NRHP Reference # 82003830 Added to NRHP 21 January 1982 Built 1897, 1904–1935 | Area 16 ha Nearest city Denmark | |
The Voorhees College Historic District is a historic district encompassing the campus of Voorhees College in Denmark, South Carolina. Thirteen of the nineteen buildings are contributing properties.
Voorhees College was started by Elizabeth Evelyn Wright as the Denmark Industrial School, modeled on the Tuskegee Institute, which Wright had attended. She kept close ties with her mentor, Booker T. Washington. The school was a late 19th-century effort to provide education to underserved black children in a rural area. As the school matured, it became a normal school and eventually a four-year accredited college.
The architectural and historical significance of this district is that it represents sophisticated styles for an African-American college in the early twentieth century. Many of these buildings were constructed by its students. In addition, the college was a pioneer in African-American education and associated with the notable educator and founder, Elizabeth Evelyn Wright. Photographs of some of the buildings are available.
On January 21, 1982, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Of 13 contributing properties, several have significant architectural or historic importance: