Upstate community works to save a historic schoolhouse

Financial obstacles stand in the way of preserving the schoolhouse.

SIX TONIGHT.ISAIAH MCGEE OWN THIS PROPERTYHERE SHARECROPPER THE APPLEDOESN’T FALL FAR FROM THE TREETYLER MCGEE LIVES ON THE STREETNAMED AFTER HIS GRANDFATHER.IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT TO MYFATHER BECAUSE MY FATHERACTUALLY WENT TO THAT SCHOOLJUST ACROSS THE WAY TYLER’SFATHER ALVIN ATTENDED NEW HOPE-- SCHOOLS A CHILD OVER THEYEARS AND NOW ABANDONED BUILDINGHAS SERVED AS A LIBRARY OFFICESEVEN A HOME WHEN THE BUILDINGWAS FIRST MOVED IN 1972 IT COST$1,600 TO MOVE IT THE 3/10 OF AMI MILE TO THIS SITE NOWFACING ANOTHER CHARLOTTE HOLTSAYS DEVELOPERS PACOLET MILLIKENARE LOOKING TO CLEAR THE LANDAND BUILD A MIXED-USE COMPLEX.IT WILL COST THOUSANDS TO MOVEPOWER AND PHONE LINES TO MAKEWAY FOR THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE TOMOVE BACK.TO ITS ORIGINAL HOME NEXT TO NEWHOPE BAPTIST CHURCH THAT KIND OFHISTORY OF SOMETHING ESPECIALLYIN TODAY’S POLITICAL AND SOCIALCLIMATE.IT’S NOT SOMETHING THAT WESHOULD HAVE BULLDOZED.WE SHOULD RESTORE IT AND WESHOULD DISPLAY IT.AND IT CAN SERVE TO EDUCATEAGAIN.THE CITY OF CLEMSON IS ALSOWORKING TO KEEP THIS HISTORICALBUILDING STANDING.WE DON’T KNOW OUR HISTORY.OR THE HISTORY THAT WAS TOLD TOUS WAS ONE-SIDED.HERE’S AN OPPORTUNITY TO TELLTHE WHOLE PICTURE PACOLETMILLIKEN WAS SUPPOSED TODEMOLISH THE BUILDING LAST WEEK,BUT IT’S GIVING THE COMMUNITYTIME TO PLAN FUNDRAISE AND DOWHAT’S NECESSARY TO SAVE THE OLDSCHOOLHOUSE.WE’RE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS, BUTI THINK THERE’S A GOOD DEAL OFHOPE THAT WE’RE GOING TO GETTHIS THIS DONE.THERE’S NEW HOPE THAT WE’REGOING TO GET THIS DONE HISTORYIS IMPORTANT AND AND I THINKIT’S IMPORTANT THAT WE THAT WEHAVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS THAT WECAN HONOR AND SHARE AND LOOKBACK TO AND AND HAVE ISSOMETHING THAT YOU KNOW OTHERGENERATIONS IN THE FUTURE CANCOME AND L