Mann-Simons Site, Columbia Penn Center, St. Helena Island Once the home of Celia Mann, a freedwoman, and home to her descendants for nearly 130 years, the Mann-Simons Site in Columbia offers a window into the lives of a close-knit community navigating the challenges of Reconstruction and the oppressive Jim Crow-era South. The site was once a collection of homes and businesses owned by the same African American family. Only one building remains today, but visitors can tour five “ghost structures” that illustrate where other buildings stood. Today, it is also an important archaeological site with digs that unearthed more than 60,000 artifacts, which help tell the complex story of the Black families who lived and worked there. Visitors can explore this outdoor museum and its artifacts, reliving history through guided tours and interactive exhibits. Penn Center, St. Helena Island DiscoverSouthCarolina.com 33
South Carolina Vacation Guide SC 2025: Page 33
