Reconstruction Era National Historical Park has expanded to eight communities/NPS file

Eight community sites are the first to be included in the newly established Reconstruction Era National Historic Network, part of the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park in South Carolina.

This national network, launched in March 2020, will connect sites across the country that provide education, interpretation, and research for the period of Reconstruction. The Reconstruction Era (1861-1900) is one of the most fascinating and misunderstood periods in American History and includes stories of freedom, education and self-determination.

The new community sites added to the network include several Historic Black Colleges and Universities created during Reconstruction, a site managed by the South Carolina State Park system that interprets the stories of freedom and tenant farming, and a school that was created shortly after the Civil War to provide education to the formerly enslaved. Specifically, they are Allen University, Benedict College, Claflin University, Clinton College, Mather School, Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site, South Carolina State University and Voorhees College.

"The Reconstruction story is a national story," said Superintendent Scott Teodorski. "It includes sites from all over the country. Some of the sites are managed by the National Park Service and many are not. The Reconstruction Era National Historic Network provides an opportunity to connect these sites and to connect visitors to their stories as part of the Reconstruction Era. We are very excited to welcome these new sites to the network and look forward to working with them."

The John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, signed into law on March 12, 2019, outlined the creation of the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network. This network, managed by Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, includes sites and programs that are affiliated with the Reconstruction Era, but not necessarily managed by the National Park Service.

This network is nationwide and works to provide opportunities for visitors to connect to the stories of Reconstruction. For more information about the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network, visit this page.