American College of the Building Arts

American College of the Building Arts is an arts organization in North Charleston, SC. It is the only accredited four-year college in the United States that fully integrates professional training in the traditional building trades with a liberal arts core curriculum. Students earn a Bachelor of Applied Science degree while mastering one of six craft specializations, including blacksmithing, timber framing, carpentry, plaster, stone carving, and classical architecture. The institution holds a rating of 4.90 based on 18 reviews, reflecting a solid reputation among the customers it has served.

The college’s curriculum combines humanistic traditions like history and English with practical skills in math and science, and design skills such as drawing and drafting. Students spend two and a half days each week in apprentice labs, using tools like drafting tables, trowels, chisels, hammers, and anvils to shape timbers, create works from limestone and plaster, and twist red-hot iron into wrought designs. This approach ensures graduates are equipped with real-world application skills and creative thinking abilities. The history of the institution traces back to 1968, when the National Trust for Historic Preservation issued a report warning that the last generation of traditionally trained artisans was aging out of the job market. This concern became urgent after Hurricane Hugo struck the Southeastern coast in 1989, damaging many historic buildings in the Lowcountry. Local leaders responded by planting the seeds that led to the founding of the college in 1999, originally named the School of the Building Arts. Classes were initially offered at various locations, including the Old District Jail in Charleston, which served as a living laboratory for restoration and preservation. In 2004, the S.C. Commission on Higher Education licensed the school to recruit students for Bachelor of Applied Science and Associate of Applied Science degrees. Renamed the American College of the Building Arts, the college awarded its first degrees to seven students in 2009. The leadership team includes Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Colby M. Broadwater III as president, and the faculty includes European craftsmen who have achieved master status in their respective countries.

American College of the Building Arts stands as the sole U.S. institution dedicated to preserving and promoting the building arts through a rigorous liberal arts and craftsmanship education in the Charleston area.

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