A private liberal arts college in Charleston specializing in traditional building arts crafts with rigorous academic integration.
ACBA integrates traditional liberal arts education with vocational training in the building arts. The college's six craft specializations are modeled on European and international programs: timber framing and plaster follow the French "les Compagnons du Devoir" guild tradition, stone carving is based on programs at Lincoln Cathedral and Wells Cathedral in the UK, and blacksmithing draws from Colonial Williamsburg and the legacy of Philip Simmons, a renowned Charleston ironwork artisan and ACBA founder. Beyond trade-specific coursework, students pursue general studies including English, mathematics, drawing, design, materials science, and construction management. The Byrne-Diderot Library serves as a major research resource with over 6,500 items in its main collection, plus 500 rare books and historical tools in the D.A.R. Special Collections room.
The college is housed in the Old Trolley Barn in Charleston's historic district. Prior to 2018, ACBA occupied and restored the Old Charleston District Jail (built 1802, expanded 1855), which served as the college's primary location for 17 years. Students come from more than 30 states. The college emphasizes hands-on learning and preservation work, with faculty and students engaged in assessing restoration and reconstruction needs as part of a living learning laboratory. Evening and intensive one-week courses in AutoCAD, interior design, sculptural blacksmithing, furniture restoration, and stained glass are available to the public.
In September 2018, ACBA received national accreditation from the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges. The college is licensed by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. ACBA has been featured on This Old House, PBS NewsHour, Forbes, Voice of America, and other national media outlets. Founding Dean Simeon A. Warren received the Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Governor's Award in 2019 for outstanding contributions to arts education in South Carolina.