Upstate Preservation Trust

The goal of the Upstate Preservation Trust is to preserve and protect the historic fabric of the Upstate of South Carolina. The organization was developed out of an urgent need to help protect the large quantity of buildings that are being demolished due to intense development pressure in our region of South Carolina. As an organization, we have identified education, community engagement, and stewardship as three key areas that we believe are important to accomplishing our mission of preserving the historic spaces of the Upstate. Education Education is key to our mission at the Upstate Preservation Trust. Newcomers and longtime residents alike are captivated by our history, but many don’t realize how special the Upstate is. This motivates us to do two things: equip the public with the baseline knowledge of the community they live in, as well as encourage them to advocate on their own behalf for preservation of their communities. Community Engagement As an advocacy organization, the Upstate Preservation Trust commits to bringing to light the untold stories of endangered historic resources and the people who defined them. We strive to partner with other local organizations, municipalities, community groups, and citizens to cultivate smart, responsible growth in our communities. We understand that we cannot be everywhere at once, and therefore, our goal is to give everyone the skills they need to successfully advocate for the protection of cultural resources that form the foundation of the Upstate. Stewardship The Upstate Preservation Trust is working to establish a robust historic easement program which will allow us to work with property owners to preserve historic structures of great importance to the Upstate. Easements are an important way to protect historic structures throughout the Upstate, by enabling property owners to forever sign over their rights to do certain things to the structures in hopes of keeping their historic integrity intact.