HISTORIC CHARLESTON FOUNDATION HAS ANNOUNCED ITS PLAN TO SELL THE NATHANIEL RUSSELL HOUSE, A BELOVED AND INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK, AND DEACCESSION THE MUSEUM COLLECTION OF ART AND ARTIFACTS SIGNIFICANT TO CHARLESTON’S EARLY HISTORY.

THEY ARE PLANNING TO MARKET THE HOUSE MUSEUM TO A PRIVATE BUYER, INEVITABLY REMOVING ALL PUBLIC AND EDUCATIONAL ACCESS TO THIS CRITICAL HISTORIC STURCTURE IN CHARLESTON, SC. DESPITE ANY DEED RESTRICTIONS, THEY WILL LOSE CONTROL OVER ITS FUTURE OWNERSHIP AND CONTINUED PRESERVATION. HCF IS ALSO DEACCESSIONING THE COLLECTION DISPLAYED WITHIN THE HOUSE MUSEUM, MOSTLY DONATED FOR THE INTENT OF KEEPING THESE ARTIFACTS IN PUBLIC TRUST AND ONVIEW TO THE PUBLIC. 

THE NATHANIEL RUSSELL HOUSE IS AN ONGOING ARCHITECTURAL AND ARCHEOLOGICAL RESEARCH SITE, WITH SO MUCH MORE WORK TO BE DONE. 

SIGN THIS IF YOU DEMAND THAT HISTORIC CHARLESTON FOUNDATION PAUSE THEIR PLAN TO “‘REVOLVE’ THIS BACK INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD,”  SELLING THE HOUSE AS A PRIVATE RESIDENCE. DEMAND IT REMAIN THE ICONIC HISTORIC HOUSE MUSEUM THAT IT IS TODAY. 

ASK HCF TO LISTEN TO COMMUNITY INPUT, BEGIN THOUGHTFUL CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, AND ONLY CONSIDER AN ETHICAL CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP TO A STEWARD WHO WILL CARRY ON THE NATHANIEL RUSSELL HOUSE AS THE HISTORIC HOUSE MUSEUM IT IS TODAY.