Penn Center
The First School in the South for Formerly Enslaved West Africans
Located on beautiful St. Helena Island, at the very heart of Gullah culture, surrounded by glimmering marshes, and nestled beneath the silvery moss-draped limbs of massive live oaks… is Penn Center.
The campus of the former Penn School, one of the nation’s first schools for formerly enslaved people, is one of the most significant African American institutions in existence today. This historic and cultural institution is a National Historic Landmark District and comprises two of the four sites in Reconstruction Era National Park.
April 2022
Penn Center receives transformative gift from MacKenzie Scott
News and Upcoming Events
Find out the latest news and events at Penn Center.
Shop the Penn Center collection
Feel free to browse our online store or stop by our Welcome Center and browse our selection of original artwork, books, music and many other gifts.