Do you know about The Annexation of Scanlonville? This month almost four decades ago, or 38 years ago to be exact, marks the annexation of Scanlonville, an area in Mount Pleasant that was home to many former slaves.
Due to safety concerns with the Civil War, it wasn’t uncommon for many people to head further upstate and later return home to the Lowcountry. Once Mount Pleasant residents began to make their return after the war, some people viewed life differently when it came to economic and social matters.
This led to the slave labor plantation system in the area being abolished. African American communities started to be created and included some former slaves running their own farms and other businesses.
The land of Scanlonville was purchased in 1868 by Robert Scanlon, a freed slave who was a carpenter. He bought the 614-acre Remley Plantation, located on the border of the Charleston Harbor + Wando River. He also was the founder of Charleston Land Company, and other previously enslaved men had the opportunity to pay $10 per share to purchase large tracts of land. This was impressive at this point in time, and by the year of 1870, other African Americans who were also once slaves could buy farm or town lots in what we now know as a community full of history and heritage.
Scanlonville was officially annexed by the Town of Mount Pleasant on December 14, 1982. Now, a historical landmarker stands where it was established as Scanlonville in the 1800s.
The legacy and culture of Scanlonville is one of more than 100 years. Read more about life redefined after the Civil War in Scanlonville through the official Town of Mount Pleasant site here.
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