Members of the Society attended the celebration in McCormick, SC in memory of the Huguenot settlement at New Bordeaux.

***Sunday, August 4, 2024***

Inside the chapel at the SC Governor's School for Agriculture at John de la Howe, Mr. Mike Dorn welcomed everyone to the celebration.

What a wonderful weekend it was in South Carolina.

It began on Saturday, August 3, with a four hour drive up from the Lowcountry to Abbeville which is located in the “back-country” above the Fall Line of the state. For those not as familiar with the area, it is a drive from the southeast coast diagonally across and up the state to a part of what was once referred to as the back-country of the colony. Some today may refer to it as being upstate. If you drive the back roads, it is a pleasant departure from the interstate and a beautiful trip through small towns and long rows of agricultural plantings. One passes through Orangeburg, Wagener, New Holland - after which one heads west toward Augusta and then north to McCormick and on up to Abbeville.

Why Abbeville? This is where we spent the night in The Veranda on Main which is a wonderful bed and breakfast in the heart of this lovely community. This put us very close to the events of the following day. We enjoyed the rocking chairs on the porch as we talked about various topics of Huguenot history, including Abbeville, France, which was the capital of Ponthieu and its inhabitants were called the Abbevillois. (Ponthieu was one of six feudal counties that eventually merged to become part of the Province of Picardy, in northern France.) For many who grew up in South Carolina, it was always been pronounced “Ahb-ville” rather than the more commonly heard “Abbey-ville.” The French influence on the pronunciation has lasted for many generations.

By taking the back roads, one can achieve a small sense of what the journey would have been like long ago from the port of Charleston when in 1764 the Huguenot settlement of New Bordeaux was made. Led by the Reverend Jean Louis Gibert of Lunes, Languedoc, France, the Huguenots arrived in Charleston on April 14 and stayed a while at Fort Lyttleton near Beaufort before making their way into the back-country to Hillsborough township. Just imagine their journey. From France to the new world and then from Charleston south to Beaufort which today is over an hour by car. Then, to the back country which was up the Savannah River for days.

Near the New Bordeaux settlement, across Long Cane Creek, a settlement had been established in the early 1750’s. This settlement was comprised mostly of Scots, Scots-Irish and Quaker settlers who had traveled down the Great Wagon Road from Pennsylvania, through Virginia, and into South Carolina. The road forked just below present day North Carolina and a branch went toward Augusta,SC and a branch went toward Camden, SC. The roads leading into the area become lush with pine trees and it easy to see why the beauty of the landscape would have been so appealing.

The Society has published several articles in Transactions on New Bordeaux and all are welcome to contact us for more history and information.

Map: A portion of a 1773 map of the province of South Carolina with all the rivers, creeks, bays, inletts, islands, inland navigation, soundings, time of high water on the sea coast, roads, marshes, ferrys, bridges, swamps, parishes, churches, towns, townships, county, parish, district, and provincial lines, Library of Congress.

New Bordeaux is indicated along the Little River near Ninety Six and not far from the Cherokee Land boundary.

The 260th Celebration

Members of the Society had the great pleasure of attending a lovely event commemorating the 260th year since the founding of New Bordeaux. Many such events over the years have been held at the SC Governor's School for Agriculture at John de la Howe and this year Mr. Tim Keown again welcomed this gathering of Huguenot descendants to the campus. Dr. John De La Howe, a French physician, came to South Carolina in 1764 and settled in the New Bordeaux community by the 1760s. John de la Howe School is the oldest educational institution in South Carolina below the college level. It was established in 1797 through the will of Dr. de la Howe.

The program was held in the chapel on the campus and began with a sign in registration and visiting time. Immediately we were among friends. The warmth and ease of visiting was truly heartwarming and, as often happens with Huguenot descendants at events, new cousins were discovered and there were plenty of hugs shared. We all remarked that it is as if we have known each other forever and in some ways, yes, we have.

The program featured a talk delivered by Mr. Tom Poland, well known author, journalist, and speaker. Mr. Poland grew up in Lincolnton, Georgia and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and a Master's degree in education from the University of Georgia. The program was followed by a pot luck luncheon and the abundance of delicious dishes was beyond compare. If you have ever been to a church pot luck you know how delicious it can be. The dessert table alone was a culinary delight. During the afternoon, all were invited to tour nearby Willington with the Bookshop, Curiosity Shop, and History Centers being open. The Old Post Office/Railroad Center and African American Cultural Center were also open. Local cemeteries and points of interest were available for self-guided tours. We wish to thank Mr. Mike Dorn and his team for organizing the events of the day and for their warm welcome upon our arrival. We look forward to hosting them all in the Lowcountry when they can visit and to our return to McCormick in the years ahead.

Several members visited the cross site owned and maintained by the Society which is nestled in the pines on a high bank of the Little River. The scene is beautiful and peaceful. To arrive at the cross, we drove from the campus to the Huguenot Parkway to turn onto a dirt road at the end of which is the cross. Nearby are so many familiar names for streets and roads, for example, Moragne Lane, Jacque Circle, Devereaux Point, Guillebeau, etc. There are many points of Huguenot history in the area.

New Bordeaux Huguenot Cross Site

Mr. Charles Upshaw, Mr. David DuBose and Miss Elizabeth Gay were among the members who visited the cross site. (Not pictured, Mr. Austin Ball who made two trips to this cross this summer. One for an inspection with Mr. John Horlbeck and again to join this celebration. We appreciate the generous donation of his time to the Society.)

We recommend visitors make a long weekend of it to see everything and enjoy the area. Without hesitation we recommend the Old Country Diner in Abbeville for a wonderful meal. Best sliced tomatoes we have seen all summer and the fried flounder was so fresh! For accommodations, we could not have had a more lovely stay than at The Veranda on Main. Our thanks to the entire community for their warm welcome and hospitality during our visit.

To our membership and donors, we extend our deep appreciation for your continued support over the years. It is thanks to you that we are able to maintain the cross sites and perpetuate the memory of our Huguenot ancestors.