Bedenbaugh awarded Order of the Palmetto

PROSPERITY — Michael Bedenbaugh, president and CEO of Preservation South Carolina, has been awarded the Order of the Palmetto by Governor Henry McMaster.

In the nominating letter prepared by William B. Fitzpatrick, board chairperson of Preservation South Carolina, it is stated: “For the past fourteen years, Mike has dedicated his working life to saving our state’s historic landmarks. In his boyhood home of Prosperity he realized that the town’s historic buildings—the heart and soul of downtown Prosperity—were being lost to age, indifference, and indiscriminate development, he became engaged in community affairs. When the opportunity to save historic buildings across the entire state appeared, he accepted the position of executive director of Preservation South Carolina, and we are the better for it.”

“It was a tremendous honor to be bestowed this amazing award. I have lived my life in dedication and service to my state and its history, and to have so many of my friends, colleagues and political leadership recommending this award was one of the highlights of my life,” said Bedenbaugh.

Preservation South Carolina was founded in 1990 as Palmetto Trust. As South Carolina’s only statewide preservation organization, Preservation South Carolina works hard for the advocacy, education, funding and preservation of historic properties in South Carolina.

Projects that have been advocated for and worked on by Bedenbaugh include the Prosperity Depot in Prosperity, which serves as the office for Palmetto Preservation, the Daufuskie Endangered Places Program, Penn Center Historic District (Beaufort County), Red Doe Plantation (Florence County), Curtiss Wright Hangar (Columbia), the last building of Pottersville (now Edgefield), Laurelwood (Richland County) and Trinity Episcopal Church in Abbeville. These were just a few of the properties listed in the nominating packet for the award submitted to McMaster.

The Order of the Palmetto is South Carolina’s highest civilian honor, recognizing individuals for their extraordinary achievements, service and contributions to the state. A once in a lifetime achievement, the award is presented only to natives or residents of the state.