This field school, sponsored by the Vernacular Architecture Forum and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, will focus on researching and documenting late 19th and early 20th century public buildings and their role within the African American community on John’s Island, SC. During the course of these three-week programs, historic preservation and history faculty, archivists, scholars, and local community educators will teach field school participants about life in this community during the Jim Crow and Civil Rights periods. Through hands-on learning, participants will also learn how to document the physical fabric and cultural narratives associated with the historic buildings and landscapes on this Lowcountry sea island. The first field school will be held May 22-June 9, 2023.