Dedication ceremony for South Carolina Historical Marker commemorating Durkee/Chisholm Training Institute

 A dedication ceremony for the South Carolina Historical Marker commemorating the Durkee/Chisholm Training Institute takes place on Nov. 14, 11 a.m., at 1442 Saluda Street in Rock Hill.  

Founded in 1932 by Rock Hill native William Mason Chisholm, the African American vocational school was originally called the Durkee Training Institute, named for Dr. J. Stanley Durkee, and was renamed the Chisholm Training Institute in 1951.  The school was tuition free and served African Americans in the Rock Hill community and its rural areas. At its height, the school had an enrollment of 400 students of all ages.

The South Carolina Historical Marker is sponsored by Culture & Heritage Museums and funded by York County through the advocacy of council member Bump Roddey. CHM historian Zach Lemhouse details the historical significance of the Durkee/Chisholm Training Institute and Chisholm’s legacy in a booklet to be distributed at the marker dedication ceremony.  Lemhouse also worked with Pam Chisholm, a descendant of William Mason Chisholm, who provided feedback on the information recorded on the marker and in the booklet.

In addition to the historical marker dedication ceremony, William Mason Chisholm, along with two other Rock Hill natives, will be recognized as 2023 Freedom Walkway Local Heroes with plaques erected in their honor on the public walkway followed by a reception organized by the City of Rock Hill.