Celebrating South Carolina Community Design in Chesterfield

Chesterfield, South Carolina,
United States of America

Chesterfield is a beautiful “Preserve America” community in the northeastern corner of South Carolina.  Located approximately 45 miles from Charlotte, Chesterfield is expected one day to become part of the metropolis.  Until then, it faces the challenges of improving the community’s quality of life after losing more than 75% of its industrial employment in the past decade.

In 2006, the town engaged in a community planning process, identifying several design opportunities. The process reaffirmed Chesterfield’s leaders’ belief that design is an important element in attracting new residents, businesses and visitors to the area.

In early 2007, a design team including students and faculty from Clemson University’s architecture, landscape architecture and historic preservation programs, as well as architects from AIA Grand Strand, gathered in Chesterfield to help illustrate the plans the community had initially developed.  Topics of study and discussion included preserving the historic downtown and courthouse; planning for “smart” growth; designing compatible infill development; building on community assets; creating vibrant public spaces; and attracting economic development through culture and tourism.

Project Overview

Chesterfield is a beautiful “Preserve America” community in the northeastern corner of South Carolina. Located approximately 45 miles from Charlotte, Chesterfield is expected one day to become part of the metropolis. Until then, it faces the challenges of improving the community’s quality of life after losing more than 75% of its industrial employment in the past decade.

In 2006, the town engaged in a community planning process, identifying several design opportunities. The process reaffirmed Chesterfield’s leaders’ belief that design is an important element in attracting new residents, businesses and visitors to the area.

The Town of Chesterfield is the county seat of rural Chesterfield County. It features two National Register Historic Districts and a beautiful WPA park. Since experiencing the loss of so many industrial jobs, the downtown area has witnessed the closing of two department stores, and has almost lost its historic county courthouse because of liability and safety concerns. In a last-minute decision, the Town agreed to take over the courthouse from the County to preserve it for future generations. Preliminary cost estimates for renovation have exceeded $1 million – an exorbitant sum in an area that needs basic infrastructure upgrades. Still, the town perseveres with efforts to keep their historic downtown vibrant and beautiful.

In early 2007, a design team including students and faculty from Clemson University’s architecture, landscape architecture and historic preservation programs, as well as architects from AIA Grand Strand, gathered in Chesterfield to help illustrate the plans the community had initially developed. Topics of study and discussion included preserving the historic downtown and courthouse; planning for “smart” growth; designing compatible infill development; building on community assets; creating vibrant public spaces; and attracting economic development through culture and tourism.

Participants were divided into smaller teams and assigned one of five projects:

• Biddle Street mixed-use development
• Highway 9 Bypass mixed-use development
• Historic courthouse rehabilitation
• Carolinas “Walk of Fame” and sculpture park
• Various streetscape issues and projects

The teams toured their proposed sites, drafted ideas, developed alternative schemes, and made presentations to local community members to gather feedback and support. Following the workshop, Clemson students continued to work on the projects over the course of the semester. A final presentation was made at the South Carolina Community Design Summit. AIA architects participated in the final presentation as guest faculty to critique the students’ work. Finalized designs will be compiled and delivered to the Town of Chesterfield for implementation.

Commenting on the project, Mayor John Douglas said, “…the result [of this project] will be the creation of a renaissance for this small, rural community…Finally, as bold in the context of small town America as this project appears, I hope that its implementation will lead to even greater opportunities to shape Chesterfield’s future.”