Restoration of Union Pier’s Historic Bennett Rice Mill Facade Complete

The restored and stabilized Bennett Rice Mill façade stands at the center of Union Pier. (Photo/English Hurteau)

CHARLESTON, SC — OCT. 21, 2025 — SC Ports celebrates the successful completion of a full restoration and stabilization of the historic Bennett Rice Mill façade, marking the most thorough rehabilitation of the historical structure since SC Ports assumed ownership in 1958. The $1.6 million restoration took a year to complete.

The landmark stands at the center of Union Pier terminal in downtown Charleston and has undergone partial restoration efforts in the 1990s and 2010s to slow deterioration. SC Ports’ Board of Directors awarded a contract to Landmark Preservation in April 2024 to properly restore the façade and ensure structural integrity, following discussions with the local preservation community.

“We thank Historic Charleston Foundation, The Preservation Society of Charleston, and local leaders for engaging with SC Ports on this effort,” said SC Ports President and CEO Micah Mallace.

“The Rice Mill Façade is a significant piece of Charleston’s architectural history, and the full restoration ensures it will become a beacon for the future redevelopment of this incredible waterfront property. The Port aims to be a good steward of the communities we work in, and this project is an example of how working collaboratively with our local partners yields benefits for all to enjoy.”

The scope of work for the project included inventory of historic bricks on site, partial reconstruction and repair of missing or deteriorated masonry and timber elements, and enhancement of the existing steel shoring structure. The work was performed to structurally stabilize the façade, while restoring it to its historic appearance as closely as possible.

“This generous commitment to protecting the imposing mill façade by SC Ports represents an important first step in the revitalization of Union Pier,” said Winslow Hastie, President and CEO of Historic Charleston Foundation. “As a rare surviving remnant of this part of Charleston’s working waterfront, the Bennett Rice Mill provides an opportunity to tell an important, and often forgotten, story about the city as a global trading center.”

“We are proud partners with SC Ports in giving this remarkable piece of architecture a new lease on life and re-establishing its connection to our city,” said Brian Turner, President and CEO of the Preservation Society of Charleston.

GEL Engineering performed a detailed hands-on assessment of the façade in 2023 to prepare drawings and technical specifications for the restoration efforts, and worked alongside Landmark to review and solve unforeseen items discovered during the construction process.

The completion of the project comes ahead of SC Ports’ sale of Union Pier to Beemok Capital.