The City of Camden, South Carolina (hereafter, the “City”) invites registered architects with historic preservation experience to submit their qualifications to be considered for a historic preservation planning project for Aberdeen, Camden, South Carolina. Shawn Putnam (Planning and Development Director) will receive qualification statements until 12:00 noon on February 14, 2025, via email ONLY at putnam@camdensc.org. Questions should be directed to Mr. Putnam at the email listed above.
Aberdeen is located at 1409 Broad Street, Camden, South Carolina. The Samuel Mathis House, known as “Aberdeen, was built ca. 1805 and is a contributing resource to the National Register of Historic Places-listed City of Camden Historic District. Built by prominent Camden residents Samuel and Margaret Mathis, Aberdeen remained in the family until the 20th century and has been continuously occupied as a family home until it was gifted to the City of Camden in 2021. Originally a simple one-story frame house built over a raised basement, the house sat on 273 acres close to the Mathis Store and a mile from the center of town. As the town grew, the acreage was subdivided and other homes built into one of the first neighborhoods in Camden. Even with the increased size from a ca. 1850 renovation, Aberdeen remains unique as a folk cottage style home in a neighborhood filled with typical antebellum two-story homes. It is also one of the few homes in Camden with Gothic revival elements. Currently managed by the City of Camden, Aberdeen is the only historic home open for tours in Camden. The City seeks the services of a registered architect or team of architects experienced in historic preservation to assess the existing conditions and produce plans and specifications for the stabilization and weatherization of Aberdeen.
The project has been funded by a state historic preservation grant, administered by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History (SCDAH). The conditions assessment and plans and specifications will be reviewed by SCDAH for compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
Mayor Vincent Sheheen has announced the establishment of the Mayor’s Cabinet.
The purpose of the Mayor’s Cabinet is to bring together a select group of non-profits in the community who perform services often handled by municipal government in other communities.
The goals of the Cabinet are to assist in coordinating service delivery, increase communications, enable joint planning, and any other areas necessary to provide benefits to the citizens of Camden.
The Mayor’s Cabinet shall begin work as soon as possible and shall be supported by staff of the City of Camden and the Cabinet Members. The Mayor’s Cabinet shall consist of the Mayor of the City of Camden and the Directors of the Arts Center of Kershaw County, United Way of Kershaw County, and the Historic Camden Foundation.
It is anticipated that the Mayor’s Cabinet shall meet quarterly or as needed, and coordinate activities as appropriate.
Camden feels extra special during the holiday season, with our lights and decorations, events and activities and the general small town charm. Parades, performances, markets and other holiday fun abound and shops and restaurants are bustling with good cheer and great gift ideas.
Make plans to join in on some of these special holiday events and activities, starting with the City of Camden’s annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Thursday, December 5 at 6:00 pm at Broad Street Park, at the corner of Broad and Rutledge Street. The Tree Lighting Ceremony is a part of the Downtown Camden Cultural District’s “Christmas Wonderland”, where you’ll find a variety of activities and merchants will have extended shopping hours on the three Thursdays leading up to Christmas, December 5, 12 and 19. It also kicks off the “12 Days of Christmas”, highlighting community events taking place in and around Camden between December 5 and December 16, plus some bonus events leading up to Christmas. In addition to traditional holiday events, many local businesses will host open houses, pop-up shops, visits with Santa, and more fun and festive ways to help you complete your holiday shopping with less stress.
Here’s a listing of events taking place during the 12 Days of Christmas. Check back often, as more are added each week. We hope to see you out there!
Thursday, December 5
Holiday Market – 11:00 am – 6:00 pm – Arts Center of Kershaw County, 810 Lyttleton Street
Saturday, November 30 will be the 15th Small Business Saturday®, since its creation by American Express in 2010 and the Kershaw County Chamber of Commerce and City of Camden Downtown program want you to celebrate with your favorite small businesses in Kershaw County.
On “Plaid Friday”, otherwise referred to as Black Friday, November 29th, Amy Kinard, director of the Kershaw County Chamber of Commerce and Kat Spadacenta, Community Development Coordinator for the City of Camden, will once again hand out Shop Small goodie bags filled with promotional items from local merchants. They will be at Broad Street Park, at the corner of Broad and Rutledge Streets in Downtown Camden, from 11 am to 1 pm with bags for the first 150 people, encouraging them to shop locally on Friday and Saturday. Leave behind the long lines in front of the big box store and make shopping for friends and family a pleasurable activity once again with your Camden and Kershaw County local merchants.
As in years past, Kinard and Spadacenta are pledging to spend a significant amount of their gift giving budgets this holiday season at businesses within Kershaw County, and this year they are challenging the community to do the same.
On its 15th annual Small Business Saturday this November, American Express will donate $1 for each purchase made with an eligible American Express card at qualifying small businesses across the US to expand its grant commitment to support small businesses impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The company founded Small Business Saturday in 2010, coming out of the U.S. financial crisis, to help drive consumer spending to small, independently-owned merchants and restaurants during the critical holiday shopping season.
The City of Camden, South Carolina is seeking qualified vendors to provide a totally integrated/cloud based Financial System and Utility Billing Software. Read the full Request for Qualifications here.
Individuals in Kershaw County, including the City of Camden, are now eligible for disaster assistance to cover uninsured loss due to Hurricane Helene. Assistance is available for, but not limited to, home repairs, lodging, rental assistance, and funding for immediate needs such as food or medicine. Residents can apply for assistance in three different ways: apply online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, using the FEMA app on your smartphone, or by calling 1-800-621-3362. Additional information on assistance eligibility can be found online at Questions and Answers About FEMA Individual Assistance in South Carolina | FEMA.gov.
