The Charleston World Heritage Coalition – Charleston history is world history
March 3, 2016
By Brittany Lavelle Tulla
Executive Director
The Charleston World Heritage Coalition
The Charleston World Heritage Coalition (CWHC) is a non-profit organization established in 2012 and funded by the City of Charleston, Historic Charleston Foundation and many others to nominate historic sites representative of the Charleston plantation culture as a UNESCO World Heritage Site – the highest cultural and historical designation bestowed on a place or landscape. The World Heritage List is comprised of 1031 natural and cultural sites that the World Heritage Committee under the international body of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) declares to be significant to all of humanity.
World Heritage is a celebration of local heritage and the CWHC believes Charleston’s history and culture is worthy of global recognition. A World Heritage designation will provide an opportunity to tell the whole story: the story of the infusion of African slaves and Caribbean and European immigrants in the creation of a booming, world-class colonial & antebellum metropolis. With partnerships with the International African American Museum and the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, the CWHC intends to commemorate the significant role Africans and African Americans played in the development of our nation, as well as showcase the historic global influence of Charleston in both politics and culture.
The nomination will highlight both urban and rural properties associated with the mass cultivation of plantation crops, their exports and the buildings that represent the resulting wealth and slavery-dependent culture. There is no World Heritage site in the United States that commemorates the role of the transatlantic slave trade or the contributions of Africans in the development of the North American colonies and the United States, nor is there a site that recognizes European colonization. The urban and rural buildings and landscapes related to the plantation culture of the Charleston Lowcountry can fill this significant gap.
World Heritage designation in the Charleston Lowcountry is not about tourism or gaining an extra historic plaque. The World Heritage moniker is globally renowned, and will enhance Charleston’s community culturally and economically. It is about the celebration of the city’s local heritage and living culture – rooted in a history unlike any other place in the world. It is about maintaining the quality of life for locals and devoted guests through utilizing international resources on tourism management and sustainable urban planning. It is about encouraging global investment in the city while requiring appreciation for the setting and character that makes Charleston, Charleston.
HOW CAN YOU HELP
This is Charleston’s chance! The U.S. National Park Service will be reviewing potential World Heritage sites in the United States throughout 2016. This process of selection occurs every 8 to 10 years. Charleston must act now, or the next opportunity to apply for designation will be in 2026, if not later.
The CWHC needs the help of the public to show the National Park Service that the city supports the global recognition of its local culture and history! Please help the CWHC by signing the petition, becoming a Coalition member (free) or joining our eNewsletter mailing list for project updates: www.charlestonworldheritage.org/support-2/
UPCOMING EVENT
The CWHC invites you to join the Coalition in celebrating the city’s global historic significance at the 2016 World Heritage Oyster Roast hosted with the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission. The oyster roast will be held on March 20 from 2-5PM at McLeod Plantation. Please visit www.charlsetonworldheritage.org for event details and to purchase tickets!
The Charleston World Heritage Coalition is comprised of a diverse group of individuals: a 12-person board comprised of leaders in the business and academic community, a 30-person Advisory Council consisting of local and state scholars devoted to showcasing Charleston’s global historic significance, over 300 local business of which have signed on as Coalition members in support of the project and a Community of Supporters of nearly 16,000 citizens and growing! Join the movement today: www.charlestonworldheritage.org/support-2/
The CWHC is not nominating the entire city of Charleston, but rather specific properties within Charleston’s city center associated with the slave trade and Charleston’s booming colonial and antebellum economy, and their rural counterparts. Examples of properties include the Old Slave Mart, the Old Exchange Building, the Aiken-Rhett House and Miles Brewton within the city center, and examples of rural properties include Drayton Hall, McLeod Plantation Historic Site and Caw Caw Interpretive Center. Visit the CWHC web site to read the proposed nomination and property list.
Brittany Lavelle Tulla
Executive Director
[email protected]
