History & Genealogy

In its early days, Carmel served as a worship center for the students and faculty at Brainerd Institute. The organizing of the church, as led by Reverend Samuel Loomis in 1868, was known as the Chester Mission. Since its beginnings, Carmel has focused on the religious training of African-American youths. View from outside; open on Sundays. Special tours by advance appointment.

The vision for the Catoe Chapel began in 1946 when African Americans working on the Catoe plantation approached the owner for land to build a church closer to where they lived. Sometime between 1947-48, John Catoe donated the lumber from an old house and actually helped with the building of the church. In 1949, services began in a 16 x 14 foot building that was named Catoe Chapel Holiness Church in honor of her benefactor. The original church was remodeled and expanded three times. A new modern facility was dedicated on December 24, 1996 and sits on property adjacent to the original structure. The church's founding mother, Mother Martha Brown, is buried in a cemetery located between the two church buildings. View from outside; open on Sundays.

This is believed to have been the first separate African-American congregation established in Kershaw in the early 20th century. The church was named for Isom Caleb Clinton, a former slave who was a prominent minister in the AME. Zion Church and was ordained a bishop in 1892. The present church was built in 1909 and has undergone few alterations since that time. It stands as an intact example of the Gothic Revival style church architecture common in the period, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is representative of an early 20th-century institution in Kershaw's black community. View from outside; open on Sundays.

This building sits on property that once belonged to the Coulter Memorial Academy, Chesterfield County‘s first school for African-American students. The restaurant took its name from the school, which began offering junior college courses in 1933 and continued until 1947. Charles “Neil” Cole, a local teacher and businessman, sought to fill a void by providing a lunch counter that served black students during the time of segregation. He opened the College Inn in 1935 and employed mostly students from Coulter Academy. He served local diners, including Cheraw native Dizzy Gillespie. The restaurant, now operated by Cole’s daughter, Carolyn Cole-Green, serves mouth-watering ribs and more in this historic setting. Open for dinner, Thurs-Sat.

Erected in 1905 at the town square to honor the men who gave their lives for the confederacy, the monument is made of granite and stands 41 feet high with Location: Town Square, Gadsden Street.

The first Confederate Monument was erected by the Lafayette Straight Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy in 1929. The monument consists of granite mortar and a podium built upon two granite grist meal stones. In 2002, another monument was erected to honor Revolutionary and Civil War veterans. On this monument are the names of 38 Confederate veterans buried in the church cemetery. Location: In front of historic Fishing Creek Cemetery, Fishing Creek Presbyterian Church, c.1752.