👉 Bot’s Place

proposed VISTA project restoring veteran records and preserving legacy

Restore lost burial records - 🖥️ Genealogy Lab + Sound Booth

Create peace & remembrance - 🌿 Reflection Garden with symbolic plantings

Support young artists & families - 🎨 Legacy Gallery for Mildred’s youth art scholarship

Support volunteers - 🧤 Volunteer Hub for cemetery care & mapping

Enrich public history - 📍 Serve as anchor for Richland Cemetery Walking Tour

This community-led project will restore lost cemetery records, preserve oral history, uplift youth artists, and provide a peaceful garden and storytelling space for generations to come.

Location: At the gate of the Historic Richland Cemetery.

BOT’s Place is a vision for a sacred space dedicated to reflection, remembrance, and legacy building in honor of Ms. Mildred Louise Johnson Leatherwood Wolfe (1925–2024).

Ms. Mildred sold Life Insurance for the largest black insurance company, North Carolina Mutual.  Her office was inside the iconic Working Benevolent Temple and Professional Building.  She learned how to play tennis at the Phillis Wheatley Center situated between Dunbar and Burns Streets on East McBee.   And, Ms Mildred loved seeing all the best performers at the Liberty Theatre, her second job.

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Descendants of Richland Cemetery Families — contributing oral histories, family records, and community knowledge to ensure accuracy and representation

Local Schools and Youth Art Programs — supporting art education, youth leadership development, and creative expression tied to history

University of South Carolina Upstate – History Department — supporting research, oral history preservation, and student engagement through internships and projects

Community-Based Organizations (churches, local nonprofits) — supporting outreach, volunteer engagement, and ongoing stewardship

Hughes Main Library Memory Lab — providing digital archive tools and training for genealogical and family history preservation

South Carolina Historical Society — offering expertise and resources to support accurate documentation and preservation of local history

Greenville African American History Project — connecting cemetery restoration efforts to broader regional initiatives preserving African American heritage

American Legion — supporting identification, recognition, and community engagement for veterans

Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) — assisting with veteran outreach and recognition efforts

Upstate Warrior Solution — connecting local veterans and families to the project and supporting engagement

South Carolina Department of Veterans’ Affairs — providing state-level coordination and resources for veteran identification and recognition

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (as appropriate) — aligning with federal resources related to veteran records and burial recognition

City of Greenville Parks, Recreation & Tourism — integrating BOT’s Place into heritage tourism and community programming

Civic and Social Organizations (e.g., NAACP, Rotary Clubs) — supporting civic engagement, outreach, and volunteer mobilization

City of Greenville Cultural Affairs — supporting historical integrity, access to city resources, and cultural programming 

Greenville Master Gardeners — co-creating and maintaining the Green Room Garden as a space for reflection and remembrance

Greenville Urban Forestry Program — supporting long-term care of trees and green infrastructure

Local Artists and Art Collectives — creating installations, murals, and exhibits within the Legacy Gallery to honor history and inspire youth creativity