The Seashore Farmers Lodge: Preserving the Past to Educate the Future

Sol Legare Island is an approximately 860 acre island located on the coast of South Carolina on James Island just outside of Charleston. The area took its name from Solomon Legare (1797 – 1878), the antebellum plantation owner. The historic Sol Legare community is a rare surviving example of a largely African American community in the South Carolina Sea Islands, where most community members are descendants of its African American Freedmen founders.

During the Civil War (1861-1865), Sol Legare Island was the site of several camps, artillery positions and battles. At one point, nearly 5,200 Federal troops occupied the island. The 54th Massachusetts Regiment, who were the first African American troops, spent their final night prior to marching to battle at Fort Wagner on the grounds of this very site. Additionally, The Battle of Sol Legare Island (1863) was significant, claiming the lives of 14 soldiers, wounding 17, while 12 went missing. Soon after this battle, The Civil War concluded and at this point, Sol Legare Island as we know it began to take shape.

At the turn of the century this small island began to transform into a rural farming community, concentrating on the bounties of both the land and the sea. Truck farming was an extremely popular, growing industry and the long, narrow plats (shown in this aerial photo taken in 1934) enabled this style to foster within the community.

In addition to the Seashore Farmers Lodge, many other area landmarks can be found on Sol Legare lsland. One of the Charleston area’s first African American schools can be found still standing today and is used as a community center. During the era of segregation, Mosquito Beach, a once thriving social gathering spot, was host to African Americans from all over – many being notable figures. The Mosquito Beach Historic District was listed to the National Register of Historic Places on September 23, 2019.

The Seashore Farmers Lodge 767 is a significant illustration of fraternal orders in the cultural life of Lowcountry African American communities in the early twentieth century. Part of the larger affiliate, IFLUJ (International Farmers’ Liberty Union Justice), lodges such as The Seashore Farmers Lodge 767 were, along with the church, the heart of the community.

In the 1930s, there were at least 37 mutual aid societies in the South Carolina Lowcountry, and The Seashore Farmers Lodge 767 was instrumental in the founding of several. Seashore Lodge became the “mother lodge” to other IFLUJ lodges on James and Johns Islands - Solomon, Riverside and Seaside. The lodges helped each other as much as possible, and all lodges in the Lowcountry would join together for parades in town.

The Seashore Farmers Lodge also provided assistance, recreation and education for the community; they raised money for the local Sunday school, and hosted Vacation Bible School for the area children.When a resident of the Sol Legare community died, a drum was sounded from the Lodge to inform the community of the death. Lodge members would serve as pallbearers for other members and assisted the bereaved in any way they could, including with the Lodge’s death benefit (if the deceased was an active member who had paid.)

The Lodge rituals were typical of secret societies and strong ties were representative of these Lowcountry farming communities and the bonds shared. In 1915, through their own sweat equity, the members of the Lodge built a two-story building on land (purchased for less than $30!) belonging to member, Henry Wallace. Lodge members met in the upstairs room of the lodge.

Then history came full circle: the community once supported by the lodge came together to preserve this sacred site. Here, Arthur Wilder and Johnry Walker, both 4th generation Lodge descendants, discuss the renovation project.

In 2008, all of the stars aligned when then Town Councilman Bill Cubby Wilder facilitated a $55,000 grant from the town of James Island and Ernest Parks (a 4th generation descendant) moved back to town from Atlanta. Ernest was not only the ideal candidate to oversee the project, but also an historian with an avid interest in preserving and presenting the history of his community for others. A plan was formed and the group was finally ready to move forward with what seemed to be near impossible.

On February 16, 2009, the restoration began and would involve several intricate steps to ensure the building retained its historical significance throughout the construction process. Local Contractor, Michael Riffert, headed up the restoration initiative, with the help of many community volunteers including 5th generation descendant, Hope Wilder Brown, Sol Legare resident, Vance Sudano (pictured here), historian, Paul Hedden.

On April 16, 2011 The Seashore Farmers Lodge Museum and Cultural Center held its grand opening. That same year, the hard work of those who came together to save this sacred structure was recognized with preservation awards from the SC African American Heritage Commission, the Palmetto Trust, the Preservation Society of Charleston and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.