Penn School On St. Helena's Island

Following the Civil War, a variety of religious groups from the North established schools to educate Blacks in South Carolina. Libraries were an integral part of each of these schools and continue today as the bedrock of the state's educational and library systems.

Assistant and Pupils	Books were scarce in the period following the Civil War, especially on St. Helena's Island. As a result, story hour became an important part of the curriculum at Penn School. (Click on image for full size.)
Northern philanthropists sent Christmas gifts of books to the Island children every year. (Click on image for full size.)	Dathan School Christmas, 1913
Library	Later, the Penn school's "Little Library" served the entire St. Helena's Island community for 25 years. (Click on image for full size.)