St. Helena Island, SC (May 09, 2025) — Marshview Community Organic Farm, and its Board of Directors – in partnership with the South Carolina Coastal Community Development Corporation – is proud to announce that it has received a $450,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation to restore The Corners’ Packing Shed on St. Helena Island into a vibrant community marketplace dedicated to celebrating Gullah Geechee Heritage.
Historically, The Corners has long served as a gathering place for the island's residents. Located in the heart of St. Helena, the area hosts key Gullah Geechee historic sites, including the Penn Center, Knights of Wise Men Lodge, The Corner Store and Office, York W. Bailey House, The Green, and the Packing Shed situated on the northside of U.S. 21, currently behind the Gullah Grub Restaurant. The Shed is significant for both its association with truck farming and as an intact and unusual example of early 20th-century vernacular architecture. It was built ca. 1930 as a vegetable packing shed for use by truck farmers, who were the majority of the Gullah people living on the island. The shed was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 6, 1988.
Mellon’s support will transform the area into a dynamic community space where students, artisans, chefs, farmers, musicians, and other entrepreneurs can connect, learn, and uplift Gullah Geechee cultural traditions.
“The shed is more than a building — it’s a gathering place, a symbol of our past, and now, a promise for our future,” said Sarah Reynolds Green, founder of Marshview Community Organic Farm, Inc. “Thanks to the Mellon Foundation, we can create a space where our people can sell what we grow, build, create, tell our stories, and keep our culture alive through food, fellowship, and commerce.”
While the funding covers up to seventy-five percent of the restoration project, Marshview is certain they will raise all of the funds to complete the endeavor on schedule. The renovated space will include – among other offerings – produce stalls, a retail section for dry goods and prepared foods, a teaching kitchen for community classes, studio space, and infrastructure to support food storage and cooperative distribution. This initiative is a central part of a greater effort to promote food sovereignty, cultural preservation, and economic opportunity on St. Helena Island.
“Everything we do at Marshview is about teaching the next generation how to care for the land and care for each other,” said Chef Bill Green, husband of Sarah, owner of Gullah Grub Restaurant, and the backbone of Marshview. “This marketplace will be a place where young people can learn how to grow, cook, sell, and keep it all going the Gullah way.”
York Glover, Beaufort County Councilman from St. Helena Island and a longtime supporter of agricultural heritage preservation, praised the project: “This renovation will breathe new life into St. Helena’s economy while preserving the heart of the Gullah culture — our land, our food, and our people. The Corners Community will be a model for sustainable development led by and for its people.”
Construction on The Shed is expected to begin this summer, with a grand opening targeted for March 2026. Marshview will host a series of community design sessions over the summer to ensure local voices are included in the final plans.
About Marshview Community Organic Farm and SC Coastal CDC
Marshview is a Gullah-led farm on St. Helena Island dedicated to teaching sustainable agriculture, preserving Gullah foodways, and empowering the next generation through hands-on learning. The farm provides youth and community members with education in organic growing, culinary arts, and cultural storytelling grounded in the history of the Lowcountry.
The SC Coastal CDC offers a business incubator with furnished offices, wireless internet, and a conference room for small businesses just starting. They also have an affordable licensed commercial kitchen (St. Helena Food Center) for residents interested in establishing food-related businesses. They offer assistance in job development, catering, and mobile businesses, including food trucks and mobile units. Businesses can prepare food items for resale to supermarkets and specialty food stores. The Food Center is also available to residents and organizations that require preparing large volumes of food for special events.
