ORANGEBURG, S.C. — The City of Orangeburg and Orangeburg County have entered into an agreement for the new Cecil Williams Civil Rights Museum.
The civil rights museum, which holds more than 20,000 historical artifacts will be moved from Lake Drive to the old theatre and soda shop on Boulevard Street following a refurbishment.
The museum was created by Cecil Williams, a famed civil rights era photographer.
Orangeburg City Administrator Sidney Evering says this new addition will honor Orangeburg’s history.
"We want to do this project and make sure we do it right because it's so important to our future but also that we are able to pay homage to our history," Evering said. "And by having Cecil Williams locate his museum there, I think that's going to be an integral part of doing that."
The county will be allocating $1 million dollars and the city will be allocating $700,000 toward the project.
The relocation of the museum will be a part of the Orangeburg Railroad Corner redevelopment.
Construction on the property is expected to begin before the end of the year.