SC National Heritage Corridor, Region 4
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SC National Heritage Corridor, Region 4 P.O. Box 975, Charleston, SC 29402 or Phone (843) 805-3105 www.sc-heritagecorridor.org
Not all sites have regular hours. This list was compiled by volunteers and may not be all inclusive. Please send additions or corrections to: WALTERBORO-COLLETON COUNTY CHAM. of COMMERCE 109 C Benson Street, Walterboro, SC. (843) 549-9595 FW WADMALAW ISLAND GULLAH THEATER 5605 Katy Hill Road, Wadmalaw Island, SC. (843) 559-0383 FW TOWN OF SUMMERVILLE 106 East Doty Avenue, Summerville, SC. (843) 873-2931 FW TOWN OF ST. GEORGE 305 Rutledge Street, St. George, SC. (843) 563-3032 FW
PO Box 975 Charleston, SC 29402 Telephone (843) 805-3105 www.sc-heritagecorridor.org
EDISTO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Edisto Island, SC. Visitor information for Edisto Island and Edisto Beach. (843) 869-3867 CT EDISTO BEACH STATE PARK 8377 State Cabin Road, Edisto Island, SC 29438. Beach front park of nearly 3 miles with cabins on marsh and camping by ocean. (843) 869-2756 CT EAST COOPER HERITAGE TRAIL P.O. Box 43, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29465. A 90-minute step-on guided historical and cultural journey highlighting the experiences of African Americans east of Charleston. Advanced reservations needed. (843) 881-3275 CT DRAYTON HALL Ashley River Road, Charleston, SC. Unfurnished mansion is one of few spared during the Civil War. Guided tours of home, marsh, and gardens available. National Trust Property. (843) 766-0188 FW CITY OF NORTH CHARLESTON 4200 La Cross Road, North Charleston, SC. Offers the Old Village historic district including antiques and quaint shops. (843) 864-3735 FW CHARLESTON VISITOR RECEPTION AND TRANSP. CENTER 375 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC (843) 853-8000. Information on dining, lodging and touring. CT CHARLES PINCKNEY NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE 1254 Longpoint Road, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464. Offers a unique view into the past with visions of how the lives of slaves in the area molded and built a society. Managed by the National Park Service. (843) 881-5516 CT BOONE HALL PLANTATION Hwy. 17 N., Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464. Original plantation buildings include 18th century slave cabins. (843) 884-4371 CT
Attractions and Other Points of Interest UTOPIA 27 Broad Street, Charleston, SC 29401. (843) 853-9510 CT SWEETGRASS BASKETS and THINGS 206 Washington Street, Walterboro, SC 29488. 8:30am–2:00pm, closed Sun & Wed. Traditionally hand sewn sweetgrass baskets by 3 generations of basketmakers. Jewlery, gifts, and T-shirts. (843) 542-9083. FW ST. PAUL’S MARKETING CENTER 5210 Hwy 174 (intersection Hwy 174 & 162), Adam’s Run, SC 29426. Produce, crafts and arts. 10am-4pm Tues-Sat. (843) 889-8443 FW SADIE’S GAL GIFT SHOP 1914 Highway 174, Edisto Island, SC 29438. Specializing in fine gifts reflecting Lowcountry living. Gullah spoken here. (843) 869-0220 FW
TOWN OF McCLELLANVILLE 405 Pinckney Street, McClellanville, SC. Don’t miss the Village Museum in the heart of town. (843) 887-3712 CT SEWEE VISITOR & ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER 5821 Hwy. 17N., Awendaw, SC. Information on Francis Marion National Forest and Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. (843) 928-3368 CT NORTH CHARLESTON VISITOR CENTER 3107 Firestone Road, North Charleston, SC. (843) 744-8935 FW MT. PLEASANT/ISLE OF PALMS VISITOR CENTER Hwy. 17N at G. M. Darby Blvd., Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464. 1-800-868-8118 FW MIDDLETON PLACE Ashley River Road, Charleston, SC. National Historic Landmark encompassing America’s oldest landscaped gardens, the Middleton Place House, plantation stableyards, featuring Eliza’s house, a post-bellum freedman’s dwelling interpreting African American folkways. (843) 556-6020 FW MAGNOLIA PLANTATION AND GARDENS Ashley River Road, Charleston, SC. Year round garden and house tours, nature trail, Audubon Swamp Garden, Barbados Tropical Garden, maze, petting zoo, art gallery, and more. (843) 571-1266 FW
of Charleston, Colleton and Dorchester Counties
KIAWAH ISLAND VISITOR CENTER Bohicket Road, Johns Island, SC. (843) 868-8118 CT HAMPTON PLANTATION STATE HISTORIC SITE 1950 Rutledge Road, McClellenville, SC. Georgian style plantation house on Santee River offers unique look at rural plantation life and African American interpretation. (843) 546-9361 CT
NUSOUTH APPAREL 52 Wentworth Street, Charleston, SC 29401. Contemporary fashions, art and accessories. <www.nusouth.com> Toll Free 1-888-327-6884 CT
FORT SUMTER Charleston Harbor. Historic fort where the first shots of the Civil War were fired. Built by slave labor from locally made bricks. (843) 722-BOAT CT
SA HERA MAÃ ENTERPRISES P.O. Box 32307, Charleston, SC 29417. Educational videos Step-on tour guide services, story-telling and African dance performances. (843) 767-4398 CT
FORT MOULTRIE 1214 Middle Street, Sullivan’s Island, SC. Moultrie was active until WWII and is now owned by the National Park Service. (843) 883-3123 CT
African American Trail Touring the SC Designated as a National Heritage Area
KENOR FINE ARTS and GIFTS 228 Washington Street, Walterboro, SC 29488. Gifts, plates, sculpture, fine arts and crafts. (843) 542-9707 FW GULLAH ENTERPRISES P.O. Box 1490, Johns Island, SC 29457. Historical, cultural interpretation of the Gullah people. (843) 559-9942 CT BOUTIQUE AFRIKA 3225-A Rivers Ave., Charleston, SC 29405. Finest African garments, authentic art, jewelry, oils, books, tapes, incense and much more. Open MonFri 5pm-8pm. Sat 11am-8pm, closed Sun. (843) 744-1155 CT
Other Businesses WITH THESE HANDS GALLERY Hwy. 174, Edisto Island, SC. The best of American handmade and local art. Next to the Old Post Office Restaurant. (843) 869-3509 CT SUMMERVILLE DORCHESTER MUSEUM 100 East Doty Ave., Summerville, SC. Exhibits including the area’s history from prehistoric to present, including fossils, natural history, law enforcement, and early settlement. (843) 875-9666 FW S.C. ARTISANS CENTER 334 Wichman Street, Walterboro, SC 29488. Official folk-art center for South Carolina. The center provides a cultural and retail venue for the handcrafted work of our state’s leading artists. (843) 549-0011 FW MUSEUM ON THE COMMON AND SHEM CREEK MARITIME MUSEUM 510 Mill Street, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464. (843) 849-9000 CT GALLERY CHUMA 43 John Street, Charleston, SC 29403. A showcase of African & African American art. Original works from local, national, and international artists. (843) 722-7568 CT EDISTO ISLAND HISTORIC PRESERV. SOCIETY MUSEUM 2343 Hwy 174, PO Box 393, Edisto Island, SC. (843) 869-1954 CT AVERY RESEARCH CENTER FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE College of Charleston, 125 Bull Street Charleston, SC 29424. (843) 953-7609 CT AFRICAN COLLECTIONS 36 Waterway Island Drive, Isle of Palms, SC. (843) 886-6071 CT
Galleries and Museums SITES & INSIGHTS TOURS, INC. P.O. Box 21346, Charleston, SC 29413. One and two hour tours of Charleston’s black history. A one hour Porgy and Bess tour is also available. (843) 762-0051 CT TOURRIFIC TOURS 25 8th Avenue, Charleston, SC 29403. Sandra Campbell’s 2 - 2 1/2 hour walking tours of the historic district focusing on Charleston’s rich history and diverse cultures. (843) 853-2500 CT JUST FOR YOU TOURS Explore the Caribbean Trail. (843) 571-4165
Discovering the African American Trail
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lack of opportunities did not lead to the freedom that was expected. Many living in rural settings would flood to the urban areas where opportunity abounded in the form of the Carolina coast. However, trade organizations, schools, and institutions. The of all Africans enslaved, less opportunities for education and leadership largely free of than 10% were brought to white control made the AME (African Methodist America. Arriving at Espiscopal) church, and other denominations, an Sullivan’s Island’s pest extremely important institution. Many significant African houses, the unwilling Americans by the turn of the century were practicing in passengers would remain for the fields of science, medicine, mathematics, law, and at least forty days where they education. would be checked for disease For those that remained in rural settings, many and infection and groomed families lived in a communal or village setting. Just as for sale. Many were also their ancestors had done in Africa, these descendants were quarantined on board ship. self-sufficient in the village setting; all that was needed The South Carolina port of could be procured from the various people in the Charleston would be known community. In the event that they had no materials for as one of the most active church buildings, they would worship in grape arbors or ports to ship and sell brush arbors. In many areas of the Lowcountry today, the enslaved Africans in 18th visitor will travel through small communities that were and 19th century America. founded after freedom. Those communities today house Between the years of 1803SLAVES IN HOLD Photo Courtesy/The Mariners’ Museum, Newport News, VA who managed to people freed those of descendants the 1808, an estimated 40,000 obtain property in the Africans were imported. From 1690 a class of free people of color decades after the Civil Slave imports to America Triangular Trade Routes existed in this area. Mostly, these people were War; Snowden in Mt. were banned after 1808; but the trade continued illegally multi-racial and lived in urban areas with a Pleasant and Maryville, as evidenced by the case of the Echo, a slave marginal population dwelling in the rural West of the Ashley are ship captured by the U.S. Navy and brought to countryside. Freed people were able to exist in good examples. Charleston in 1858. the peculiar society of antebellum South During the Civil Once sold, many would toil in the fields, Carolina, many being smithies, cobblers, Rights Movement, the planting and harvesting initially indigo and carpenters, wheelwrights, and brick masons. song “We Shall rice followed by long-staple cotton. In isolated cases they amassed small fortunes Overcome,” was heard at Contributions and purchased plantations where they would the tobacco factory in then own slaves. In the urban center of Charleston at 701 East Charleston several fellowship societies, like Bay Street. At Moving the “Brown Fellowship Society” were formed Star Hall on Johns Island where free people met for social and political and throughout the reasons. region, African Americans With the Emancipation Proclamation met to organize and National Park Service and the end of the Civil War, all African peacefully attain rights Americans were free. The grim reality of a guaranteed to all failed reconstruction era and the rise of Jim Crow laws, the American people by the US Constitution. Today, both fight over the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments and the structures stand as a testimony to those efforts. The Africans brought with them other talents that benefited the plantation, including carpentry, iron working, basketry, and more. African labor would be responsible for the great economic gain that was made from rice in the colonial and antebellum society. It was the African labor force that cleared the swamps and fields, built the dikes, canals and water control devices as well as planted, tended, and harvested the crop.
FW Folkways and Communities Trail
he purpose of this guide is to familiarize the visitor with the wealth of African and African American sites in three counties of the Lowcountry. Two trails traverse the area and offer fascinating sites, towns, and communities that highlight the folkways, lifeways, culture, and achievements of enslaved Africans and African Americans in Charleston, Dorchester, and Colleton Counties. These two trails also follow the Discovery and Nature Routes of the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor. In 1670, English settlers, black and white indentured servants, and enslaved Africans established the first permanent settlement between Spanish Florida and Virginia. This area would bear the name Carolina for King Charles II of England. Within 10 years the European settlers had implemented the plantation system that had been created in Barbados. The labor force to sustain the European-owned plantations would come from Africa, particularly the West Coast, in what are today Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Benin. These Africans were known for their strength and abilities in husbandry, particularly in growing rice. Rice, the “seed” from Madagascar, would become the Lowcountry’s most important cash crop from the colonial period until the early part of the 20th century. European and Area of Slave Trade American traders captured and sold Africans and typically imprisoned them until they were boarded on slave ships. In most cases, the African was allowed four square feet of space while in the hold of the ship. Departing Africa, the ships would sail to the West Indies. Some of the human cargo was sold into slavery in the West Indies while the National Park Service balance was brought to
CT Coastal Trail
The South Carolina National Heritage Corridor extends 240 miles across South Carolina, stretching from the mountains of Oconee County, along the Savannah River, to the port city of Charleston. The 14 counties of the corridor, offer a cross-section of the state’s history, culture, and natural landscapes. The area describes the evolution of Upcountry and Lowcountry life, from grand plantations and simple farms to mill villages and urban centers, and how their history affected South Carolina as a state and America as a nation. The South Carolina National Heritage Corridor was established by the U.S. Congress in 1996 as one of a select number of National Heritage Areas; regions in which Region 1 entire communities live and work, and Region 2 where residents, businesses, and local govRegion 3 ernments have come together to conserve special landscapes Region 4 and their own heritage. As you travel along the corridor, you will experience the history, nature, and lifestyles of the rural south. Two routes, the Discovery and Nature, run the entire length of the Heritage Corridor connecting special places within the fourteen counties and creating one unfolding heritage tourism destination. Locations of great natural beauty, recreational opportunities, military history, birding, local arts and crafts, agricultural traditions and the state’s rich African American heritage are identified and interpreted along the way. We encourage you to experience the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor, to enjoy and discover an important part of our heritage. To help you along the way, we offer a brochure covering the full length and diversity that is the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor. To request your copy simply call (803) 734-2303 or write Corridor Brochure, Heritage Development, 1205 Pendleton St. Columbia, SC 29201 or visit our website www.sc-heritagecorridor.org
GULLAH TOURS 9 Trachelle Lane, Charleston, SC 29407. Tour African American historical sites and hear Charleston folktales told in Gullah. (843) 556-7243 CT EBONY CITY TOURS P.O. Box 1567, Charleston, SC 29401. (843) 769-4436 CT
Tour Companies WALI’S FISH SUPREME 119 Spring Street, Charleston, SC 29403. (843) 853-2517 CT SWANEE’S RESTAURANT 7648 Northwoods Blvd., North Charleston, SC 29408. Sandwiches, salads, side dishes and much more. (843) 820-1325 CT SOUL VEGETARIAN SOUTH 3225-A Rivers Ave., Charleston, SC 29405. All foods are 100% natural. Soups, sandwiches, salads, fresh juices, creamy shakes and much more. (843) 744-1155 CT MARTHA LOU’S KITCHEN 1068 Morrison Drive, Charleston, SC 29403. Specializing in soul food, corn bread, bread pudding, etc. Serving breakfast and fresh fish daily. (843) 577-9583 CT LJ’S 587 587 King Street, Charleston, SC 29403. Dancing, live Reggae and Jazz. Party and conference arrangements upon request. CT LA TASHA’S - TASTE of NEW ORLEANS 43 Cannon Street, Charleston, SC 29403. Authentic Louisiana cuisine and fine seafood. LaTasha’s provides a warm and comfortable atmosphere. Catering also available. (843) 723-3222 CT H&R SWEET SHOP 102 Royall Ave., Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464. (843) 884-2118 CT GULLAH CUISINE 1717 Hwy 17N., P.O. Box 1321, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464. Lowcountry restaurant specializing in okra gumbo, gullah rice, Hoppin’ John, collards, cabbage, succotash. Tues.–Fri., Lunch and Dinner. (843) 881-9076 CT THE FOOD BAR 1744 Hwy 17N., Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464. (843) 884-8063 CT ERNIE’S RESTAURANT 64 Spring Street, Charleston, SC 29403. (843) 723-8591 CT DYNASTY RESTAURANT 5341 Dorchester Road, North Charleston, SC 29418. Exotic & Caribbean cuisine in an intimate atmosphere. Delivery and catering services available. (843) 767-0080 CT ALICE’S FINE FOODS 468 King Street, Charleston, SC 29403. Down-home cooking and fine seafood cafeteria style. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Catering also available. (843) 853-9366 CT
Places to Dine Key forTrails
The Gullah The traditions brought from West Africa to the New World can still be found today. These traditions include music, dance, basketmaking, ironwork, culinary delights, carpentry, and more. The language spoken in the Lowcountry also is reflective of Africa. Known as Gullah, this creole language developed in the 1700’s as a combination of various African languages and English. Because many of the enslaved Africans were brought to the West Indies before they ended their journey in Carolina, their language was also impacted by the creole languages used in Barbados, Jamaica, and the other West Indian islands. For later generations of bondspeople born in the Lowcountry, Gullah was their mother tongue. Some typical Gullah words are “goobah” meaning peanut, “bubbah” meaning brother, and “tote” meaning to carry.
Carolina Caribbean Connection The framework of the Carolina Caribbean connection was the plantation system implemented in Barbados by the British colonists. Barbados would become the headquarters of the British colonists who would develop a system of government known as the “Barbados Model.” This system designed by the planter elite would be implemented in the other Caribbean islands and later to the Carolinas. Plantations required a large labor force and enslaved Africans were introduced as this labor force by the early 17th century. In 1670, a contingent of the planter elite came from Barbados to the Carolinas. With them they brought the “Barbados Model” in order to implement it in the new colony. Many of the early planters owned property in the Caribbean and the Carolinas, thus there was a great deal of interaction between the regions. Consequently, people of African descent from the Caribbean have identified with people of African descent in the Carolinas from the earliest days of colonization. This is evident in common surnames. Today, the government of Barbados is working with the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor in continuing the ties through heritage tourism.
Folkways and Communities Trail
Dr. Alston, a successful African American, donated land for the school in an effort to combine smaller rural African American schools. The school no longer exists but was originally located at Cedar and West 1st North St. After leaving the museum, visit St. Stephens Reformed Episcopal Church on N. Palmetto Ave. Bishop Peter Stevens erected the Church in 1885 in the Carpenter Gothic style. St. Stephens was one of 27 churches built for Episcopal freed people, most of whom were poor African American farmers. When you visit St. Stephens, look for the miniature pew built especially for children. Visit Hillcrest Cemetery off Gahagan Road and Brownsville Cemetery on Bay Road before stopping for a bite to eat at one of the many famed restaurants in Summerville.
This trail encompasses the rural areas and urban centers of Colleton, Dorchester, and Charleston Counties. This trail is wheel shaped and encompasses the towns of Walterboro, Greenpond, and Cottageville in Colleton County; St. George, Harleyville, Ridgeville, and Summerville in Dorchester County and Lincolnville and North Charleston in Charleston County, linking to Charleston by Hwy 17 and 78. The Folkways and Communities Trail tells the story of inland rice fields and plantation life as well as the story of Photo/College of Charleston Archives education, educators, houses of worship, freed people, and heroes. This trail offers an authentic look at the traditions and way of life of the African American population in this area. To begin your journey into this land of promise, oppression, revolution, and prosperity follow Hwy 17 south until it connects with Hwy 64 to Walterboro. The historic town of Walterboro, founded in 1784 by planters seeking a retreat from the malaria-filled plantations, is the hub of this trail. Traveling west on Hwy 64 as you enter the historic district of Walterboro, make sure to stop at St. Peter’s AME Church to get a glimpse of 1870’s gothic revival architecture. After visiting St. Peter’s, travel to the Tuskegee Airmen Monument located at the Walterboro Airport on Hwy 17A. The monument celebrates the courage and successes of African American pilots during World War II. Before leaving Walterboro, pay a visit to the South Carolina Artisans Center located in one of the area’s restored historic homes. The center offers some of the state’s finest folk art and handmade craft items. Be sure to dine at one of the many restaurants in the area serving traditional Lowcounty cuisine before continuing your journey. Your next stop should be St. James the Greater Catholic Church located off road 4 in Ritter, Colleton County. Following the War Between the States, many African TUSKEGEE AIRMEN MONUMENT Photo/Walterboro-Colleton Chamber of Commerce Americans first worshipped in brush and grape arbors. In 1897, a priest by the name of Daniel Berberich organized these former slaves and formed the Greater Catholic Church. The cemetery adjacent to the church is a must see. Follow the trail north to Summerville and on the way stop by the Jericho School in Cottageville. (secondary road 35) Jericho School was established in 1925 and served the black community until the 1940’s. Travel Hwy 17A to 78 to Harleyville to visit St. Paul’s AME campgrounds. These 19th c. wooden tents are built in a circular fashion with a tabernacle in the center. Camp meetings are held each October. Continue to travel on Hwy 78 to find Shady Grove Campground 5 miles near the Orangeburg County line. Tradition states that Shady Grove was organized by ex-slave Caesar Wolfe following the Civil War. Travel south to Summerville in order to visit the Summerville-Dorchester Museum. The SHADY GROVE CAMP MEETING Photo/Peggy Peatie museum is home to the cornerstone of the Alston School.
Leading to Charleston from Summerville, two routes are offered. Follow Hwy 61 and discover Eliza’s House at Middleton Place, a freedmen’s residences, the slave cabins at Magnolia Plantation and its gardens, and learn of the West African and Caribbean connections to Drayton Hall. Continue to Charles Towne Landing, the site of the first permanent settlement in South Carolina to view artifacts relating to the daily life of Africans and African ELIZA’S HOUSE MIDDLETON PLACE Photo/ Middleton Place Americans.
The Coastal Trail For more than three hundred years the coastal wet lands and sea shores have been shaped and reshaped by the trials, tribulations, and accomplishments of those who settled the coast. From the very beginning African Americans have been a part of that history. Nearly every aspect of this area’s culture has been defined by African American influence. The story of coastal Carolina can still be enjoyed today in the form of historically significant tales, people, and the traces they have left behind. Follow the African American Coastal Heritage trails and explore what our ancestors never imagined would become history.
owners, and scores of traditional sweetgrass basketmakers. Just off Hwy 17 on Sullivan’s Island, Fort Moultrie stands guard over Charleston Harbor. A visit to this 18th century site includes learning the history of the legendary 54th Massachusetts infantry regiment, active during the Civil War, and the pest houses where Africans were
“PORGY AND BESS REVISITED” quilt. Quilt Artist/Marlene O’Bryant Seabrook
Photo/College of Charleston Archives
10. 11. 12. 13. 14.
Bishop Pengally Memorial Chapel Lincolnville Middleton Place, Magnolia Plant., & Drayton Hall Liberty Hill Community Charles Towne Landing
Coastal Trail
Folkways & Communities Trail 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
If you take 78, visit Lincolnville, a predominantly black community founded after the Civil War and named for Abraham Lincoln. Continue on Hwy 78 to North Charleston. Visit St. Peter’s AME church in the Liberty Hill neighborhood. The roots of North Charleston are found in this community that was founded after 1865 by a group of African Americans.
St. Peter’s AME Church SC Artisans Center Tuskegee Airmen Monument St. James the Greater, Catholic Hill Jericho School St. Paul’s AME Campgrounds Shady Grove Campgrounds Summerville Dorchester Museum St. Stephen’s Reformed Episcopal Church
15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31.
Hampton Plantation State Historic Site Sweetgrass Basketmaker’s Marker Boone Hall Plantation Charles Pinckney National Historic Site Fort Moultrie, Fort Sumter Museum on the Common Emanuel AME Church Avery Research Center Aiken-Rhett House Slave Mart Denmark Vesey House McLeod Plantation King Solomon’s Farmer’s Union, Lodge Hall #3 Hebron Church Stono Slave Rebellion Site Caw Caw Interpretive Site Zion Baptist Church - Edisto Island
quarantined. An historic marker recognizes Sullivan’s The Coastal Trail begins near the historic town of Island as one of the most significant places where McClellanville, SC. Just north of town off Hwy 17 Africans were first brought to this country, highlights the nestled in the forest on the Santee River lies Hampton extreme conditions Africans suffered during the Middle Plantation State Historic Site. The main house (Big Passage, and credits the many contributions African House) of Hampton Plantation was built in the mid Americans made to the 1700’s, and the plantation was home to development of this more than 320 enslaved Africans. nation’s history. Relive the One of the many ways in which the history of the Echo, a slave African American community has come ship that was captured and together, organized, and prospered can brought to Ft. Sumter in be seen about every five miles or so on 1858 while touring Ft. Hwy 17. The AME church has served as Sumter National a pillar of the community and incubator Monument. for the constant struggle for liberation By crossing the lofty and community development. Other Cooper River Bridge, the attractions located on Hwy 17 include traveler descends to the the fine masonry slave cabins at Boone peninsula that is downtown Hall Plantation, Charles Pinckney MARKER COMMEMORATING POINT OF ENTRY OF COUNTLESS ENSLAVED Charleston. The city is National Historic Site, which compares AFRICANS Photo/National Park Service filled with many sites and contrasts the lives of slaves to their
relating to African American heritage and culture. To visit these many sites and to learn more, stop at the Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture on Bull Street. A division of the College of Charleston, this building served as the Avery Normal Institute until 1954. Other sites not to be missed include Emanuel AME church, Calhoun Street, the Slave Mart Museum, Chalmers Street, (Opening soon) slave quarters at the Aiken-Rhett House, Elizabeth Street, and the Denmark Vesey House, 56 Bull Street (private residence). Visit McLeod plantation on nearby James Island while driving south. McLeod offers unique wooden slave cabins and a lovely avenue of Oaks. While on James Island you will find the Seashore Farmers Lodge, and King Solomon SLAVE MARKET Photo/Derrick R. Jordan Farmers’ Union, Lodge Hall #3. Continue on Hwy 17 south towards Johns Island. Once on the island visit Hebron Presbyterian Church (Bohicket Rd.). The church was built of lumber salvaged from a shipwreck and became home to the first African American to be trained as a missionary for the Presbyterian Church. While touring the Sea Islands stop at any number of local stands selling vegetables, fruits, and flowers. Just past Johns Island about 12 miles south of Charleston you will find the site of the Stono River slave rebellion. This rebellion “DOWN BY HOPE PLANTATION” Artist/Bernadette Cali took place in 1739 when Spanish Florida offered lands to Africans and African Americans. Visit beautiful Edisto Island. Plantations on this pristine Sea Island were world renowned for their long-staple cotton. The Africans and African Americans would plant, tend and harvest this crop, then take it to town by barge along creeks and rivers. These plantations are private property today: however, a local tour operator offers a glimpse into the past. Before enjoying lunch or dinner at one of the local cafes visit the Zion Baptist Church. This grand c. 1818 church was given to black Baptists by Hepzibah Townsend in 1845. Upon leaving Edisto, notice the many fine vernacular AME churches that line the route through Adam’s Run on Hwy 174. Continue to travel Hwy 17 until the Coastal Trail connects with the Folkways and Communities Trail.
AFRICAN DANCE AT THE KWANZAA KARAMU Photo/William Green