Avery Research Center – College of Charleston

Avery Research Center - College of Charleston is a museum in Charleston, SC. It collects, preserves, and promotes the history and culture of the African diaspora, with emphasis on Charleston and the SC Lowcountry. The Center holds art and archival materials documenting the history, traditions, and legacies of African Americans and their influence on American society and culture. Its archives and reading room are open to scholars, students, and the general public, and the building and reading room are open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., with the archives available by appointment. Self-guided museum tours are offered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., with large groups limited to 25 people per time slot. Admission is free, and donations are welcomed. Researchers must have a consultation before making a research appointment.

The Center traces its origins to the Avery Normal Institute, founded in 1865 as a community hub that provided education and advocacy for Charleston's African American community and trained students for professional careers and leadership roles. After the Institute closed in 1954, its graduates preserved its legacy by establishing the Avery Institute of Afro-American History and Culture. In 1985, the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture was established at the College of Charleston, and the building opened on October 6, 1990. The Center occupies a three-story facility a few blocks from the College of Charleston's main campus. Dr. Tamara Butler serves as Executive Director, and the staff includes a Manager of Archival Services, a Research Archivist and Interpretation Coordinator, a Processing Archivist, a Facilities, Outreach, and Public Programming Coordinator, and an Office Manager.

The Center's archival work includes the Avery and Liberatory Literacies project, funded by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which supports processing, describing, and digitizing selected historic manuscript and audiovisual collections. A grant from the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation funds video oral history interviews with people who called for justice between 2014 and 2020. The Center also publishes the SC Black History Bugle, an educational magazine and resource for fifth-grade students.

The Center is located at 125 Bull Street in downtown Charleston, about 0.1 miles from the Bennett-Hayne House Marker and the Mayor William A. Courtenay House Marker, and about 0.2 miles from Cannon Park, Lucas Park, Mason Preparatory School, and Halsey Park.

The Avery Research Center has served Charleston for decades as a repository of African American history and culture, and its archives, exhibitions, and educational publications make that history available to students, researchers, and visitors in the city.

Services:

• Archival Projects
• Digital Collections
• Finding Aid System
• Library Catalog Search
• Research Consultation