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 Cherokee
Historical & Preservation Society, Inc.
A
Private 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization |
Our mission is to collect, preserve, present, and
interpret regional history and the arts for the
education, enrichment, and enjoyment of present and
future generations of all ages and to enrich community
life through educational and cultural outreach programs.
History Shared...Spirit Given! |
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Please be patient, some links
may not be working during our site's renovations. |
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Main Menu |
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Donate |
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Contact Us |
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By
Email
Ph: (864)489-3988
Fax:(864)489-3924
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301 South Johnson Street,
Gaffney, S.C. 29340 |
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Current
Preservation Projects |
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The Importance of
Preservation |
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Possum Trot School
A one-room school
house built in 1880 and restored in 1969. CHAPS,
Inc. works to maintain the structure and will have it
moved to the Cherokee County History and Arts Museum.
The school is furnished similar to how it might have
actually been during the 19th century and it used for
special programs, such as old-fashioned lessons for
children.
Mulberry Chapel
Built in 1869 as the
first African American church in the area.
Constructed of clapboards over a log frame, the building
has not been used for regular services since the 1940s.
In major need of restoration, CHAPS, Inc. is in
negotiations to repair and maintain the structure.
Furnace Mill
Located at Furnace
Mountain and once known as Nesbitt's Furnace, this
Revolutionary War ironworks has been damaged extensively
by vandals. While the mill was destroyed by fire,
the waterwheel remains. The mill was still in use
in the early 1960s. CHAPS, Inc. works to clean and
maintain the site, a stop on the Overmountain Victory
Trail. |
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In 1971, the S.C.
Appalachian Council of Governments conducted a study into the
region's historical sites. Out of 43 sites identified in
Cherokee County, only 27 remain.
Demolition is forever!
Cherokee County is quickly loosing its identity to suburban
sprawl. When historic sites are destroyed, they cannot be
replaced and future generations lose the opportunity to learn
about our cultural heritage. Without these sites, there is
no connection to the past and no pride in one's present.
Help us in preserving the cultural heritage of Cherokee County.
Preservation keeps materials alive, whole, and available for use
so that they can be authoritatively used as long as possible to
document our heritage and our society, and to guide others who
will come in the future. As Philip Ward poetically states,
"Our
heritage is all that we know of ourselves; what we preserve
of it, our only record. That record is our beacon in the
darkness of time; the light that guides our steps."
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New
Products and Promotions |
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 Contact
CHAPS, Inc. to become a part of the "One Step At
a Time" brick fundraiser.
More Info Coming Soon! |
 Purchase
the Joe C. Westbrooks book, Battleground
Memories, 2nd Edition today.
Buy Now! |
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Other Products |
