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THE ISLAND’S HISTORIC GULLAH NEIGHBORHOODS GET DESERVED RECOGNITION
signs of progress STORY BY BARRY KAUFMAN | PHOTO BY MADISON ELROD
Over the last decade or so, native islanders have made huge strides in making their story a part of the narrative told about the history of Hilton Head Island. The century between the retreat of the plantation owners and the invasion of the golf course designers, we now know, represents a singularly unique era in the island’s history. This was the age of the native Gullah. Freed from bondage, they carved out their own world on Hilton Head Island, with communities built on a foundation of family. Each formed around its own nucleus — you’d find a praise house, markets, restaurants, and eventually nightclubs that hosted some of music’s biggest names. The neighborhoods — Stoney, Jonesville, Spanish Wells, Gardner Marshland, Simmons Fishing Camp,
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Chaplin, Union Cemetery, Queen Chapel AME Church, First African Baptist Church, and Squire Pope, according to Gullah Heritage Trail Tours — were a wonder of self-sufficiency, and each was historic. And they’re finally getting the recognition they deserve. But it didn’t come until recently, with the erection of signs dotting the islands marking where these historic communities once thrived. “These neighborhoods represent Hilton Head Island after the Civil War,” said Murray Christopher, who was instrumental in getting the signs built. “These were the communities that remained viable, so it’s equally important that they be part of the history of Hilton Head.” Especially now, at a time when the constant march of change threatens to wipe away the memories of what
