Cokesbury College planning for future with help from sales tax dollars
Cokesbury College grew out of a grand utopian vision that began in 1824.
Built in 1854 and known then as the Masonic Female College, it offered women a chance to pursue knowledge for $40 a year.
Mount Ariel was renamed Cokesbury in 1834 after Thomas Coke and Francis Asbury, the nation’s first two Methodist preachers.
With a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, the college was also the second location added by the United Methodist General Commission on Archives and History.
“We’ve done a lot of work up there the last few years and we’re trying to continue that as we go forward” Rob Jones, chairman of the Cokesbury Commission, told the Greenwood County Council last week. “A lot of really important things have happened in the area around here, and it’s our job to preserve and maintain it.”
Jones said modern problems of upkeep and maintenance challenge the college’s caretakers to keep the property functional — although a 2017 economic impact study showed the site brings in more than $1 million yearly through weddings and support functions.
It’s also in line for $33,163 in capital project sales tax funds for the construction of modern restroom facilities.
Jones said other enhancements are being planned to ensure Cokesbury College remains viable.
“We plan at some point to acquire an exterior elevator to get people to the second floor. We do run in the black, at least for the last four years, however, our revenue is just enough to keep the doors open and get the bills paid,” he said.
Long-range plans include modernizing an old village store into an education center and upgrading freestanding chapel space to rent out as an events venue.
Jones also referenced a prior relationship between Cokesbury College and council — which provided about $20,000 a year in funding to offset costs in the 1970s and ‘80s.
“We would like for you all to consider in the future to maybe restore annual funding for Cokesbury College or some of the projects we have,” Jones said. Cokesbury is a real jewel in the Greenwood community and Upstate, but it takes a lot to keep it shined up.”
Originally Published by Index-Journal on:Dec 28, 2018
By ADAM BENSON abenson@indexjournal.com