West Florence
In 1958, the Florence Housing Authority completed an urban renewal project on the west side of the city. The neighborhood, eventually called Handy Heights, included an anchoring recreation center and school. In December 1958, the Florence Times referred to this neighborhood as “positively the Tri-Cities most exclusive colored subdivision. Everything is new and shiny bright… Lovely 3 bedroom homes, that are convenient to schools and stores.” While this project historically served critical housing, community, and civic functions, it also confined most of Florence’s African American population to one portion of the city.
In 1972, the city built a landfill adjoining the neighborhood which lowered property values and subsequently leached harmful substances into the ground, including methane gas that entered resident’s homes through basements and crawl spaces. However, this neighborhood retained a strong community bond, with original residents actively supporting each other and their important housing stock. Currently, Camille and Taurus Bennett are helping to revitalize the neighborhood by leading new educational and community opportunities. Focus-Scope Child Enrichment Center, located in one of the original Handy Heights houses, started as a before-and after school childcare program to assist working and lower-income families in North and West Florence, and now provides a free 4k school readiness program. The Bennett’s are also developing a community garden to address nutrition and food security concerns in the area, with produce donated to a local food pantry and for family picnics hosted at the center.
