[UPDATED, 1/12/24] After weeks of hearing “Protect this museum,” the board of directors of the Historic Charleston Foundation (HCF) has voted to reverse a decision to sell the Nathaniel Russell House. That Nov. 30 decision spurred an avalanche of signatures on a petition opposing the sale.
“Historic Charleston Foundation will continue to own, operate, study and care for the Nathaniel Russell House and its collection,” according to a news release posted on its website today. “We plan to collaborate with a panel of experts dedicated to reimagining the museum’s operations and its collection. Our aim is to create a vibrant, sustainable future for both the Nathaniel Russell House and the Aiken-Rhett House.”
In the statement signed by Board Chair Anne Blessing and President/CEO Winslow Hastie, the foundation said it proposed to sell the historic house as part of a new strategic plan – a decision made not to disregard past stewardship of HCF, but to help the organization’s future efforts “out of our concern for the many challenges facing Charleston and our enthusiasm for and deep belief in the importance of the foundation’s strategic priorities.”
Last week, HCF said it wanted the house to stay accessible after a sale. The week before, in an exclusive interview with the Charleston City Paper, Hastie clarified who would be eligible to buy the house after earlier suggesting that it would consider selling the historic property to a private buyer.
Charleston business leader Sandy Morckel welcomed the HCF decision. “The Nathaniel Russell House is an important part of Charleston’s history, giving experts and the public a rare opportunity to study our shared history in a deeper context,” she said in an email to City Paper. “There is much work to be done to learn even more, especially about those who were enslaved on the property.
“I am grateful for the HCF board’s decision to acknowledge its importance, and I look forward to the opportunity for the Nathaniel Russell House and the Aiken-Rhett House to be reimagined as a national model to better understand our past and build a better future.”
An organizer of the petition drive said the effort has collected more than 8,000 signatures. Those who signed the petition will get an update on the HCF’s decision, the organizer said.
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