Undated portrait of Richard DeReef, who, along with his brother Joseph, were among some of the wealthiest free Black Charlestonians during the Antebellum era. The DeReef brothers purchased land in Charleston in 1849 to establish a lumber factory. The establishment of the lumber factory in the 1850s prompted the urban development of the surrounding land and the DeReef brothers created DeReef Court, a residential block bordering Morris Street for African American lumber workers. A relatively diverse neighborhood quickly sprung up along Morris Street. Courtesy of Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture. Download Original File
