Rachel C. Mather came to Beaufort, SC in 1867 to educate the freedmen. That year she founded Mather School, a boarding school to educate formerly enslaved girls with support from the American Missionary Association.The school was in operation for 100 years and has an active Mather School Coastal Lowcountry Alumni and Associates chapter.
According to The Reconstruction Era in Beaufort County Local Initiative for National Designation Report (2003), Mather School “actually served as more of a social agency that provided Biblical instruction and lessons in home economics” than as a general educational facility for African-American women.
She played a critical role in the recovery efforts following the Great Sea Island hurricane of August 1893.
The South Carolina Legislature honored the contributions of Mather School with 2017-2018 Bill 4849 in 2018. [Please note: This will open in a new tab].
A Mather School Interpretative Center and Museum opened in the old Mather School Library building on the Technical College of the Lowcountry’s campus, Building #1, 921 Ribaut Road, Beaufort, SC in fall 2017.
This list was prepared by Grace Morris Cordial, MLS, SL, CA, Senior Librarian in charge of the Beaufort District Collection, Beaufort County Library (SC). Latest update: 25 January 2024; Creation date: July 26, 2011.
Online Resources:
The Storm Swept Coast of South Carolina by Rachel C. Mather, 1894. This rare pamphlet is online because of the Beaufort County Library’s partnership with the Lowcountry Digital Library. Mather collected personal accounts of survival and compiled and sold this pamphlet to fund relief efforts.
Mather School Highway Historic Marker
“Every Hero Has a Story: Rachel C. Mather,” Beaufort District Collection Connections blog post, 21 June 2015, latest update 20 August 2021.
“Women of History: Rachel Crane Mather” Mary Baker Eddy Library [Posted July 2017]
Beasley, S.F. (2014) Pioneering Women of Southern Education: A Comparative Study of Northern and Southern School Founders (Doctoral dissertation), University of South Carolina’s Scholar Commons website.
“African American Historic Places in South Carolina” includes an entry about Mather School on page 13.
“Premiere of Restored Mather Film Draws Alums” American Baptist Historical Society Primary Source, vol. 8, no. 4 (November 2010), pp. 1, 6. [Note: Link is broken 25 January 2024]
“American Missionary Association Annual Reports,” Beaufort District Collection Connections blog post, 21 May 2014, latest update 25 August 2021
“The Mather School: The Legacy Continues” Technical College of the Lowcountry website
“Beaufort County | Mather School” Knowitall.org website. Knowitall features a wide assortment of almost 10,000 media assets and lessons, created by South Carolina ETV with a variety of partners for preK-12 education. The content was optimized for tablets and mobile devices for one-to-one learning during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Beaufort SC and Surrounding Sea Islands Women’s History Sites by Peggy Thompson includes links to original documents and short essays about Rachel Mather, Laura Towne, Ellen Murray, and other missionary teachers and nurses during the Civil War and Reconstruction eras. [ Note: Link is broken. 25 January 2024]
WorldCat listing for Mather School archival records at Benedict College, Columbia, SC
Some of the materials listed in the “Missionary Teachers to the Freedmen” bibliography are also relevant to the Mrs. Mather and her Mather School as does the “Sea Island Hurricane of 1893” bibliography.
View other images of Mather School in Beaufort County Library’s Arnsberger Postcard Collection hosted by the Lowcountry Digital Library.
Come to the Beaufort District Collection to see these items:
Mrs. Mather’s obituary is on file in the BDC’s obituary card files.
We have materials in the vertical file labeled Schools — Mather School and Mather, Rachel Crane, 1823-1903 which contains some information about Mrs. Mather.
SC 975.799 MAR Lowcountry Gossip by Chlotilde R. Martin, 1930? Photocopy of newspaper article, 1 sheet.
SC 551.552 MAT The Storm Swept Coast of South Carolina by Rachel C. Mather, 1894.
Archival Material
Josie Childs Slides Collection, 1953-1973, some personal and others of Mather School life. [Note: This collection is only partially processed.]
Mather Industrial School, 1915 – 1922, 1 folder that contains a 1922 school catalog, 1915 certificate of promotion, and a 1916 diploma.
Farr Collection, 1 folder of miscellaneous documents one of which is a “true copy” of deed for Mather School land dated 1875.
Mather School, 1 folder of miscellaneous documents including copies of 22 letters from Rachel Mather as found in the American Missionary Association Archives at Amistad Research Center, Tulane University; genealogical information about the Mather Family; biographical sketches of some Mather School personnel, including Josie Childs.
Note: The Beaufort District Collection (BDC) exists to acquire, preserve, maintain and make accessible a research collection of permanent value which records the history, culture, and environment of the South Carolina lowcountry wedged between the Combahee (pronounced “kum-bee”) and Savannah Rivers.
Contact the Beaufort District Collection at 843-255-6446 or e-mail bdc@bcgov.net for additional information about local history and archives relating to the people, places, and themes of the history, Gullah culture, and natural environment of Beaufort County, Jasper County and Hampton County, South Carolina. Advance reservations are currently required.
Please check the Beaufort County Library (SC) system’s homepage for terms of access to the Beaufort District Collection and current hours of operation and locations.
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