Two former Connie Maxwell buildings demolished in Orangeburg

The buildings are being torn down a little less than two months after the Orangeburg youth home closed its doors.

Connie Maxwell sold the 160-acre property on June 15 to Orangeburg-based YC Holdings Inc. for about $2.2 million, according to Orangeburg County property transaction records.

YC Holdings Inc. President and Board Chairman Jim Roquemore said the two apartment buildings had sustained water damage and were too costly to repurpose and to put into good use.

“They were not good enough to rent out to the public,” Roquemore said. “We did not have a use for them, so it was a good time to take them down.”

YC Holdings Inc. is a land holding and investment company that leases approximately 15,000 acres to SuperSod to produce turf grass. YC Holdings Inc. also holds approximately 1,000 acres in developmental real estate.

Roquemore said there are other structures on the property such as a chapel, office buildings and a gymnasium that will remain in place. He said the buildings might be used by the new Willie Jeffries Charter School, which will be located next to the property. The school is expected to open in August 2024.

Roquemore said two sod fields will remain on the former Connie Maxwell property.

The property would be a good commercial and retail location in the future, Roquemore said.

“We don’t have any specific plans in place,” he said. “We are kicking the tires on a few things. We have not made any firm decisions.”

Roquemore said whatever the future of the land is, it will be put to good use for the county.

Connie Maxwell closed the Orangeburg home because it needed extensive upgrades and repairs. Also, the ministry received a $2 million gift to start a Charleston campus.

At the time of its closure, the Orangeburg campus housed about eight children. Arrangements were made for the children to transition to another Connie Maxwell location.

Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries was established in 1892 by the South Carolina Baptist Convention.

The Orangeburg home had its origins in the 1950s when the late Rev. Ralph Wentling and his wife, Helen, wanted to create a refuge for boys facing problems.

They purchased an old, abandoned plantation home in 1958 on Edisto Island that served as the first Brookland campus. It was called the Brookland Home for Boys.

The campus relocated to Orangeburg in 1967, settling in a historic home at 3089 Five Chop Road.

The Brookland Home for Boys merged with the Connie Maxwell Children’s Home in 1993. The Connie Maxwell Orangeburg facility is across the street from the original house.

The Orangeburg campus was the second largest of five operated by Connie Maxwell.