The former Emma Abbott Memorial Chapel at 52 Cooper Street in Charleston, South Carolina, was demolished Wednesday after an exterior wall neared collapse and closed nearby rights-of-way. The permit allowed demolition with exceptions, requiring the facade to be preserved and reassembled once redevelopment framework is built. The city is reviewing whether permit conditions were followed and plans a funded survey of downtown historic buildings.
Sep 24, 2026
Demolition of the former Emma Abbott Memorial Chapel at Cooper and America streets in Charleston began Sept. 23, with half the building down by 9 a.m. City officials briefly halted the work on Sept. 21 before confirming developer Styx's right to proceed under an Aug. 21 permit. The plan calls for deconstructing the chapel, then rebuilding it in similar form using salvaged shingle siding, with six residential units in the finished structure.
Sep 23, 2026
Crews began tearing down the Holley House in downtown Aiken, South Carolina, on Sept. 16, with a section of Room 127 brought down Sept. 17. The work follows the City of Aiken's Sept. 11 closing on a real estate deal transferring the Hotel Aiken building and adjacent properties to Oliver Hospitality. Plans for the site include a three-story mixed-use building on Bee Lane, a preserved McGhee Block façade, a 200-car parking garage at the Warneke Cleaners location, and a public courtyard south of the hotel.
Sep 16, 2026
College of Charleston began tearing down the former YWCA headquarters at 106 Coming St. on July 30, part of a planned dormitory redevelopment, with site clearing expected to run through Aug. 11 depending on weather. The nearby College Lodge on Calhoun Street is also being demolished. The college has Board of Architectural Review approval for the YWCA demolition but still needs state sign-off to remove the surrounding asphalt parking lot. A citizens advisory group says it wasn't notified before work started, despite requesting 24-hour notice.
Aug 3, 2026
