Motto
Embracing the Liberty Hill Connection: Faith, Family and Community
In 1864, Paul and Harriet Trescot owned 112 acres of farmland, north of Charleston. These “free persons of color” sold the land to four former slaves: Ishmael Grant, Aaron Middleton, and Plenty & William Lecque.
Their goal was to establish a settlement for black men and their families with faith as the foundation. They donated one acre for the construction of St. Peter’s African Methodist Episcopal Church on the southeast corner of the land. Then, they subdivided the remaining 111 acres into lots to be sold to recently freed blacks in 1871. They named the area Liberty Hill to recognize the long-awaited freedom of the former slaves creating this new community.
By the middle of the 20th century, Liberty Hill was a self-sufficient neighborhood. Children were educated at Liberty Hill School and later, Bonds Wilson High, both located in the community. The Black residents owned grocery stores, restaurants, a motel, a club and a funeral home. “You could raise your kids, bury your dead and have a little fun in between. All without going past the stoplight on one end of the neighborhood or crossing the railroad track on the other.”
Today, many residents have gone past the stoplight and the railroad tracks to achieve great success. They are now doctors, lawyers, professional athletes and public officials.
Liberty Hill has gone through many changes since its founding over 150 years ago, but the spirit of freedom still remains. It is that spirt, along with faith, that will continue the legacy of the community’s founders and ensure that Liberty Hill will always be a place to call home.
Watch Liberty Hill history in the making!