Huguenot History Presented at Colonial Day in Berkeley County
The exhibit under a grand oak on the grounds of the Old Santee Canal Park with Registrar, Abbey Markiewicz, seated.
The Society hosted a table with exhibits and provided a talk in the Interpretive Center.
Saturday, September 28 was a beautiful day at the Old Santee Canal Park in Berkeley County and the grounds of the park provided a perfect setting for numerous historical societies to host tables and present colonial history. The Huguenot Society of South Carolina hosted a table that featured the history of the Huguenots and several maps of colonial Berkeley with important Huguenot locations noted.
The Huguenots Arrival in Carolina
Cheves Leland, Historian for the Society, hosted a one-hour talk in the Interpretive Center and it was a full house. Some in the audience were of Huguenot descent and some were not sure, but interested to find out more. It was a very enjoyable presentation.
In addition to hosting a table from 9am - 3pm, the Society provided a talk at 11am in the Oak Room of the Interpretive Center on the Huguenots and their arrival to Carolina. Cheves Leland hosted the talk and the audience enjoyed her presentation. One of the most interesting slides was on the Boyd Map of Charles Towne and Cheves’ discussion of where the French church was, the early Huguenot properties of the area, and she busted some myths often told of the early settlement. The talk was an example of the work the Society does to preserve and share the history of the Huguenots and their role in colonial South Carolina. While visitors often notice the French titles of streets downtown and always admire the French Protestant Church, we often find they do not know the history of this refugee group from France and their early years in Carolina. And, for those who do know their Huguenot roots, they enjoy the opportunity to interact with the Society to discuss research and how they can learn more. We had audience members from as far as Canada who were interested in their Huguenot heritage.
Society President Joined the Hospitality Table
Jack Williams, President of the Society, with Elizabeth Gay, Executive Director.
Joining the staff for the day was Society President, Jack Williams. Together with the entire team, Mr. Williams enjoyed meeting visitors and attending Cheves’ talk. “We really have a fine traveling exhibit and nothing is better than an informative lecture with Cheves. She is a wealth of information. Our members can be very proud of our team and their hard work,” said Mr. Williams.
Several Society members stopped by to say hello and were very pleased with our participation. “It is all about personal engagement,” Elizabeth said, “nothing replaces one on one conversations about our history and the best moments are when we can help someone begin to sort out their history and lineage.” And, the young people were very interested in the maps where they could see where Gen. Francis Marion was born and where his grandparents had settled, the layout of the swamps around all the Huguenot properties of Berkeley County. They learned of the names Horry, Gaillard, DuBose, Mouzon, and more. “Then, out of the blue, walks up a Mouzon descendant and he was so proud to see a map and to hear our high praise for his family.” Elizabeth shared. “The little tears come easily when we begin to share the stories and see the swell of pride in faces.”
Sharing Huguenot History
Jack Williams, President, engaged with visitors throughout the day, sharing Huguenot history and fellowship.
Our Registrar, Abbey Markiewicz, had a custom Huguenot crossword puzzle handout for the children and she engaged with several young people throughout the day teaching them who the Huguenots were and sharing the maps with them. Also with the team was Renée Marshall, Director of Genealogy and Research. It was an all hands on deck day!
Colonial Charleston and the Huguenots
Cheves had some great visuals with her presentation to help the audience understand where the Huguenots were in Charles Towne and the relevance of their properties.
The Society would like to especially thank The Berkeley County Museum and Heritage Center and our friends Shanda Philips and Chelsy Clark Proper who work tirelessly to make this a successful event and always make our participation so easy. We encourage all visitors to the Lowcountry to keep the museum on their list to visit and support. We also thank Brad Sale who made the lecture technology so easy.
The Society looks forward to returning to Colonial Day in 2025.
Our next event will be at St. Thomas and St. Denis on October 12. More information is available on our Facebook page under Events or you may call the office at 843-723-3235. It is a Fall Family Event and Picnic, 11-2, at the historic church on Cainhoy Road. We will also have maps to see the Huguenot cross nearby. Come spend the day with us!