The Lowcountry Senior Center has been a long time in the making and is the result of several entities working together toward a common goal. In 1996, an $825,000 grant for the construction of senior centers became available from the South Carolina Office on Aging. The Area Agency on Aging had the task of finding a sponsor to shepherd the process and the City of Charleston stepped up.

In order to develop the facility, the city requested input from its senior adults. The city invited the community to discussion meetings, and seniors showed their support by attending the meetings. A group of about 25 volunteers eventually organized themselves into the Lowcountry Senior Coalition, a nonprofit group set up to raise additional funds needed to build the Center, as well as to provide the city with input and advice. Today, they continue their involvement as Friends of the Lowcountry Senior Center.

Roper St. Francis Healthcare became involved in the development of the center in 1998 when the city sought a manager for the project. With the addition of the Charleston County as a financial partner, the partnership was final and a strong alliance was formed.

In May of 2004, the Lowcountry Senior Center opened its doors to the public, serving independent senior adults aged 50 or more. We currently have close to 1000, with an average of 135 members and visitors each day.

In 2005, The Center was honored with two special distinctions. In January the Senior Center was honored with a national award - the NuStep Pinnacle Award - for excellence in wellness programming for seniors. In April, the Senior Center became the first in South Carolina to achieve national accreditation and joins an elite group of only 112 nationally accredited senior centers in the country. The National Institute of Senior Centers (NISC), an affiliate organization of The National Council on the Aging, is the accrediting agency. Accreditation represents official recognition that the Lowcountry Senior Center is meeting its mission in a nationally accepted and professional manner.