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Baxter Patrick James Island Public Library

JAMES ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA

CLIENT

Charleston County, SC

ELEMENTS

Large, custom-designed outdoor waysides

Custom art piece

Indoor interpretive exhibit

In 2018-2019, Charleston County built a new public library adjacent to the traditional African American community of Grimball Farms in the Town of James Island, SC. Baxter-Patrick James Island Public Library sits next to Evergreen Cemetery, which has been associated with the Grimball community since the early 19th century and contains the graves of people who were enslaved on Grimball Plantation. HWE planned, developed, designed, and installed a multi-component interpretive program for the new library that included an indoor interpretive timeline, four large double-sided outdoor interpretive panels set along a landscaped path that connects the library to the cemetery, and two interpretive waysides in a small sitting area near the cemetery. Our panel designs and the style of the support frames were inspired by the mid-century modern architecture of the new building and the bright bold colors used on the interior. In addition, we worked with a local artist to create a unique sculpture that also sits along the path between the library and the cemetery.

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