North Charleston’s Liberty Hill revitalizes historic Black neighborhood one roof at a time

NORTH CHARLESTON — Standing outside her sky blue house on Sanders Avenue in Liberty Hill, Gloria Wright observes the shingles on the roof of her childhood home being stripped away as a new roof takes its place. 

The house that was built in 1962 — the same year Wright was born — was overdue for a new roof. But the project would have cost Wright over $10,000. That’s when the Liberty Hill Redevelopment Group stepped in.

The nonprofit secured $500,000 from Charleston County’s Critical Home Repair Program last summer to fix up homes in North Charleston’s oldest neighborhood. The county utilized American Rescue Plan Act funds for the program. 

For the first phase, the county partnered with the Liberty Hill Redevelopment Group since the established nonprofit was already working to revitalize the community. 

“We thought they would be a good group to partner with because they’re in the community, they know the community, they were already doing good work in the community, but more importantly, the citizens, the residents and the community trusted them,” said LoElla Smalls, director of Charleston County’s Community Development and Revitalization Department. 

Now, nearly 50 homes in the historic African American community have new roofs or other essential repairs at no cost to the residents.

But the work is not done, said Craig F. Mitchell, president of the redevelopment group.

As the county’s funds dwindle — Mitchell said there’s less than $100,000 left — the Liberty Hill Redevelopment Group is seeking donations and grants from local businesses, investors or groups to continue the efforts. The next phase is to repair issues inside the homes, added Mitchell. 

Prior to the repairs, there was no life left in Wright’s roof, said Matt Teitsort, owner of Bluebird Home Improvement, the contracting company that completed many of the roof replacements in Liberty Hill. 

Wright experienced issues that would only worsen as the roof continued to age past its expiration date. During heavy storms, water would steadily leak into her home. 

“Any time the roof is bad, the leaks you’ll have damage underneath the shingles and then that water gets into the house,” said Teitsort. 

Even with the leaky roof, Wright’s house was in better condition than other homes in the neighborhood, Teitsort said. Some of the more extensive projects included reframing sections of a roof’s structure beyond the wood underneath the shingles. 

All of the Liberty Hill residents Teitsort worked with were grateful for the repairs, Wright being one of them. 

“I thank God for the job they’re doing because I know that it costs a lot,” said Wright. “And that’s not just for me, you know, other people in the neighborhood also because most of them really need it.”

The county’s program was designed to help residents over age 60 keep their homes in good condition since many with a fixed income do not have extra resources to spend on home improvement projects. 

“When you’re aging, in addition to your income being limited, your home is also getting older. Often, the elderly do not have the income to repair their homes. They’re making tough decisions, ‘Am I going to buy food today or repair my home?,’ ” said Smalls. 

Not only do these necessary repairs improve the quality of life for the residents, they also help revitalize the historic neighborhood. 

Established in 1871, Liberty Hill was once a thriving community with dozens of locally-owned businesses and shops. 

Mitchell and Wright, who grew up together in Liberty Hill, stood on Sanders Avenue and recalled what the community was like during their childhood.

Wright remembered dirt roads instead of paved streets. Both reminisced on playing pick-up sports games with other kids in the neighborhood, such as half rubber, a version of baseball with a broomstick and half of a ball. 

But many of those kids grew up and moved away, which left shuttered businesses and little development. Next to Wright’s home, a vacant lot sits where a corner store used to be. Other than the sound of construction, the street was quiet on the summer morning her roof was being worked on. 

“About 50 years ago, people began to leave home and they didn’t come back,” said Mitchell, who moved away before returning several years ago to care for his aging mother. 

Now, Mitchell has a vision to bring life back to Liberty Hill. And dedicated community leaders, including Mitchell and Valerie Harper-Young, who oversees the Liberty Hill Improvement Council, have joined in the revitalizing of the community. 

“The overall goal is to beautify the entire community,” said Mitchell. “We want to make sure that this community is better than it was when we grew up.”

Mitchell has put his money where his mouth is by starting neighborhood home repair projects out of his pocket seven years ago, before receiving any funding. Now, he’s determined to see his dream for Liberty Hill come to fruition, and eventually pass the torch to a younger leader who will continue the efforts. 

“If we build the infrastructure, the people will come,” said Mitchell. “We need younger people to continue the legacy. We’re trying to reintroduce people to our great community.” 

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