ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — Work continues on a major revitalization project, Railroad Corner, in Orangeburg despite a few changes in plans.
On June 19, partners of the Railroad Corner project broke ground on what will be home to the new Cecil Williams Civil Rights Museum.
However, there was a 90 day pause as problems with the site came to life, and they realized the building that they planned on becoming the new museum is not structurally sound and located in a flood zone.
Now, the original soda shop and state theater are being demolished instead of being renovated.
Civil Rights photographer Cecil Williams, who’s been instrumental in the museum’s development, says the plan to tear down the building will not change the importance of the site.
“It’s too a great legacy and history to be forgotten, and we’re going to preserve all we can to make it live again,” Williams said. “We will raise the foundation about three feet higher and then reconstruct what was the state theater and the college soda shop. So they will rise again they will rise out of debris.”
Orangeburg City Administrator, Sidney Evering tells News19 that although this route is more cost efficient, there will also be parts of the old building that will be honored.
“We were not able to salvage it,” said Evering. “But we plan to keep the bricks, plan to keep the bow trusses as part of the new building.”
Orangeburg county council also just approved an ordinance that provides tax incentives to the partners of the project. This means that those who have to do with the project will only have to pay a tax fee instead of property taxes.
Evering says this project will also help to include the universities in downtown life.
“It’s an anchor because the whole Railroad Corner was a very important part of the African American community during the sixties, and the whole idea is to preserve that history while also renovating and revitalizing that area,” said Evering. “Making sure that the college students at Claflin University and South Carolina State University can really come off campuses and enter our downtown.”
Cecil Williams told us that they hope to have the new museum finished by late 2025.