Corrine Jones Playground

In 1933, Charleston was an early proponent of using federal funds for housing and began making plans for a development at the west end of Grove St. in Wagener Terrace and another one at the West Point Rice Mill. Those projects were tabled because of the opposition of real estate professionals and residents, and instead in 1934, the focus became a housing project on Meeting St. that would become Meeting Street Manor. The development was designed by Douglas Ellington. Other projects part of the same push were the Victory Court (at Grove and King Sts.) and Boulevard Dormitories (King St. extension). The development was to have 96 three-room units, 30 four-room units, and 20 five-room units. Opened in May 1943, the Ashley Homes company provided ninety-six three-room apartments that rented for $31.25, thirty four-room apartments for $36.25, and twenty-four five-room apartments at $41.25. Workers at the Navy Base preferred government housing in North Charleston to be nearer the base, but all of the war housing was full in June 1943. The Charleston Housing Authority decided not to extend its deal with the federal government to manage the war housing in 1947. After September 30, 1947, the management would be taken over by the Federal Public Housing Authority. When the Korean War arrived, the federal government placed a freeze on the transfer of the World War II housing which had been planned to be sold off. The stay included Liberty Homes (285 units), Calhoun Homes (350 units), Ashley Homes (150 units), Victory Court (64 units), St. Andrew's Homes (410 units), Daniel Jenkins Homes (420 units), and Kiawah Homes (60 units). Residents of Victory Court and Ashley Homes were given until February 28, 1955 to vacate. On February 27, 1955, Ashley Homes was sold to salvage company from Milledgeville, Georgia and dismantled. Demolition happened in April 1955. By June 1955, all but two of the buildings (which were retained only for storage) were dismantled with the materials sold locally; surplus materials would be shipped elsewhere. Locals were offered their pick of unsold salvage materials before the remainder was shipped off. ==School site==

The local school board voted to spend $100,000 on 22 lots of the vacant development to hold as a hedge against future needs, subject to approval from state authorities. The land was transferred to the City of Charleston in December 2011; it has been used as Corrine Jones Playground since. ==Municipal ownership==

In late 2011, a renovation of the park was begun with the neighborhood surrounding it raising $20,000 of the expected $95,000. The City of Charleston was interested in ensuring that the park would remain public green space after the Charleston County School District planned to erect portable classrooms on the land during the renovations of a nearby school. As part of a land swap, Charleston transferred property that it owned adjacent to downtown schools to the school district, and the school district agreed to transfer Corrine Jones Playground to the city. ==Notes==