Whitfield Hotel
National Register Listing
Street Address:
118 East Marion Street, Kershaw, SC (Lancaster County)
Alternate Name:
Belk Hotel
NRHP Nomination
Record Number:
S10817729030
Description and Narrative:
The Whitfield Hotel is a two-story Late Victorian brick commercial building in downtown Kershaw. The historically Black hotel, which included a restaurant, was built c. 1903 and expanded c. 1913. The exterior of the building is characterized by its red brick masonry construction, jack arch openings, two-over-two sash windows, and projecting bays and sawtooth woodwork on the east façade. The interior is defined by its retained features and finishes, including hardwood floors, plaster walls, wainscoting, beadboard ceilings, original trim, doors, fireplaces, and, in the stair hall, spindlework. This building served as the only African American hotel in Kershaw from its construction in c. 1903 through the hotel’s closure in 1964. A large, two-story addition, completed c. 1913, added a restaurant and ballroom to the building. The hotel catered to Black travelers and met the community’s need for social spaces during Jim Crow segregation. The exclusion of African Americans from most hotels and restaurants during segregation made traveling difficult and dangerous. Places like the Whitfield Hotel provided a safe place for Black travelers to eat and sleep while on the road. The building was commissioned by Roxanna Whitfield Belk, an entrepreneurial African American woman. This building represents the efforts of the Black community to provide alternative spaces of their own while they were banned from White establishments. The restaurant, which served both Blacks and Whites, closed in 1930 after Whitfield Belk died. The hotel remained open through 1964 under the ownership of Whitfield Belk’s stepdaughter, Beatrice Belk. Listed in the National Register September 24, 2025.
Period of Significance:
1903 – 1964
Level of Significance:
Local
Area of Significance:
Commerce;Ethnic Heritage: Black
National Register Determination:
listed
Date of Certification:
September 24 2025
