After Hurricane Hugo hit Charleston in 1989 and severely damaged many historic buildings, Charlestonians were forced to import craftsmen to repair the historic structures. Concerned preservationists circulated the idea of creating an institution to address the national lack of master craftsmen. Senator and Mrs. Fritz Hollings, U.S. Representative Jim Clyburn, State Senator Herbert Fielding, and Charleston Mayor Joseph Riley gave it political support. Original founders include Dana Beach, Jane Hanahan, Carter Hudgins, Wade Lawrence, Pierre Manigault, George McDaniel, Margaret and Tim Rose, Wayne Whelan, and the late preservationists Nancy Hawk and Herbert DeCosta, Jr.
It took years for the idea to come to fruition. A Board of Trustees was formed and money was gradually raised. After receiving a start-up grant of $2,750,000 from the U.S. Department of Labor, the college was able to hire faculty and develop a four-year liberal arts curriculum with degrees in six building arts: stone, iron, masonry, timber framing, carpentry, and plaster. In July 2004, the South Carolina Commission of Higher Education licensed the school to award degrees in Associate of Applied Science in Building Arts and Bachelor of Applied Science in Building Arts. The first students matriculated that same year, and the only college of its kind in the nation opened its doors to the future.
Old Charleston Jail
The Old Charleston Jail is the College’s main campus and home to the General Education, Masonry, Plaster Working, and Architectural Stone programs. Completed in 1802, the Jail is in the heart of Charleston and an official "Save America's Treasures" project of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the White House Millennium Council. After sitting vacant for 61 years, ACBA acquired it in 2000 and initiated an emergency stabilization program to meet the immediate needs of this historic property. Preservation efforts have been ongoing for much of the past ten years as the building takes on a new identity as a school. Part of the satisfaction in attending ACBA is the ability to directly impact your college’s campus by working on the building. In many cases, lessons can not only be applied in the classroom but to the classroom.
Trolley Barn
The Trolley Barn, located on Upper Meeting Street, was constructed in 1897 when the city’s horse drawn trolley system surrendered to electricity. Then known as the Charleston City Railway Car House, the building was used for mass transit purposes first by the trolleys and later by the bus system until Interstate-26 was constructed in the 1960s. Today, ACBA is formulating plans to redevelop the building as the home of the Trade Program.
James Island Workshop
Located at 1725 Signal Point Road on James Island, this workshop facility is the current home to the Carpentry, Timber Framing, and Architectural Metal Programs.
Our students are in the enviable position of being part of the growth, preservation and history of this new college.
