The College of Charleston Has Purchased Land at Coming Street and Vanderhorst to Build a New 1,000-Bed Dormitory

  • The site includes historic and cultural resources: an 18th–19th century burial ground, a neighborhood with roots from the early 1800s to mid-20th century, and the YWCA building (a Civil Rights landmark).
  • The College plans to document these resources and move forward with construction.
  • Community members are raising concerns about how the project will affect cultural heritage.

Please answer the following questions with this context in mind.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BVCY8N5

A summary brief of the challenges is below, along with links to additional information on meetings. Put these on your calendar if you wish.

  1. College of Charleston — Coming Street Commons, Cultural Preservation

This official site outlines the university’s planning process for the new Coming Street Commons student residence hall, while emphasizing historical and cultural preservation.

Key Highlights:

  • Dormitory Vision
    The project envisions a modern residence hall (1,000+ beds) with amenities such as freshman housing, communal spaces, retail food options, and green zones to support both campus and local communities (Coming Street Commons).
  • Phase One — YWCA Building
    The mid‑century former YWCA Greater Charleston headquarters—a vital hub during the Civil Rights era, hosting figures like Septima Clark and Coretta Scott King—is slated for documentation, salvage (plaques, architectural materials), historical research, and community engagement (Coming Street Commons).
  • Phase Two — Former Municipal Cemetery (Potter’s Field)
    Beneath the site lies a late‑18th‑century public burial ground used from roughly 1794 to 1807, believed to contain thousands of burials—many of enslaved and impoverished individuals (Coming Street Commons, Preservation Society of Charleston).
  • Approach to Preservation
    The university plans a comprehensive geophysical and archaeological survey, data recovery, and collaboration with the South Carolina State Historic Preservation Office under a formal agreement (Coming Street Commons).
  • Mentioned Reports
    • BVL HPR “Coming Street YWCA Historic Report”
    • BVL HPR “Public Burial Ground Report”
    • The Forgotten Dead: Charleston’s Public Cemeteries, 1794–2021 by Nic Butler, Ph.D.
    • S&ME, Inc.’s “Historic Research and Geophysical Assessment Report on 106 Coming Street and 99 St. Philip Street” (Coming Street Commons).
  1. “Protect & Respect the Bodies”

A grassroots, community-led site advocating against the dorm construction on this historically sacred site.

Core Messages:

  • Significance of the Burial Ground
    The site was Charleston’s official public cemetery (1794–1807), known as the “Strangers and Negroe Burying Ground,” used for enslaved and free Black people, the poor, travelers, and orphans. It rivals nationally recognized burial grounds such as New York City’s African Burial Ground (protect and respect the bodies).
  • Call to Action
    Community leaders urge the public to oppose disruption of the resting place of more than 4,500 people for student housing; downloadable reports and comment templates are provided (protect and respect the bodies).
  • Embedded Reports Include
  • Community Events & Organizing
    A series of public meetings are scheduled:
  1. Media Coverage & Community Pushback

Local media coverage provides additional context, including tensions around the project timeline and community demands.

Key Points from Local News:

  • Site History & Community Demands
    The burial ground at 106 Coming Street is estimated to contain the remains of approximately 4,500 individuals, including enslaved persons. Community leaders—including Protect & Respect, the Preservation Society of Charleston, YWCA, and Black Lives Matter—are requesting a meaningful voice in the timeline, identification of descendants, and a truly inclusive, ethical process (https://www.live5news.com).
  • Timeline Concerns
    The College plans to conduct archaeological work from November 2025 to July 2026, aiming for construction in 2027 and opening by 2028. Coalition members argue this is too rushed; proper investigation and community-led processes often span years (https://www.live5news.com).
  • Demolition of YWCA
    The Board of Architectural Review (BAR) has already approved demolition of the mid‑century YWCA building. Critics highlight that no alternatives—like partial preservation—were explored. The YWCA’s civil rights legacy amplifies the urgency for respectful preservation or memorialization (Preservation Society of Charleston).
  • Community Meetings Fueled Rising Tension
    At a community meeting (early August), residents expressed deep distrust of the process and concerns over handling human remains. Remarks about exhuming, identifying, and reburying them sparked emotional reactions. Attendees questioned whether the board of trustees would actually involve the community in decision-making (WCIV).
  1. Synthesis: The Full Spectrum of Challenges 

    A. Historical & Cultural Sensitivity

The site sits atop centuries of complex, multi-layered cultural history—from enslaved and marginalized burials to civil rights activism rooted at the YWCA headquarters. Both dimensions carry profound weight for ethical, respectful treatment

B. Preservation vs. Development

The College of Charleston is advancing a housing solution but must reconcile expediency with historical integrity. Documentation and planned engagement are steps forward, yet critics argue these do not substitute for genuine community leadership in shaping outcomes.

C. Timeline & Trust

A fast-tracked planning and investigation process (late 2025 through 2026) concerns community members who fear that heritage and human dignity may be sacrificed to construction schedules.

D. Community Equity & Representation

Community activists seek meaningful governance: involvement in decision-making, descendant identification, memorialization initiatives, and even reconsideration of demolition. They frame this not as opposition to housing per se, but as a demand for ethical stewardship.

E. Ethical Stewardship & Memorialization

There is broad agreement that any intervention should not simply document and dig—it must honor, remember, and elevate the stories of those connected to the site. This may include reinterpretive signage, memorial space, or preservation of the YWCA structure.

Bottom Line: The Coming Street Commons project is about more than building dorms—it intersects with sacred burial grounds and civil rights history. The university is taking steps toward preservation and engagement, but faces deep-rooted community concerns about pace, inclusion, and ethics. Resolving this requires amplifying community voices, possibly adapting the project timeline, and deeply integrating memorialization—not merely documentation—into every phase.

, , , , , , All News, ASALH News