edisto echoes
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ÂTRANSCRIPT
Edisto Echoes Fall 2014
Vol. 16, Issue 1
Edisto Island Historic Preservation Society
www.edistomuseum.org
Once again, our Edisto & Beyond Tour was a smash hit
with those who were fortunate enough to get tickets.
The weather was absolutely gorgeous, and attendees
seemed to take special delight in the properties that
were on tour this year. A successful tour requires the
time and talents of a whole team of people, and we are
grateful to each and every person who helped out.
Special thanks go to our historic property owners who
graciously agreed to welcome our tour attendees:
Carroll Belser and Sid Gauthreaux (Sunny Side
Plantation), Ina and Ron Hoover (Blue House
Plantation), Linda and Jim Murray (Cypress Trees Plantation), Jane and Ed McCollum (Jack Daw Hall
and Murray and Jenkins Cemeteries), Nora and Al Floyd (At Ease Beach House), and the leadership of
the four historic churches.
Many thanks also to our volunteers who made the 2014 Edisto & Beyond Tour such a success, and
special kudos to Cathy McWhorter who served as the docent coordinator.
Edisto & Beyond 2014
Bud Skidmore
Bob Newton
Sid Gauthreaux
Sally Fairey
Townsend Belser
LaVonne Roof
Pat Kostell
Jack McWhorter
Carol Reed
Phyllis McInerney
John McInerney
John Fisher
Patrick Meyer
Harriett Tindall
Susalee Sasser
Betty Davis
Cyndy McCormick
Jane Darby
Patti Cooper
Richard Hill
Dottie Hill
Jim Wenthe
Connie Ward-Cameron
David Cameron
Linda Meyer
Gerald Haram
Barbara Gould
Buddy Watson
Diane Watson
Pat Neumann
Susan Kozub
Dean Habhegger
Barbara Habhegger
Mary Jansen
Pat Jansen
Ned Perrow
Florence Perrow
Bob Marshburn
Jeff Neumann
Jerry Zeller
Robin Tennyson
Kit Fox
Amanda Fox
Melinda Hester
Jim Arnett
Kelly Hannon
Robert Anderson
Ruth Anderson
Marilyn Bowman
Bill Davies
Judi Inabineta
Ida Tipton
Carol Barnett
Nancy Price
Mimi Werntz
Bonnie Doty
Judith Blancett
Patsy Beach
Fran Dionne
Olivia Padgett
Debbie White
Nancy Sandel
Francine Morrison
Linda Murray
Elaine Jackson
Bob King
Betty Davis
Carroll Belser
Patrick Butler
Harriet Gettys
Wanda McCarley
Susanne Nash
Tommie Hughes
Margaret Arnett
Bob Spratlin
Debbie Spratlin
Duane Stater
Edisto Island Historic
Preservation Society
OFFICERS
President - Sandra Marshburn
Vice-President - Betty Davis
Treasurer - Bob King
Secretary - Cyndy McCormick
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
David Blauch
Bill Davies
Gerald Haram
Cathy McWhorter
lbert Morrison
Van Leer Rowe
Nancy Sandel
Ellen Unger
PAST PRESIDENTS (Ex-officio)
Sue Fisher
Jane Darby
Pat Neumann
Cathy McWhorter
Bonnie Doty
Herb Black
Caroline Boineau
Jack Boineau
Haig Powers
Mickey Van Metre
Mary Dean Richards
Bud Skidmore
Curtis Worthington
Skeex Clarkson
CURATRIX EMERITUS
Sheila Beardsley
STAFF:
Director: Gretchen Smith
Administrative Assistant: Jenny Leckie
Museum Assistants:
Donna Walker
Marsha Korpanty
Fran Dionne
The mission of the Edisto Island
Historic Preservation Society is to
preserve and exhibit the history of
Edisto and to educate the public in
these endeavors.
Museum hours:
Jan./Feb – 1-4 p.m., Tues/Thurs/Sat
March-Oct. – 12-5 p.m., Tues – Sat
Nov./Dec. – 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Tues-Sat
ANNUAL EIHPS MEMBERS’ MEETING – SUNDAY, JANUARY 11th
2:30 – 4:00 P.M. at the Museum
• Brief business meeting
• Election of new EIHPS Board Members and Officers
• Announcement of 2014 Jack and Caroline Boineau Volunteer of the
Year
From the Director’s Chair...
Even though we are a historical society and spend a great deal of our
time looking to the past, we think it’s also a wise thing for us to look to
the future. As most of you know, we have made quite a few changes
and improvements in the physical layout of the Museum in the past
year. We have been so pleased with how the new look has been re-
ceived by not only our members, but by our visitors as well. And, now
we think it’s time to make changes and improvements in the way we
communicate with you.
Beginning with the next newsletter, we will be transitioning to an electronic version which we hope
you will embrace as much as you have our new exhibits and look here in the Museum. While we know
there are a few hold-outs who don’t have email, we believe the majority of our members are very com-
fortable with this method of communication. So, in the future, we will be sending our newsletters elec-
tronically to most of you. In order to get this process up and running, there are a few steps each of you
will need to take:
If you do not want to receive your newsletter via email, please let us know by either
calling the Museum or by sending an email to that effect. If we do not hear from you,
we will assume that you want the electronic version.
We have email addresses for many of you, but realize that some of these may be
outdated or incorrect. In order to ensure we have the proper addresses, we have
devised a system that we hope will get our list current. In mid-December, I will send
an email to all of the addresses that we have.
If you do not receive this email from me, please send me an email
([email protected]) providing me with your name and correct email
address so we can add it to the list.
If you do receive this email and would like to receive future electronic newsletters
and other periodic communications from us, you don’t need to reply. That way, we
will know your address is correct.
If your email changes in the future, please be certain to send us the updated
information.
I realize this puts a little bit of the burden on you, but there is no other way for us to ensure that our list
is accurate. I hope once we successfully get through this transition period, things will run smoothly. As
a small non-profit, we try to hold down our operating costs as much as possible, and reducing our
printing and mailing costs will certainly help our bottom line. We will continue to print a small number
of hard copies for those of you who don’t want to receive it electronically. We hope this transition will
be smooth, but as with most changes, there may be a few glitches in the beginning and we ask for your
patience as we work through this. We are excited to be joining the 21st Century at last!
Gretchen Smith, Director
Letter From the President
My term limit with the EIHPS Board of Directors is
nearly over. There is no doubt that the 2015 Board
will continue to work for the preservation of
Edisto’s unique history with seriousness of pur-
pose, fiscal responsibility and fun. The Nominating
Committee, with the approval of the current Board
of Directors is presenting the following names for
approval by the membership.
The nominees for the four officer positions are
President, Sandra Marshburn; Vice President, Betty
Davis; Treasurer, Bob Davis; and Secretary, Cyndy
McCormick. I am not including biographical infor-
mation for these four super-stars since they have
been serving on the Board and are well-known to
our membership.
We have five stellar nominees who will be voted on
by the EIHPS membership at our annual members’
meeting on Sunday, January 11th (2:30 to 4:00
p.m.). We thought it would be helpful to give you a
brief glimpse at each of them so you will be pre-
pared to vote at the meeting. I have no doubt that
they will each do all they can to make this a smooth
and painless transition for EIHPS.
• David Blauch – Dave was born and grew up in Pennsylvania before relocating to Virginia after receiving his BS
from the University of Virginia and a MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University. He spent more than 30 years
working in management for Philip Morris until his retirement in 2009. He and his wife Denise have been very ac-
tive in the community since moving to Edisto Island after he retired. Some of his activities include serving on the
Board of Directors for the Edisto Chamber of Commerce, the Lions Club and the Edisto Island Home Mission
Team. He also volunteers for the Edisto Beach Turtle Patrol and is a member of the Planning Commission for the
Town of Edisto Beach. Dave’s favorite hobbies are playing golf and collecting wine.
• Gerald Haram – Jerry grew up in Maryland, but has strong family roots in South Carolina. After graduating from
the University of Maryland, h then obtained a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from NW State Louisiana and
worked as a mental health counselor in Portland, Oregon, for 32 years until his retirement in 2012. Jerry and his
wife, Barbara, built a home in Middleton and moved to Edisto in 2013. While living on Edisto, Jerry has been an
active volunteer with the Edisto Island Open Land Trust and Palmetto Pride.
• Cathy McWhorter – Prior to moving to Edisto Island in 2002, Cathy lived in Tokyo, Japan, with her husband, Jack,
who worked for Lincoln Financial Corp. Cathy and Jack have three children, eight grandchildren, and one great
grandchild. Since moving to Edisto, Cathy has been very active in the local community as well as in Charleston.
She is past president and board member of EIHPS, was very active with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra
League, serving as its president in 2009/2010.
• Van Leer Rowe – Van Leer was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and graduated from George Peabody College for
Teachers. She also has a Master’s degree in early childhood education from the University of Georgia. Van Leer
was married to Buddy Rowe for 30 years until his death in 2005. They lived in Georgetown, SC, and Wilmington,
NC, before moving to Edisto in 1991. Van Leer is a broker associate with Prudential Kapp Lyons Realty and is an
active volunteer at Trinity Church, serving on the Altar Guild and on the breakfast team as well as serving as chair
of the Pon Top Edisto cookbook. Her hobbies include cooking and fishing.
• Ellen Unger – Ellen is a native of Hampton, Virginia, who received a BA from the University of South Carolina.
After college she married Walterboro native Bubba Unger and has lived in South Carolina ever since. Bubba’s fam-
ily has deep roots on Edisto, and Ellen and Bubba moved here full time in 1995 after splitting their time between
Walterboro and Edisto for nearly 20 years. Ellen served as president of the Walterboro Preservation Society, was
a founding member of the Edisto Island Open Land Trust and served on its board since 1994, and is a member of
the Charleston County Greenbelt Board. She and Bubba have 2 sons and four grandchildren.
Sue Fisher, President of the Board of Directors
The Lawton-Seabrook Cemetery Restoration Project
We are pleased to announce that
EIHPS is joining together with
the Lawton and Allied Families
Association to make repairs to
this historically significant ceme-
tery to prevent further deteriora-
tion. Patrick Butler, chair of our
Cemetery Committee, has taken
the lead on this project.
The Lawton-Seabrook cemetery
is steeped in history and is par-
ticularly unique because it is one
of the few remaining walled cemeteries in South Carolina.
Captain William Lawton’s presence on Edisto Island dates
back to around 1730, and possibly earlier. Many of his de-
scendants are buried here along with William Seabrook, his
wife and two grandchildren.
The wall around the cemetery is believed to have been con-
structed in the late 1700s and has suffered major damage
from fallen trees, time and the elements. EIHPS is working
with the Lawton family to make repairs to the wall and some
of the graves to ensure that the historic integrity of the cem-
etery will be pre-
served. Funds
are currently
being raised
from the extend-
ed Lawton family
and others, and
we hope that the
actual work will
begin soon. The
project is
expected to be
completed
within three years or possibly
earlier. If you wish to make do-
nations to support this im-
portant repair work, checks can
be made out to EIHPS, but
please note on your check that
it is for the Lawton-Seabrook
Cemetery Project.
We are pleased to announce that we are embarking on what we consider to be one of the most im-
portant projects this organization has ever undertaken and one that is so true to our mission “to pre-
serve and exhibit the history of Edisto and to educate the public in these endeavors.” While the Muse-
um has an amazing collection of artifacts that tell the history of Edisto Island, there is equally im-
portant history that resides in the minds of many members of our local community. And, that individu-
al and collective history is at real risk of being lost forever if we don’t move quickly to capture and cata-
logue it.
To ensure that this is done, we have created an Oral History Committee that has already begun to work
on this important project. The Committee is being co-chaired by Nancy Sandel and Ellen Unger; other
committee members include Sue Fisher, Chick Morrison, Gretchen Smith, Betty Davis, Mary Adelena
and Laura Campbell. In early September, the entire Board of Directors and past board members Ellen
Unger, Jane Darby and Pat Neumann, and director Gretchen Smith participated in a workshop led by
Dr. Mary Battle. Dr. Battle is the Public Historian at the Avery Research Center for African American
History and Culture and is on the faculty at the College of Children. She has extensive history in con-
ducting oral histories and continues to advise us as we move ahead with this project.
Work to date includes purchasing the necessary equipment, creating a list of those to be interviewed
and starting the process of applying for grants to fund the creation of digital archives of the histories.
We are very excited about this project and believe it will provide us with priceless information that
would otherwise be lost. It is our intent to have these stories archived here at the Museum, but also in
other repositories that will provide access to interested parties on a national and international basis.
We will keep you updated as we go along.
Oral History Project
Museum Shop News
We’re pleased to announce that we’ve got two new staff mem-
bers who are now working down in the Museum Gift Shop, and
you may already know them because they have both served as
Museum docents for several years. Marsha Korpanty was born
and educated in New Jersey, but came to South Carolina just
after she finished graduate school. She lived in Mt. Pleasant and
Summerville before moving to Edisto. Prior to her arrival on
Edisto, she worked as a special education teacher and then a
school psychologist and finally worked part-time in school ad-
ministration in Charleston County.
Marsha and her husband, Ken, have two daughters and four
grandchildren with one more on the way. She is active in her
church on Edisto, the Whatsoever Circle of Kings Daughters, the
Edisto Women’s Club and the Island Quilters. She also volun-
teers at Botany Bay and with the Blanket Ministry.
Fran Dionne was born in New York and relocated to attend Bos-
ton College where she got a degree in nursing. She worked as a
nurse in Boston until moving to Charleston in 1981, where she
took a position at the Medical University of South Carolina. She
later taught nursing at Trident Technical College and is a retired
Reserve Officer in the US Army.
Fran lives on Yonges Island with her husband, Jerry, and their
two dogs. They have two children and three grandchildren who
live nearby. Fran is a garden volunteer at Middleton Place Plan-
tation and enjoys gardening, golf, reading and taking occasional
classes at the College of Charleston.
I am also pleased to let you know that Donna Walker has agreed
to accept the position of Assistant Shop Manager. Donna has
worked at the Museum for eight years, so most of you probably
already know her, but I thought you might like to have a little
more background information on her as well.
Donna grew up in a Navy family, so she moved and traveled
extensively. She started school in Hawaii and ended up in San
Diego. She graduated from the University of Bridgeport (Ct.)
with a nursing degree and worked as an RN at Yale New Haven
Hospital. Donna and her late husband then lived in Roanoke,
VA., for 18 years and managed a small business. Donna has one
daughter and three grandchildren who live in North Carolina.
Donna has lived on Edisto for 12 years and enjoys spending time
at home with her dog, Sadie. She volunteers with the ALOE pet
rescue group and at Botany Bay Plantation and served on the
Development Committee of the Edisto Island Open Land Trust.
Hoedown for History… Dancin’ in Denim
Mark your calendars – we’ve got a wonderful new event
planned for our annual Spring party. Break out your jeans
and cowboy boots and join us on Saturday, April 11th, for
a rollicking good time at Sunny Side Plantation. We’ll be
dancing in the barn and under the stars to the bluegrass
music of the Blue Plantation Band and enjoying wonder-
ful food and drinks. The fun will begin at 6:00 p.m. and
end at 9:00, and tickets are $60 per person. We’ll also
feature a very limited number of events and trips to buy
to
ensure your adventures will continue long after the last
fiddle note is heard. Tickets will go on sale in early 2015,
but we wanted to give you an early sneak-peak at what
we have in store for you. So, plan on joining us for a night
of fun while supporting a worthy cause!
If you came to this year’s Edisto & Beyond Tour, you no doubt noticed a major change in the tour book-
let. For the first time, there were no ads. And, that’s because we have decided to completely revamp the
way we solicit support from local businesses.
Over the past years, we have been very fortunate to get strong support from the business community
whenever we have asked. They bought ads for the tour ticket booklet and they made monetary dona-
tions to help defray costs for our events. These solicitations were done on almost an ad hoc basis, and
our new approach will be to solicit their support on an annual basis. We believe this has advantages to
our organization as well as to our business supporters. They will be able to plan their annual budgets
knowing what their charitable contributions will be for the year, and we will be able to plan our budget
knowing what we will have to work with. The businesses will also have the benefit of receiving promo-
tions throughout the year rather than just on the day of the tour or the day of our spring event.
We have developed different levels of sponsorship with specific benefits for each level, so the businesses
can selected exactly how much exposure they want. The levels range from $100 up to $5,000. Our solici-
tations have already begun, and we are beginning to receive checks from a variety of businesses. If you
wish to learn more about this program or wish to participate, send me an email at
[email protected]. I’ll be glad to answer any questions you may have.
I hope by now most of you have visited the Muse-
um to see our wonderful new look. As you proba-
bly know, we closed for the month of February in
order to completely redo our exhibits and add
the amazing slave cabin to our collection. None of
this could have happened without the incredible
time and talents of our renovation team who
worked so hard to make our dream a reality.
While many of you volunteered your time during
the process, there was a core team that took re-
sponsibility for the whole project. They gave an
unbelievable amount of time over the month, and
even thereafter finishing up small details. The
team consisted of Tommy Boozer, Ike Renneker,
Paul Fripp, Paul Simmons, Patti Cooper and Dee-
Dee Simmons. We will be forever grateful to them
for their dedication to our organization. And, to
permanently express our gratitude, we will be
placing a plaque with their names on it here in
the Museum so they will continue to get recogni-
tion for their efforts. A dream team indeed!
The Edisto Island Museum’s Renovation Team
Business Sponsorship Program
Nancy Blakeney
Mr. and Mrs. James Meggett
Anne Clardy
Patrick and Rhoda Butler
David M. Gray, Jr.
Gloria M. Rever
Claire W. Laffitte
Susan L. Daugherty
Eleanor R. Hale
Josephine H. Lide
Corinna M. Robert
Pat Derosa
Jane A. Church
Ann A. Biggs
Marie McEntire
Leslie Bateson
Deanna Wagoner
Gretchen S. Johns
W.T. Robertson, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. J. Dudley Ottley
Ben and Carmen Radin
Anne Lawton Hill
Jacob D. Rouse, Jr.
Mary S. York
W. Griffin Jones
Neale C. Hightower
Bess M. Lawton
Mrs. G. Clarke Baker
Mary David Baker
Special Thanks for the Following Gifts
Donation of Tour Tickets for Resale:
Bob & Debbie Spratlin
Rebecca Mock
Susalee Sasser
Julia Miller
DeeDee Simmons
Joan Danforth
Gail Seastrunk
Jim & Harriet Gettys
Ginny Thaxton
Tommy Rivers
Jeff Neumann
Bob King
Melissa Adams
Gretchen Smith
Sherry Thomas
Byron Rodgers
Victoria Jenkins
Susanne Johnson
Douglas Williams
Janet Rodgers
Nancy Sandel
Nora Floyd
Beth Wilson
Nancy Hope Moorer
Gail Walker
Florence Perrow
Sue and John Fisher
Julie Batchelor
Mary Ashley
James Tennyson
Charlie Pulley
Cathy McWhorter
Sandra Marshburn
Jeanne Sasser
Kitty Beard
Carroll Belser
Financial Donations:
Jean Powers
Ginny Thaxton
Max and Harriet Walker
Mr. and Mrs. Steven Molden
Donations in Honor/Memory of Individuals:
Sarah Rice Sandlin Stender in memory of
Eugenia Wescoat Sandlin and Joseph Jenkins Westcoat
Jeff and Pat Neumann in memory of Lena Cox
Gail Sumwalt in honor of Betty Davis
Barbara Hiott in memory of Clark Hiott
Ann McIlhenny in memory of Jo Ann McCaskill Hill
Jane McC. Brown in memory of Jack Boineau
Carroll Belser in memory of Jack Boineau
Other Donations:
Billy Edwards for his donation of a potting bench
Dr. Ann Russell for her donation of six copies of her book, “Legacy of a Southern Lady” for sale in the Museum Shop
Bonnie King for her donation of a wreath for the Museum
William Hunt for his donation of a collection of historic relics
Donations to the Lawton-Seabrook Cemetery Restoration Fund: