Friendly Aid Society

Front: The Christian Friendly Aid Society (CFAS), an African American benevolent society, built a lodge here c.1947. The Society began in the early 20th century among neighborhood families descended from people once enslaved on Rosemont Plantation, approx. 10 mi. north of here. The Society assisted members with medical and funeral costs, while the lodge served as a place to socialize and discuss community issues. Reverse: Shortly after the CFAS constructed the lodge, the building housed the Rosemont School, a segregated elementary school in the Georgetown County School District. The school was previously located on the site of Rosemont Plantation and served black families still living on the plantation grounds. The school kept an enrollment of around 40-50 children attending the first and second grades. It closed in 1955 when J.B. Beck Elementary opened.