Michael Bedenbaugh, the executive director of the Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation, a state partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, made a presentation to Winnsboro Town Council this past Tuesday night.
“I come before the town of Winnsboro to plead the case for not demolishing the Mt. Zion school building...Mt. Zion School is an asset that many towns in South Carolina would love to have. It is not only a symbol of the community’s past; it is an asset to be treasured for its role in community vitality.
“The school is a gift from an earlier generation that sacrificed in order to create a place for all to gather, socialize and learn. I am confident that the building
could once again become such a place...if the community sees that as a value,” Bedenbaugh said.
He added, that “for the health of the community of Winnsboro, it is absolutely necessary” to save Mt. Zion.
“...It's been relatively easy for you as a town to benefit from the economics of preservation due to the intact historical fabric that still exists,” he said.
“The downside of this is it makes it relatively easy to diminish one building’s importance because of so many comparisons to others that are deemed "more" important.
“That leads to the question,...is the building Mt. Zion school "historic". I have had several people already tell me it wasn't, only the ground is historic.
“Well, I say it is neither the ground nor the building, it is what the collective community believes is historic,” he said, answering the question.
“...The Palmetto Trust definitely sees this building as historic on the virtues of its age, architecture, and past impact on the community. I would also venture to guess that others in your community do as well.
But Bedenbaugh does not see the Mt. Zion building as just an historic asset; he sees it as an economic opportunity as well, he told council.
“Those brick walls, auditorium, and gymnasium are a tremendous capital asset whose only flaw is bad timing...but anyone coming into this town that is looking for investment, who is looking for opportunity to create wealth above and beyond what already exists, will see that structure as an incredible opportunity.”
“...once those walls and floors are gone, then any opportunity that will arise from them will be lost forever...and the town of Winnsboro, the County of Fairfield, and the midlands of SC will be a poorer place because of that loss,” he said.
Bedenbaugh said while he sympathizes with the homeowners near Mt. Zion who are concerned for their property values if the structure continues to stand, “I do not feel that should condone a wall of fear being drawn up, blocking all communication and debate because of the fear about what might happen..”
While Bedenbaugh said the Palmetto Trust does not have a solution to the dilemma of the fate of Mt. Zion School, he wanted to remind council, “this structure, the one you want to destroy, has engraved on its walls the name of an institution that once set apart this community as a leader in education and the tradition of a citizenry who held faith in that the youth you yourselves have produced can become productive citizens that can make the world a better place.”
Mayor Roger Gaddy commented after the meeting that Bedenbaugh presented a very good argument, but reminded everyone that the decision to demolish the school building was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but one three years in the making.
“I’m not sure (Bedenbaugh) is aware of the avenues we’ve tried to address (when it comes to Mt. Zion). I think it’s a little disconcerting that we’ve been dealing with it for three years, and here at the eleventh hour, here comes support for the building.
“I think one of the problems is it would cost so much to get the building in shape...to sit around and wait until the time is right would be difficult to do.”
Council member Stan Klaus asked, “where has Mr. Bedenbaugh been all this time when we were looking for something to happen to Mt. Zion? He pled a good case, but where (the Palmetto Trust) when we got the school, when we had the engineering study done on the school, when we were looking for grants for it? Now that a decision had to be made, everyone is coming out and saying ‘Why don’t you save it?’ ”
Klaus pointed to the tough budget year coming up, and said the Town has to decide what they're going to do and what they are not going to do as far as projects.
Marcia Bonds has always said she wished the school could be saved. Her father was principal of the school at one time, and her husband Berry graduated from Mt. Zion Institute.
“I do wish we could save it. Mr. Bedenbaugh did not come up with a plan to save the building, he’s just asking us to save it. Sometimes it comes down to finances, and we simply cannot afford to put the money into Mt. Zion that it would take to restore it,” she said.
Council member Jack Wilkes attended Mt. Zion for 12 years, and he also has strong feelings about the school, but added, “this is not a decision that was made overnight. We have talked about this and worked on it for years.”
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