. Rental rates will be affordable for families and travellers interested in experiencing the Gullah lifestyle on the South Carolina coast.

Q&A with Michael Bedenbaugh

Michael Bedenbaugh, Executive Director of The Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation, has spent much of the last year on the ferry traveling to Daufuskie to get the Daufuskie Endangered Places Program underway. Bedenbaugh, who crisscrosses South Carolina weekly in an effort to preserve our state’s most important structures and buildings, came up with the idea for the program when he visited Daufuskie five years ago. Read on for his thoughts on helping Daufuskie’s Gullah families preserve their homes for generations to come.

How did you come up with the idea for the Daufuskie Endangered Places Program?

When I first visited Daufuskie, I was astonished at how much of the historic fabric still existed on the island. But, I was immediately concerned with how endangered some of these Gullah family homes were. They were at risk of being destroyed by new development or just by being vacant, in disrepair and left subjected to the elements. I wanted to come up with a program that would create incentives to allow investment in these historic properties while maintaining native ownership. I knew the Gullah families needed to retain ownership of the properties to be interested in working with Palmetto Trust.

Why did the Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation feel the need for Daufuskie Endangered Places Program?

You know, preservation is all about maintaining a property’s sense of place and uniqueness. On Daufuskie Island, that’s also about the impact of the Gullah culture and the fact that these families own properties that were a hard fight for them to gain ownership of a century ago. To protect these homes means to respect the ancestors’ plight to own property and their culture and way of life. The Gullah culture and these authentic home places are a part of the fabric of South Carolina and a piece of history that’s so unique to the Lowcountry that it was absolutely worth saving. The Palmetto Trust got to work finding investors and raising funds to make the Daufuskie Endangered Places Program possible.
Daufuskie is a community made up of a diverse group of people though, and I had to spend time here to get to know the people on the island and develop relationships to even find out where these homes were. I got to know the families and really let them know that Palmetto Trust wanted to help them save their family homes without taking away their ownership. Anything regarding real estate is most successful when you find a way to respect the indigenous people, and bring something to the table for all parties involved. Native ownership is so important to the success of the Daufuskie Endangered Places Program, and even though we’re just getting started, that will always be a hallmark of the program.

Tell us about the Frances Jones House.

The Frances Jones House is the pilot home for the Daufuskie Endangered Places Program. The house will tell the story of Frances Jones and her importance to the Gullah community through framed articles about her that we found in the home during renovation. Guests who rent the house will find two bedrooms and one bathroom, as well as a pullout sofa, a kitchen, a gas log fireplace and more.
The accommodations are very comfortable, kids can watch tv and have access to the beach and all the amenities Daufuskie Island will have to offer. But even though the home has been renovated with all kinds of modern amenities, we also attempted to retain all of the authenticity so that families and vacationers can really experience what it was like to live in a Gullah dwelling. The floors still creek and the home still retains a lot of the appeal, visually, that it did decades ago.

What’s next for Daufuskie Endangered Places Program?

The Frances Jones House is the first house available for rent, and we hope to work with other Gullah families on the island to help preserve their homes while offering comfortable accommodations to travelers interested in learning about Daufuskie and the Gullah culture as well.
We envision this program being available to any historic homeowner looking for a way to preserve their family’s Gullah home place. We expect every relationship with homeowners to be different, though, because every family and their needs are different. We want to know how we can tie together their family’s home and the Gullah culture in a way that preserves it for future generations. The Frances Jones House’s owners have been wonderful to work with. We’re working together to preserve their family home.

How has the Daufuskie community responded?

Several organizations have been so helpful and we couldn’t have gotten this far without them. The support of Haig Point, the Daufuskie Island Historic Foundation, the Daufuskie Island Conservancy, the Binyah Foundation and the leadership of the Community Farm have made the Daufuskie Endangered Places Program and the Frances Jones House a reality. And private supporters of the Daufuskie Endangered Places Program have also made this possible by making donations through our website. After Pic:

Before

How can anyone interested find out more about the Frances Jones House and the Daufuskie Endangered Places Program?

We’re really happy to partner with Daufuskie Island Accommodations (www.daufuskieislandrentals.com), who will manage rentals for the property. And to learn more about the Daufuskie Endangered Places Program, visit daufuskieendangeredplaces.org and follow us on Facebook.