Knights of Wise Men Lodge Hall
National Register Listing
Street Address:
Martin Luther King Dr., S of Jct. of Martin Luther King Dr. and US 21, St. Helena Island, SC (Beaufort County)
NRHP Nomination
Record Number:
S10817707058
Description and Narrative:
The Knights of the Wise Men Lodge Hall is a simple rectangular form with a gabled (end to front) roof. The front façade extends above the roofline in a stepped fashion, a form common to vernacular commercial structures. This hall is unusual as a two-story building whose stepped façade is more elaborate in size and contour than most others. The façade fenestration is asymmetrical. The single door front entrance is flanked by casement windows, one on its south side and two on its north side. While there is no written record of when this building was constructed, interviews with Lodge members indicate that it was built ca. 1942. It was designed by the Lodge brothers and built by local masons. The Lodge is located at the Corner, which is the commercial and social center of St. Helena Island. It is located at the rear of The Green. On holidays, when gatherings took place at the Green, the Knights of the Wise Men Lodge Hall was used both as a dance hall and a jail. The Lodge Hall is an artifact of a longstanding and important tradition, representing more than a century of the black St. Helena Islanders’ struggle to remain independent, self-reliant, and culturally unified. Listed in the National Register April 12, 1996.
Period of Significance:
circa 1942;circa 1942 – 1945
Level of Significance:
Local
Area of Significance:
Ethnic Heritage: Black;Social History
National Register Determination:
listed
Date of Certification:
April 12 1996
