Future Park Sites
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Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission acquired the Sea Island Small Famers Cooperative property, a 19-acre property in Hollywood on Wallace Creek. Because of its association with the 1739 Stono Rebellion and a 20th century African American farmers’ cooperative, this property will now be planned as a future public park able to highlight its historical and cultural significance.
The site will go through a master planning process that will include community engagement opportunities via surveys and public meetings, to learn what residents want for the site. Possibilities include interpretation, water access for paddle sports, fishing, water views and access to the East Coast Greenway. As Wallace Creek is a tributary of the Stono River, the site could also be connected to other CCPRC facilities via a water trail for paddlers.
History of the Property
The property is anecdotally a site of the 1739 Stono Rebellion – the largest insurrection by enslaved persons in British Colonial North America. Further research is required, but it is known that the rebellion occurred in a 10-mile stretch along this area near present day Highway 17. It is nearly certain that the enslaved people involved in this insurrection passed through the Wallace Creek property and nearby Caw Caw Interpretive Center, a documented location of the rebellion.
The property is also adjacent to a former segregated “beach,” one of six in the area where African Americans could swim when South Carolina was segregated. CCPRC is honored to be able to share the important cultural story of the site, where African American residents spent many days recreating with their families.
During the late 20th century, the Wallace Creek property was a farmers’ cooperative site for area African American farmers to sell their locally grown produce. The late Mr. Curtis Inabinett, Sr. was a chief advocate in preserving the site; throughout his life he worked to preserve the stories of the farmers’ cooperative as well as other important histories of the site, and its preservation would not have been possible without his leadership and vision.
The property was acquired in 2022 by the Lacuna Corporation, which partnered with Lowcountry Land Trust to obtain funding from the Charleston County Greenbelt Program and place a conservation easement on the property. The Lacuna Corporation then donated the property to CCPRC. The conservation easement in place ensures that CCPRC can make improvements for future public access while respecting the site’s cultural and natural resources.
If you have information about the history of the site, we encourage you to contact us at 843-795-4386 or customerservice@ccprc.com.
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Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission's (CCPRC) Spring Grove site is a 638-acre property located off U.S. 17 (Savannah Hwy) near Adams Run and Ravenel. This property was purchased in 2016 through a combination of funding sources from CCPRC, Charleston County Greenbelt, and the SC Conservation Bank (and secured by Ducks Unlimited).The Spring Grove site functions as a "gateway to the combined Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto river watersheds ("ACE Basin"), with habitat types including loblolly pine flatwoods, bottomland hardwoods, and freshwater wetlands. Historically, the property was utilized for silviculture timber production. Various natural and cultural resource surveys have been conducted on the property to help inform the site’s master planning. CCPRC currently conducts active land management on the site, including prescribed burning, timber harvests, and exotic/invasive vegetation control, as needed to maintain forest health.
Conservation Easement
Like many of CCPRC's undeveloped "future park" properties, the Spring Grove site maintains a conservation easement held and monitored by Ducks Unlimited. The conservation easement works to protect important habitats by limiting the site development to compatible recreational and land management activities.
Future Park
In coordination with our project consultants Outdoor Spatial Design (West Ashley) and various sub-consultants, Charleston County Parks is undergoing a park master plan for the Spring Grove site. Part of this master planning process is funded by a generous donation by Mead Westvaco, which owned the property prior to CCPRC’s purchase.
Timeline
The time frame for actual development of the park has not yet been established by the Commission. Once approved, the final site master plan will work to ensure future development is compatible with site conditions, follows the property's conservation easement and is responsive to community input.
April 2024: A site land use plan was developed to help us understand opportunities for the future park. During the site’s initial public engagement phase, project boards and surveys were posted at various west county locations to help develop a vision for how the site may best benefit Charleston County residents.
April 2025: Master Plan concepts (PDF) for the Spring Grove Future County Park were developed from the initial public engagement phase. To help the design team develop and implement the final Master Plan, additional project boards with a link to a public survey were available to view at a number of west county locations and online.
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Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission is working in partnership with the Edisto Island Youth Recreation (EIYR) organization to expand recreation facilities for the Edisto Island community. Together, our goal is to provide recreation facilities to the youth within the Edisto Island community and the Charleston County District 23 schools service area.
EIYR purchased property containing 145.52 acres, located on Clark Road, Edisto Island SC, through the Charleston County Greenbelt fund for a dedicated recreation facility for youth sports and enrichment. The property is protected by a conservation easement held by the Edisto Island Open Land Trust.
The Master Plan
The Master Plan began as a conceptual plan developed for Edisto Island Youth Recreation by LS3P Associates, and they engaged a steering committee made up of community members. The resulting master plan offers a variety of recreational opportunities for the community, with the remaining land to be used for agriculture and conservation. Main amenities include:
- playground restroom
- outdoor basketball court
- softball and youth baseball fields
- educational garden and greenhouse
- multipurpose field
- recreation center/gym
Phased Approach
View the full Master Plan on page 1 and the Phase One plan on page 2 (PDF)
The amenities will be constructed in phases as funds become available. Donations and funding to build Phase One have been acquired, and it is anticipated that Phase One construction will begin summer of 2026 to include:
- park infrastructure and parking
- playground bathroom
- multipurpose practice field
- educational gardens
- outdoor basketball court (if funding allows)
The Team
Edisto Island Youth Recreation
The Edisto Island Youth Recreation organization is a non-profit that provides opportunities for youth on Edisto Island, SC and the surrounding neighboring communities to participate in athletics and recreational activities. These activities include organized sports, field trips, and learning events. Donations to EIYR help support these valuable experiences for kids, as well as the building and maintenance of facilities. They have received grant funding from the State of South Carolina for this project.
Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission
As providers of recreation since 1968, Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission is providing funding and technical assistance on planning, building and maintaining recreation facilities. CCPRC is continually seeking to improve recreation opportunities by adding new features, renovating older facilities, developing partnerships and seeking innovative and sustainable approaches to its public facilities.
Edisto Island Open Land Trust
Edisto Island Open Land Trust is the grantor of a conservation easement on the property, which will restrict future development and establish recreational areas, buffer zones, agricultural zones and preservation areas to keep much of the property as open space for Edisto Island.
Davis & Floyd Engineering
Davis & Floyd Engineering, a firm that has been providing engineering services since 1954, is leading services for master planning, infrastructure engineering, and permitting for these new amenities.