South Carolina Genealogy

If you’re in the Spartanburg area and there’s a history book reader on your Christmas giving list make sure you catch this one!

Plan to shop for all your local history needs at The Hub City Bookstore on Saturday, Dec. 11, 10:00-9:00. They will give 10% back to us if you request it at check out. They’re stocked up on South Carolina books PLUS: Tom Craig, Mike Hembree, Deno Trakas, and Phillip Stone will be signing their local history books from 2-5 pm!

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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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A Revolutionary War tour of the the Beaufort District will be held December 11th, 2010:

Details below from their flyer:

December 11, 2010 Saturday – 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Sponsored by American Revolution Association (ARA) & Southern Campaigns of the American Revolution (SCAR)

Did you know Beaufort is written into the Declaration of
Independence? Meet Tory Andrew Deveaux, Jr. and Royal Lt.
Gov. William Bull, Jr. arguing one side against Patriot John
Mark Verdier and John Millner. Walk the battlefields for
Independence at Port Royal, Coosawhatchie, Fort Balfour on
the Pocotaligo, Fort Lyttleton, and Tar Bluff on the Combahee
at Chehaw Neck with dynamic guides, Charles B. Baxley and
David Paul Reuwer.

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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.”

This is coming up tomorrow – 11am to 4PM at Walnut Grove Plantation!

Walnut Grove Plantation to Hold Colonial Gardening Day on July 24.

Roebuck, SC, July 19 — The corn fields, wheat fields, and vegetable gardens of 18th-century Backcountry farms and plantations served as crucial food sources for settlers. Walnut Grove Plantation’s Colonial Gardening Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 24 relives the days when frontier farmers and aspiring planters had to grow their own food! Tim Foster, Walnut Grove’s gardener, and his assistant gardeners will share plants, techniques, and tastes of the colonial-era garden.

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I’ve got a couple of updates to pass along from the notes from the Spartanburg History Hub…. First up is tomorrow! July 11th…

Cedar Spring Baptist Church invites you to our remembrance of the 230th Anniversary of the 1st Battle of Cedar Spring. The celebration is planned for Sunday, July 11, 2010, during the 11:00 am worship service. A covered dish luncheon will follow the service. For more information, call the church at 585-5526.

The next item on the list is the voting for the Biltmore Estates Holiday wine label. It seems a Spartanburg native is in the running to have her design chosen (online voting – her design is currently in the lead!)

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