Here’s why Historic Beaufort Foundation’s leader earned South Carolina’s highest honor
After working for nearly five decades to preserve buildings and cultural sites in the Lowcountry, the Historic Beaufort Foundation’s executive director was honored at the Statehouse in Columbia.
Cynthia Cole Jenkins received the 2021 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Preservation, the highest honor given by South Carolina, for her efforts to preserve the architectural and cultural history of the Lowcountry, according to a foundation press release.
One of Jenkins’ most recognized projects includes the preservation of Auldbrass Plantation, which is now owned by Hollywood producer Joel Silver. The plantation was designed by esteemed architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1939 after C. Leigh Stevens, an industrialist from Michigan, wanted him to build a modern plantation in Yemassee.
Wayne Vance, chairman for the Board of Trustees at the Historic Beaufort Foundation, said the Governor’s Award recognizes Jenkin’s talent, knowledge and dedication
“Her leadership is invaluable to our community and to accomplishing the foundation’s mission to preserve and protect Beaufort’s historic and architectural legacy,” Vance said in a statement.
Decades of dedication to preservation
Jenkins was the first person in America to earn an undergraduate degree in Historic Preservation, according to the release. Jenkins studied at Middle Tennessee State University.
Her career started in 1974 when she worked with the Lowcountry Council of Governments in Yemassee, according to the release. After her time in Yemassee, she became the first executive director at the Historic Beaufort Foundation from 1987 to 1995. She returned to the role in late 2019.
Jenkins also worked in Tennessee’s State Historic Preservation Office and the Preservation Society of Charleston. She volunteered as a judge for the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s National Preservation Honor Awards and delivered a speech in 2017 at the state preservation conference in Columbia.
This story was originally published August 1, 2021 at 12:35 PM with the headline "Here’s why Historic Beaufort Foundation’s leader earned South Carolina’s highest honor."
