Carrsville

Front: This African-American community was established in1930 after two floods on the Savannah River washed away most of the town of Hamburg. That town had become a predominantly African-American community after the Civil War. Carrsville was most likely named for Charles W. Carr of the American Red Cross or for William Carpenter, an African-American businessman, both of whom gave lots for new homes here to families displaced by the flooding. Reverse: Boylan Street here was originally named Red Cross Street in recognition of that organization’s aid to the black families who had lost their homes on the banks of the Savannah River. This building, long called “the Society Building,” was built in 1930 for the Young Men’s Union Society, which later bought the lot from William Carpenter. The building has hosted many events for organizations such as Simmons Lodge No. 571, which acquired it in 1988.