Lowcountry Land Trust is excited to announce the permanent protection of Coakley Chapel Park, a 6.5-acre property located in the heart of the Hamlin Beach settlement community and historic district in Charleston County. The park exemplifies the intersection of cultural preservation, environmental conservation, and access to a central gathering place that has long served the community’s residents.
Coakley Chapel Park is the sixth community lands project led by Lowcountry Land Trust, and the fourth within a Charleston County Historic District. When the property’s owners decided to sell, they offered the Hamlin Beach community a chance to purchase the land before listing it on the open market. Recognizing its cultural and historical significance, community leaders Cassandra Davis and Myra Richardson reached out to the Lowcountry Land Trust for support. The Land Trust led the acquisition to help establish community-owned community land, ensuring the park was permanently protected and preserved for community use.
At the park’s core is the historic Coakley Chapel, originally known as The Meeting House, established by Mr. Sam Coakley in the early 1900s. The chapel quickly became a vital part of Hamlin Beach’s community life, functioning as a prayer house, meeting space, and local resource hub. Moving forward, the chapel will continue to serve as a community gathering space while also providing educational and interpretive programming about the history and traditions of Hamlin Beach’s Gullah Geechee roots. In addition to preserving a part of Hamlin Beach’s cultural heritage, the protection of Coakley Chapel Park secures vulnerable natural habitat, contributes to water quality preservation, and expands open space for public access.
The $1.9 million purchase was made possible through the generous support of the Charleston County Greenbelt Program ($1,614,500), the South Carolina Conservation Bank ($300,000), the Gary C. Butler Family Foundation ($60,000), and Atlantic Packaging ($40,000). Notably, members of the Hamlin Beach community—who currently own the land—are donating $85,000 in property value, helping bridge the gap between the purchase price and the appraised value. Lowcountry Land Trust will hold the property during the development phase of the park, after which ownership will transfer to the Hamlin Beach Community Association.
