A Historic Charleston Foundation Fundraiser
BTS Tour of American College of Building Arts (ACBA)
Fri, Apr 03
|American College of the Building Arts
Explore plaster, timber framing, stone, and design workshops at the American College of the Building Arts, founded after Hurricane Hugo to preserve traditional craftsmanship in Charleston. $45
Time & Location
Apr 03, 2026, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
American College of the Building Arts, 649 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29403, USA
About the event
Join us for a behind-the-scenes tour of the American College of the Building Arts (ACBA)—the only college in the United States to offer a bachelor’s degree in the traditional building arts, for an immersive tour of the school’s working studios, where Charleston’s next generation of artisans cultivate the skills that preserve and shape the built environment of the Lowcountry and beyond.
Founded in the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo in 1989, the college was created in response to a critical shortage of highly trained artisans capable of restoring Charleston’s historic architecture. Recognizing the need to safeguard traditional craftsmanship, ACBA became the nation’s first institution to integrate liberal arts education with hands-on training in historic trades such as plasterwork, architectural stone carving, timber framing, blacksmithing, and classical design.
During this special tour, guests will have the chance to step inside the college’s workshops—including plaster, timber framing, stone, blacksmithing, and design studios—to see firsthand how students master…
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