Gadsden Funeral Home records
Collection Overview
The Gadsden Funeral Home records consist of three series documenting the history of the Gadsden/Duncan family, the Gadsden Funeral Home, and numerous affiliations. The bulk of the collection consists of records associated with the Gadsden Funeral Home, which detail the deceased, customers, funeral expenses, licenses and certificates. The collection is also comprised of detailed family history, organizational pamphlets and brochures, and a host of photographic material.
Series 1. Family History (1902-2006, undated) contains three subseries detailing the biographical history, educational material, and photographs of the family. This series includes a comprehensive historical sketch of the family beginning with the patriarchs, Eugene Gadsden and his adopted son Eugene Duncan who respectively founded and established the Gadsden Funeral Home.
Series 2. Gadsden Funeral Home Material (1908-2003, undated) documents the business of the Eugene Gadsden Company, later incorporated as the Gadsden Funeral Home. This section includes account books, bound and unbound ledgers detailing funeral and related expenses, and numerous certifications and licenses. The unbound ledgers are organized chronologically and separated by calendar year.
Series 3. Affiliations (1892-2006, undated) contain a variety of material related to businesses and organizations associated with members of the family. Among this material includes information regarding the black owned bank Peoples Federation Bank and the Reserve Fellowship Society.
Dates
- Creation: 1892-2010
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1921-1986
Creator
- Gadsden Funeral Home (Charleston, S.C.) (Organization)
- Johnson, Eugenia Duncan, 1931- (Person)
Access Restrictions
Some bound ledgers require use of copies made for researchers.
Copyright Notice
The nature of the Avery Research Center's archival holdings means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The Avery Research Center claims only physical ownership of most archival materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
Historical Note
The Gadsden Funeral Home was founded in 1902 as the Eugene Gadsden Company serving as one of the first funeral homes for African Americans in Charleston. The founder, Eugene Gadsden (1866-1928), was born to July and Maud Gadsden and later married Angeline Gadsden. The union produced no biological children, however they adopted their only son Eugene Duncan (1905-1969) who would assume the family business upon his father’s death in 1928. Duncan, an alumnus of Voorhees Technical Institute and Renouard Training School for Embalmers, officially incorporated the business as the Gadsden Funeral Home in 1930 along with his wife Vivian Austin Duncan. The Gadsden Funeral Home was operated and passed down through the family for over a century until it closed in 2005. The list of directors and their tenure with the Gadsden Funeral Home is as follows:
Eugene Gadsden, 1902-1928 Eugene Duncan, 1928-1969 Vivian Duncan, 1969-1979 Lewis Duncan, 1979-1990 Herman D. Singleton, II (director), 199-1993 Sam Halls, 1990-2001 Eugenia Duncan Johnson (sole owner), 1990-2005
Extent
5.0 linear feet (3 legal size archival boxes, 2 oversize material archival boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Gadsden Funeral Home was founded in 1902 by Eugene Gadsden (1866-1928) as the Eugene Gadsden Company. It was one of the first funeral homes for African Americans in Charleston. The Gadsden Funeral Home was operated and passed down through the family for over a century until it closed in 2005.
The Gadsden Funeral Home records consist of three series documenting the history of the Gadsden/Duncan family, the Gadsden Funeral Home, and numerous affiliations. The collection consists of records associated with the Gadsden Funeral Home, detailed family history, organizational pamphlets and brochures, and a host of photographic material.
Collection Arrangement
Series 1. Family History, 1902-2006, undated
Series 2. Gadsden Funeral Home Material, 1908-2003, undated
Series 3. Affiliations, 1892-2006, undated
Processing Information
Processed by Daron Lee Calhoun II, September 2014
Edited by Aaron Spelbring, November 2014
Encoded by Aaron Spelbring, November 2014
Subject
- Duncan, Eugene, 1905-1969 (Person)
- Voorhees College -- Students (Organization)
- Eugene Gadsden Company (Charleston, S.C.) (Organization)
- Gadsden Funeral Home (Charleston, S.C.) (Organization)
- Gadson family (Family)
- Gadsden, Eugene, 1866-1928 (Person)
- Johnson, Eugenia Duncan, 1931- (Person)
Genre / Form
- Account books
- Certificates
- Charters
- Diplomas
- Ledgers (account books)
- Licenses
- Pamphlets
- Photocopies
- Programs (documents)
Topical
- African American banks -- South Carolina -- Charleston
- African American business enterprises -- South Carolina -- Charleston
- African American businesspeople -- South Carolina -- Charleston
- African Americans -- Education
- Burial records -- South Carolina -- Charleston
- Funeral homes -- South Carolina -- Charleston
- Funeral rites and ceremonies -- South Carolina -- Charleston
- Undertakers and undertaking -- South Carolina -- Charleston
- Title
- Inventory of the Gadsden Funeral Home Records, 1902-2006 AMN 1137
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by Daron L. Calhoun, II and Aaron Spelbring
- Description rules
- Dacs
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English
Repository Details
Part of the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture Repository
125 Bull Street
Charleston South Carolina 29424 United States
843-953-7608
averyresearchcenter@cofc.edu