What Awaits You in French Santee
We hope you are saving April 5, 2025 to Ramble French Santee with us. In today’s “Huguenot Happenings,” we provide an overview of the events and how to book your preferences. Tickets are on sale now!
The granite cross along the banks of the Santee at the Jamestown settlement. We shall gather here at 10:00am on April 5th for a French service utilizing the same liturgy our ancestors used and singing the psalms they sang. This is a rare opportunity to have a service at this site.
We Begin at the Beginning… at Jamestown.
Imagine yourself standing at the site of the first French Protestant (Huguenot) church along the Santee and participating in a service following the French liturgy of our ancestors. Resting on a high bluff overlooking the water is our granite cross marker and this will be the sacred place where were will gather to remember our heritage. This special service will be held to remember the Promulgation of the Edict of Nantes utilizing the The Liturgy of the French Protestant Church. The service will be conducted in French and officiated by the Society’s chaplain, Rev. Charles Jenkins. Entry does require our passing through private property so we ask that as many who can carpool do so and we will have parking along the entry road which is a dirt road. Bring your own lawn chair and comfortable shoes to walk the short distance to the site from your car. This is sure to be an emotional and moving experience for us all.
This event is free of charge and open to members and their guests.
Cruise along the Santee River with Coastal Expeditions and a historian from the Society.
Journey along the Santee River with our Historian
Our ancestors came up this river when they first settled the area.
We are very pleased to partner with Coastal Expeditions to offer this unique opportunity. Join us for an adventure as we travel back in time on the beautiful and pristine Santee River. We will explore the river course known colloquially as "French Santee" due to the influence and settlements established by the Huguenot families at Jamestown as early as 1685. As we meander slowly down the river we will be able to view the bluff of the Huguenot cross site that was the historic gathering site for the frontier community. Narrating the journey will be an historian from the Society.
There are three cruises offered: 1st Cruise: 11:30am-12:30pm, 2nd Cruise: 12:45pm-1:45pm, 3rd Cruise: 2:00pm-3:00pm. $100 per person. Space is limited and advance purchase on our website are required.
Guided Historic Property Tours
The properties on tour include Fairfield, Hampton, Wambaw/Brick Church and Hopsewee. All of these sites have a Huguenot descendant associated with them and all are important historic properties in our nation’s colonial history.
Fairfield is not normally open to the public and we have been granted a real treat to see the interior and exterior of this home. Wait until you see the breathtaking view from the back over the Santee River. You won’t want to miss this chance to enjoy this beautiful home. To tour Fairfield, admission is $35 and advance purchase on our website are required.
Hopsewee is open to the public and you may visit as you ramble. If you would like a house tour, admission to the tour is self-pay on site.
Wambaw/Brick Church is not to be missed. We will have an historian there as your guide and it is a very special church in our shared history. Hampton Plantation’s grounds are open to you all day and we will have our Grand Finale at 4pm. There are picnic tables, a gift shop and rest rooms at Hampton. We have arranged for house tours at 3pm and 3:30pm.
Old Georgetown Road
From the Church Service and/or Boat Landing, you may enjoy this road as you head toward Wambaw/Brick Church. What began as a trading path for the Sewee Indians became a major route for a number of great South Carolinians who lived along it such as Edward Rutledge, who signed the Declaration of Independence and Thomas Lynch Jr, the youngest signer of the Constitution.
In the Revolutionary War it was under the command of the Huguenot descendant and “Swamp Fox,” General Francis Marion.
Another Huguenot descendant, General George Washington, traveled it on his 1791 “Tour of the Southern States.”
Santee Coastal Reserve and the road to Eldorado
A Talk with Dr. Porcher
Dr. Richard Porcher, Society member and highly regarded botanist, historian and author will host private talks at the observation area inside this stunning reserve. Dr. Porcher will discuss the natural environment as our ancestors would have experienced it and the rice culture that developed at French Santee thereafter. The Society is very pleased to offer this special experience with a most gifted and knowledgeable expert.
The talks will begin at 11am, 12:30pm, 2pm and are $25 per person. Space is limited and advance purchase on our website are required.
Eldorado Ruins
Inside the Santee Coastal Reserve are the ruins of Eldorado Plantation. Once you drive into the reserve and turn onto Mazÿck Road, you will see the sign to park and then walk the short distance to the ruins. In our advance trips to plan this day for you, we have been amazed at how beautiful this drive is. We left Eldorado and continued on around the loop of the road back to the main road and honestly it was as if we could have been stepping back in time. It is a pristine forest with wildlife and beautiful views.
The ruins and reserve are open to the public and free.
Santee Coastal Reserve and a little surprise
All of our ramblers will have a map of the reserve so they may enjoy driving through it. It is also a magnificent spot for a lunch picnic and there are picnic tables in the reserve. Roll down the windows and take in the fresh air, long lazy oak trees, and stunning landscapes of this area that our ancestors knew so well. It may look rather different today, but you can imagine our ancestors stepping off a boat into the wilderness. We have a little surprise for this visit. You may exit the Reserve and take the most beautiful, scenic drive on a firm dirt road into McClellanville. Maps will be provided to our ramblers. This twenty-minute ride off the beaten path is pure joy. The road is well maintained and any vehicle can travel it.
The Reserve is open to the public and free.
Peachtree Ruins with Dr. Kendy Altizer.
On top of a sandy rise, nestled among new growth pines on the lower reaches of the South Santee River near its delta, sit the ruins of what is said to have been one of the grandest colonial era plantation homes in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. It was once the home of the prominent Lynch family who were Lowcountry rice planters and politicians. Thomas Lynch, Jr. was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The main house, though now a ruin, is an example of Palladian architecture not often seen in plantation contexts. The house was built between 1760 and 1762 and burned in 1840; it was never reconstructed and what remains today is a ruin of partial walls and rubble.
Two tours, 11am and 1pm. $35 per person. Space is limited and advance purchase on our website are required.
The Village Museum in McClellanville
The Village Museum is a non-profit museum that offers exhibits featuring the local history of the St. James Santee Parish and the Village of McClellanville. The timeline includes the SeeWee Indians, the postwar farmer and the rise of the seafood industry in McClellanville. The Village Museum opened in April 1999 and has been acclaimed as one of the finest small town museums in the state.
The museum is a $5 donation at the door and open to the public. They will be expecting our ramblers and will provide guided tours.
The Grand Finale will be held here on the lawn at Hampton with the main house as the backdrop to our event.
The Grand Finale at Hampton Plantation
We hope everyone can come together for this special early supper with music and delicious food. Providing our meal will be our trusted John Reed and his catering team and organizing all the special details is the talented Mitchell Crosby of JMC Charleston. We find with the rambles that the supper is very meaningful to our guests. It is a chance to sit down and enjoy fellowship, talk ancestry, and share memories. Our members make new friends and enjoy old friends. By the end of this day, most part with hugs and a few tears. Please be with us if you can.
Our day of rambling will culminate with a delightful supper on the lawn of Hampton Plantation. We have a delicious catered menu, pop up shops, and more.
This is your opportunity to relax after a day rambling and to visit with fellow Huguenot descendants and close the Fête with us. Our menu will have grilled healthy options as well as some naughty delights. The full menu will be shared closer to the event date.
$125 per person to include full buffet, beverages, and a bespoke canvas tote bag with a hardback copy of French Santee and other surprises. We will also offer exclusive advance special prices for the new Huguenot signet ring and tea towel. Not to be offered to the full membership until the Fall of 2025. Also includes a high resolution download of the Ancestor Group Photo to be taken in front of the main house.
There is something for everyone!
Ramblers can spend the entire day outdoors on the river and in the reserve, spend the day enjoying house tours, or mix it up to suit the combination that best suits. We have worked to bring the history of the area to life for everyone with this broad variety of offerings. Why a self ramble you may ask? Due to the wide variety of options, everyone will have a better experience if they can make their own selections and pace their day. Sharing rides will be helpful and offering a ride to those you know may not be able to drive would be a kindness.
What about lunch?
When you visit the Fête website, you will see recommendations for restaurants. When we do the test rambles, we really enjoy bringing a picnic and taking a break under the pines or oaks. There are numerous locations for a picnic and oh what a pleasure to have a french themed picnic meal with some light wine or iced tea in a relaxed atmosphere. It isn’t everyday one can enjoy a picnic along the Santee.