South Carolina Genealogy

The Spartanburg County Historical Association offers area residents a
chance to learn about Christmas in times past with holiday-themed events this December.

First, there is “Christmas in Early America” at both the Historic Price House on Saturday, December 4, and at Walnut Grove Plantation on Saturday, December 11. Take a break from the modern holiday hustle and bustle to experience a more modest early American Christmas. Tour each site’s historic home to see the simple wreaths, greenery, fruits and berries used by the Prices and the Moores to mark the holiday season.

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They are located in Spartanburg…

Magnolia Street Station
298 Magnolia Street
Spartanburg, South Carolina 29306

Open Wednesdays 10AM to 2PM and Saturdays 8AM to 2PM.

(I assume that means even this Saturday!) Admission is free although donations are appreciated! www.palmettorails.org

Wow it looks like the folks in Spartanburg are going to be busy! There are quite a few happenings coming up related to the History Hub and the historical society. Wow – kudos to them for having so many interesting and engaging events ongoing!

First up is Thursday the 18th…

The next meeting of the Spartanburg History Hub is scheduled for Thursday, November 18, 7:00 pm in the East Wing Conference Room of the Chapman Cultural Center. (That’s the wing which houses Ballet Spartanburg, The Music Foundation, and the Science Center. Go upstairs to the Science Center and turn right just before the Center’s doors. We’ll have signs.)

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Passing along the following from the Spartanburg History Hub-

The next meeting of the Spartanburg History Hub is scheduled for Thursday, September 23, 7:00 pm in the Barrett Room of the Spartanburg Library Headquarters.

There is no charge for attending meetings of the Spartanburg History Hub and we’ll wrap up promptly at 8:00 pm. There will be the opportunity for introductions and brief announcements. Feel free to bring fliers or brochures so you can give a short announcement and interested parties can pick up the detailed information afterward. Debra Hutchins, Local History Librarian in the library’s Kennedy Room will be leading the presentation and discussion. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to pick her brain about local history and the Kennedy Room!

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Relive the American Revolution at Walnut Grove Plantation’s Annual FestiFall Reenactment Held the First Weekend in October

Roebuck, SC, September 13, 2010 — Hear the muskets fire! Feel the cannon roar! See the American Revolution come to life during FestiFall at Walnut Grove Plantation! Late in the War for Independence, William “Bloody Bill” Cunningham, a Loyalist militia captain and deserter of the American cause, attacked Walnut Grove Plantation, killed three Patriot soldiers, and sparked a skirmish with local militia. At FestiFall, experience a re-enactment of this raid on Walnut Grove by Captain Cunningham and his desperate band of Tories. Witness the brave heroine, Kate Barry, warning her husband Andrew and his Patriot troops of the attack. Although her valiant actions can’t save Captain Steadman and his friends, they do save the Moore family home from being burned by its attackers. Relive the saga of our struggle for independence and be transported back to colonial days!

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The Spartanburg Regional History Museum presents
Mr. Ross E. Beard on
“David ‘Carbine’ Williams and His Weapons Innovations”

September 24, 2010
12:30– 1:30

The Spartanburg Regional History Museum welcomes Mr. Ross E. Beard, Jr., to our September Lunch & Learn Spartanburg. Mr. Beard is an author, firearms expert, collector and biographer of David Marshall “Carbine” Williams, the inventor of the famous World War II carbine rifle and many other important weapons innovations. Mr. Beard will have copies of his book available.

Bring your lunch
Limited seating
$5.00

Contact us to reserve seating

864-596-3501; njefferies@spartanburghistory.org
spartanburghistory.org

Chapman Cultural Center
Moseley Building 1st Floor Meeting Room
200 East St. John Street
Spartanburg, S.C. 29306

Saturday at The Seay House
September 18, 2010
10:00-4:00

Join us this Saturday at The Seay House, Spartanburg’s oldest home. Located at 106 Darby Road just off Crescent Avenue, this home showcases the dwelling of a local farmstead managed and maintained by three maiden Seay sisters in the late 1800s. Come relax for an hour or two on this historic property! Visit www.spartanburghistory.org, email seayhouse@spartanburghistory.org, or call 864-596-3501 for more information.

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The Spartanburg Regional History Museum Presents Lunch & Learn Spartanburg:

Dr. Jeffery Willis with “Frank Collins’ Works”
Friday, August 27, 2010, 12:30-1:30 pm

Bring your lunch; Limited seating; $5.00
Chapman Cultural Center, Moseley Building, 1st floor Meeting Room; 200 East St. John Street, Spartanburg, S.C. 29306
Reservations Requested: Reply to this email or 864–596-3501; njefferies@spartanburghistory.org

Dr. Jeffery Willis, Converse College Archivist and President of the Spartanburg County Historical Association, will discuss Collins’ life and work at the Spartanburg Regional History Museum’s Lunch & Learn, on August 27, 2010, 12:30 until 1:30. James Frank Collins was perhaps Spartanburg’s leading architect during the first half of the twentieth century. Many of the beautiful homes and public buildings he designed still stand, offering glimpses into one of the most dynamic periods in Spartanburg’s history. Dr. Willis will focus on the history related to Collins’ architecture. Mr. Collins designed several prominent houses in the Converse Heights neighborhood, such as the James Byrnes home on Otis Boulevard. The houses feature a range of historical styles, from Georgian and Greek revival to English Tudor and Dutch Colonial. Dr. Willis said, “He left quite a lasting mark.”

Here’s another good upcoming event in the Spartanburg area: This time it’s at the Price House!

The Thomas Price House, built in 1795 at a critical north-south road junction in lower Spartanburg County, is a product both of the vision and financial commitment of the founders of the Spartanburg County Historical Association (SCHA). In 1969, the association purchased not only the site of the homestead, but also 101 surrounding acres of farmland as a future public green space and outdoor educational center. In the last few years, SCHA has worked with the Spartanburg Area Conservancy (SPACE) to place all of the Price House property under a permanent conservation easement.

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I don’t know how many of our readers are in Florida, or may be able to head there for a workshop (it would be nice….)

Anyway, I received this – seating is listed as limited so I don’t know it may already be booked, but if you’re interested here are the details:

“Oral History 101”

August 23-25, 2010 9:00am-4:00pm

Instructor: Doug Boyd, Ph.D.

Director of Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History

University of Kentucky Libraries

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES:

By the end of the workshop, participants will:

• Gain an overall understanding of oral history in an archival context.

• Get practical experience in oral history interviewing and related aspects of oral history such as archiving, transcribing, editing, and publishing oral histories in a variety of environments including libraries, archives and museums.

• Establish a fundamental knowledge in the technologies of recording, preservation, and publication of oral history interviews.

• Gain a familiarity of the practical and theoretical underpinnings of oral history.

Registration Information:

$75 per participant, Seating is limited so reserve now!

Location:

Nova Southeastern University

Alvin Sherman Library

3100 Ray Ferrero Jr. Blvd.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33314-1013

To Register Contact:

Elizabeth Lowman, Oral History Coordinator, for registration

elizabethlowman@semtribe.com, 863-902-1113 x. 12210