Name/Title
Frances R. Edmunds PapersEntry/Object ID
HCF.FRE.Scope and Content
Frances Ravenel Smythe Edmunds served Historic Charleston Foundation for almost 40 years, beginning shortly after it was founded in 1947. Her legacy is not limited to the over 100 historically and architecturally important buildings in Charleston preserved by HCF, but extends to preservation efforts throughout the United States. She was the innovator of the revolving fund system that enabled HCF to purchase, sell, and then oversee significant buildings in Charleston. She battled to preserve and protect Charleston's historic treasures from wrecking balls, redevelopment plans inconsistent with our architectural heritage, and "demolition by neglect." As a preservation advocate, she was instrumental in the expansion of Charleston's historic preservation district (the first in America) from 144 acres to 789 acres and the strengthening of the city's protective zoning, height and demolition ordinances.
Mrs. Edmunds began her association with HCF in 1948 as a tour guide for HCF's first Tour of Historic Homes and the same year became the Director of Tours. She was elected as trustee and secretary of HCF in 1951 and served as Executive Director from 1955 until her retirement in 1985. Under her leadership, HCF developed a wide variety of programs that still support its mission, including the Historic Charleston Reproductions program and retail shop, two house museums, and numerous educational and interpretive programs.
Word of her fame as an innovative preservationist spread beyond our city. The National Trust for Historic Preservation gave her the Louise DuPont Crowninshield Award, its highest award, in 1971. In 1979, she was appointed to a 5-year term on the President's Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. That same year the United State Department of the Interior granted her the Conservation Service Award for her development of the revolving fund strategy. She also received the Greater Charleston Board of Realtors Appreciation Award. After generously assisting in the formation of the Historic Savannah Foundation she was honored with that organization's award .
In addition to her leadership at HCF, Mrs. Edmunds shared her talents with numerous state, regional, and national agencies and organizations. She was a director of the Historic House Association of America and Spoleto Festival U.S.A.. She was chairman of the Drayton Hall Council of the National Trust and served as a trustee of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Association, Monticello. The Charleston Federation of Women's Clubs named her to its Hall of Fame. Fittingly, the College of Charleston, from which she graduated in 1939, awarded Mrs. Edmunds in 1972 the first honorary degree it had ever granted to a woman. She was inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame in 1998.
Upon Mrs. Edmunds' retirement as Executive Director of HCF in 1985, the revolving fund she began was formally named the Edmunds Revolving Fund. An historical exhibit describing her prominence as a preservationist is displayed in The Shops of Historic Charleston at 108 Meeting Street where HCF maintains its retail operations. A Plaque there recognizes the building as the site of the Frances R. Edmunds Center 1986-2007.
The Frances Edmunds Papers consists of her working files and are organized into five broad series: Historic Charleston Foundation, Personal and Professional, City of Charleston, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Miscellaneous Materials. See catalog record for each series for details.Collection
Frances R. Edmunds PapersAcquisition
Accession
HCF.Source or Donor
HCF Institutional RecordsAcquisition Method
Collected by StaffLexicon
Search Terms
Edmunds, Frances R.--Records and correspondence, Historic Charleston Foundation--Administration, Historic Charleston Foundation--Management, Historic Charleston Foundation--EmployeesArchive Details
Archive Notes
Level of Description: CollectionLocation
Location
Building
Missroon Archives:Shelves B9-13/B15-20Category
PermanentDate
February 7, 2023General Notes
Note
Notes: Collection processed by HCF graduate student intern Melissa Bronheim.Created By
admin@catalogit.appCreate Date
August 8, 2013Updated By
admin@catalogit.appUpdate Date
February 17, 2023