Historical Figure
Laura Towne
Laura Towne was a pioneering educator and abolitionist who dedicated her life to the education and upliftment of formerly enslaved people in the Sea Islands of South Carolina during the Reconstruction era. In 1862, she co-founded the Penn School, one of the first schools for freedmen, embodying her commitment to social justice and community empowerment through education.
Related Places & Museums
Penn Center
St. Helena Island, SC
King used Penn Center as a retreat and planning site during the Civil Rights Movement; it was the first school in the South for formerly enslaved people (1862).
Reconstruction Era National Historical Park
Beaufort, SC
The nation's only national park dedicated exclusively to the Reconstruction era, located in Beaufort County, South Carolina — where formerly enslaved ...
