School sells McLeod
Historic Charleston Foundation once again owns plantation
Grace Beahm
The Post and Courier
Mimi Conlon, a third-year architecture stone-carving major at the American College of the Building Arts, claws the surface of a piece of Indiana limestone at the Old City Jail in Charleston.
Previous Stories
McLeod Plantation is sold to college, published 12/02/04
College of Building Arts carves niche, published 08/20/05
City loan to school wins approval, published 09/10/08
Plans for historic McLeod Plantation move forward, published 09/17/08
In a bid to shore up its finances, the American College of the Building Arts has sold McLeod Plantation back to the Historic Charleston Foundation and scrapped controversial plans to use the property for a college campus.
"The college has nothing more to do with McLeod Plantation," said college President Colby M. Broadwater.
"It would have and could have been a wonderful place to do what we do," he said. "However, my mission right now is to get the college on sound financial footing."
The college has been seeking pre-accreditation, which would make students eligible for federal grant and loan programs and likely boost enrollment, but its financial condition raised concerns with an accrediting agency that visited in October.
When Broadwater was hired last year, the college's financial health was such that teacher salaries weren't being fully paid.
"They missed paying some people last summer," said Jeff Martineau, vice president for accreditation at the American Academy for Liberal Education. "They have to get that sort of thing squared away."
Broadwater said this week that the $150,000 that was owed to teachers in 2008 has been substantially reduced.
The college sought a loan from the city of Charleston in August, and Mayor Joe Riley warned at the time that if the college's financial problems were not addressed "it could mean the end of the college."
City Council approved a $734,500 loan to the college in September, a month before the accrediting agency's visit. The city required that the college sell McLeod Plantation back to the Historic Charleston Foundation in order to raise collateral for the loan, but the plan called for the college to lease McLeod and continue to use the property.
Instead, the college decided to keep the $850,000 from the sale, repay the city loan, and leave the plantation in the hands of Historic Charleston.
The plan to use the historic plantation as a campus has always been controversial, and opposed at every step by the group Friends of McLeod, which is still pursuing a lawsuit over the city's rezoning of the property in 2004 to allow the school use.
Carol Jacobsen, a Friends of McLeod board member, was breathless when she learned Friday of the college's decision to leave McLeod.
"What a grand surprise," she said.
Historic Charleston Foundation Executive Director Katharine Robinson said the foundation will probably spend several months mulling over what to do next with McLeod Plantation.
Broadwater said that in addition to leaving McLeod Plantation, the college also may reduce the amount of space it leases from the Noisette development in North Charleston. The college also owns the historic Old City Jail in Charleston, and has been focusing activities there.
The decisions all come at a time when the 4-year-old college is seeking pre-accreditation, which college officials have repeatedly said would increase enrollment and help get it on solid financial ground. The American College of the Building Arts had hoped for pre-accreditation at the end of last year, but an accrediting agency had concerns about the college's finances and its academic program.
Martineau, of the American Academy for Liberal Education, said the college had "bits and pieces" of a liberal arts program, "but it isn't there yet." He said that if the academic program had satisfied the accreditors, finances would still have been an issue.
The agency suggested that the college take some time to address the issues raised, and seek a vote on accreditation perhaps this year.
"One of their challenges is, they say they want to be a liberal arts college, but they don't look like one," he said. "They can't just be producing kids that are wonderful at plaster and those kinds of things."
The college trains artisans in traditional building arts, such as metalwork and timber framing, within a curriculum that includes business, economics, languages and other traditional college courses. Annual tuition is $19,872, though many students get scholarships that reduce the cost.
"These kids get a good education for their minds, while we teach them to use their hands," Broadwater said.
Broadwater said he hopes to have the American Academy for Liberal Education revisit the college in March or April.
"If I didn't think we could be ready, I wouldn't have asked them back," Broadwater said. "Obviously, we were disappointed we did not go before the (accrediting agency's) board in December."
The college is licensed by South Carolina to offer a two-year associate's degree and a four-year bachelor's degree, and is preparing to graduate its first class of seven students this spring.
"The situation with the American College of the Building Arts is, we've been working with them on a plan to pursue and achieve accreditation," said Renea Eshelman, head of licensure at the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. "They are pursuing that with great zeal."
"It's kind of a Catch-22, where they can't increase enrollment without access to title 4 (federal grants and loans), and they can't get accredited without better finances," she said. "I think that they will be able to bring it along to where it needs to be."
Pierre Manigault, chairman of the college's board of trustees, said they anticipated that the accrediting agency could have questions about the college's finances, but he said Broadwater has done "tremendous things" to quickly improve the college's condition since he was hired less than a year ago.
Manigault also is chairman of the board of Evening Post Publishing Co., parent company of Charleston.net and The Post and Courier.
Reach David Slade at dslade@postandcourier.com or 937-5552.
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Comments
This article has 12 comment(s)
Posted by beenya_toolong on January 10, 2009 at 7:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree "what a grand surprise". This is truly excellent news for McLeod Plantation. I wish the college well, they are a wonderful institution, but their plans for McLeod were just not in keeping with Mr. McLeod's will or in the best interest of the plantation. I hope Historic Charleston Foundation... Will choose to preserve this structure and it's grounds without any new construction and make it accessible to the people of Charleston County.
Posted by Paulie on January 10, 2009 at 7:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
A "working plantation", with public access ...
Posted by TraditionalBuildingArt on January 10, 2009 at 8:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Now that the controversy of McLeod has been removed the people of Charleston need to look at The American College of the Building Arts with fresh eyes. If the national attention this college is recieving is any indication it is without doubt an important institution, a fact the accreditation agency recognized and highlighted.
It is also clear, from the work the students are producing, that the Building Arts College is having a significant impact and has created a unique and inovative educational program. What has not been reported is of more significance than what has, everybody should come and see what is actually happening.
Posted by Neponset on January 10, 2009 at 8:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Tradition
I do a little profiling and when I read your post, which almost sounds like a commercial, red flags go up. Lets see, you registered today and have only one comment which is a glowing report on this financially troubled school. Don’t get me wrong, I am a life time student of building and industrial arts and I do build/make with my own two hands and I wish these young craftsman/women good fortune
Posted by Madison on January 10, 2009 at 9:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I have watched the building arts school from its conception and I do not understand the idea behind this school. They spend 80 thousand for their education along with 4 years of commitment. Why not find someone who is the best in the profession you are interested in and work with that person or company. You can get paid and you will get more real world experience. The salaries of the professions these kids are going to receive if they go work for someone isn't going to be high enough to pay back a 80k loan. Traditional building is certainly appreciated but unless you have a strong understanding of newer more cost effective building solutions you aren't going to go very far either. You can learn all you want how to to Mortise and Tenon timber, use traditional rivets to join iron rails, and plaster cast columns but you are going to loose the bid nearly every time as even the highest end clients want the look but aren't going to spend double to get it done the "old world" ways when we can mimic this look at a fraction of the price. I have also found it interesting that the school has allowed "school projects" to be produced for builders. What are these "school project" bids coming in at and where is the money going, to the students that produce the work? Or is this some sort of slave labor low bidding and the school is pocketing the money. I also wonder how local contractors, builders, masonry,plaster and iron companies feel about being severly under bid by a school who gets their students to produce the work at little or no cost. I agree with the above posts that McLeod is now in the proper hands. An institution like this needs to stand on its own and not be propped up by the tax payers of Charleston. I doubt this school has a long life ahead of it.
Posted by Neponset on January 10, 2009 at 10:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Madison
Excellent analysis. There is a contractor, I think the name is Richard Marks, that does restorations (in Charleston) and has been featured on some T/V shows, perhaps some of the best of this group can work with him or do the same as him and make it pay.
Posted by eatmorecollards on January 10, 2009 at 10:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Madison, I see your point. Look at the antique tools they are using in the picture. I wouldn't want to pay labor cost for that job. I can see knowing how those tools were used, but a pneumatic chisel would be much faster and get the same results. I hope the girl in the picture didn't injure her leg by falling off a antique ladder.
Posted by Neponset on January 10, 2009 at 10:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Eat
What you say is true, but some times the old ways are faster - for a small task hooking up a power cord to a dull circular saw or starting a compressor and running a hose to the nail gun may be slower than getting out your razor sharp Diston (sp?) hand saw and sawing it off or driving a few nails the old fashion way with a Plumb hammer may be quicker. This current crop of “craftsman” have next to no skill and the new houses show it. Their dull tools also show it.
Posted by martin on January 10, 2009 at 10:59 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think this is a great idea, but don't know if a stand alone college is feasible. Is there no way they could work with/be a part of Clemson's School of Architecture?
Posted by eatmorecollards on January 10, 2009 at 11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Neponset, yes sometimes it is easier. I collect old tools. I especially love my hand planes. The saw you are referencing is Disston and Sons. A very good saw.
Posted by LEYH on January 11, 2009 at 8:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes, "what a grand surprise"! Ms. Robinson, go back and re-read Mr. McLeod's final will. I don't think you or the Historic Charleston Foundation understood it the first time.
Let this be a lesson to everyone who owns historic property in Charleston. Do NOT leave it to HCF or the City of Charleston and expect them to care about your final wishes or protect/preserve it.
Posted by Jim_Isle on January 11, 2009 at 11:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Now what do you do with McLeod? Friends of McLeod have earned a place at the table to help Historic Charleston decide what the best options are. This is our history and a cultural heritage site, and the decision should be in the best interest of everyone who understands what McLeod represents. Just think when your great-grandchildren have read about a plantation and want to go see one. Without McLeod, they won't have a chance.