The History of Lincolnville, South Carolina

In 1867, seven men with ties to the African Methodist Episcopal church founded a new town between Summerville and Charleston, South Carolina, which they called Lincolnville. It quickly filled with hopeful families who just a decade before had been enslaved. Through the years the town's citizens have established strong institutions that have served as the town's foundation. The local school operated from 1899 until 1969, one of the state's few extant African-American schools from the nineteenth century. Land for the Ebenezer A.M.E. Church was purchased just two years after the town was founded, and the first building was constructed in 1878; today the town boasts six churches. This history by two native daughters highlights the people who have been the strength of the town for almost a century and a half. Thanks to their efforts, the town, now well integrated, has weathered its challenges and emerged stronger than ever: proud of its achievements, and hopeful for its future.