2021 Historic Holidays

574 William Hilton Parkway,Hilton Head Island SC 29926

04 December, 2021

Description

THE HERITAGE LIBRARY CELEBRATES “HISTORIC HOLIDAYS” IN 2021 - Living history day is scheduled for December 11th For Immediate Release Media Contact - Heather Rath Consulting [email protected] 843.415.5978 Hilton Head Island, SC - THE HERITAGE LIBRARY CELEBRATES “HISTORIC HOLIDAYS” IN 2021 Living history day is scheduled for December 11th Historic Holidays is back safety in person with engaging events at our amazing historic sites from December 4th through 11th. The Heritage Library proudly presents 2021’s Historic Holidays: A Celebration of Sea Island Traditions. This year’s return to in-person events culminates on December 11th with a walking tour of the Mitchelville District and an open house of Historic Sites featuring holiday cheer. Presented by The Heritage Library’s partners, Culture HHI, The Coastal Discovery Museum, The Gullah Museum of Hilton Head Island, Hilton Head Island Land Trust, Mitchelville Freedom Park, Office of Cultural Affairs, and the Town of Hilton Head Island, Historic Holidays is a reason for every history lover to celebrate this season. The holiday season begins December 4th with everyone’s favorite new tradition, Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park’s Drive-Through Holiday Light Display. Visitors will drive through the park and enjoy Holiday scenes from around the world, and a few fun surprises too! New this year, on Saturday, December 11th at 9:30 am the walking tour will begin and end at Mitchelville Freedom Park, and will visit Queen Chapel AME Church, Fort Howell, St. James Baptist Church, and Cherry Hill School. Visitors will learn about holiday traditions in one of Hilton Head Island’s historic neighborhoods. Free for everyone to enjoy.  The Free Open House Day, also on December 11th, is from 1:00-4:00pm. Visitors will step back in time with Hilton Head Island’s rich cultural history on full display as they enjoy each site at their leisure. The sites chosen show the different eras of Hilton Head History. Hear stories of our past from docents and living history characters, learn about the holidays on Hilton Head from the colonial period through Reconstruction and the many Gullah traditions that make our island such a special place. Don’t forget the Camilla Garden and other wonderful sites at Coastal Discovery Museum traditions of the Holidays of season’s past on Hilton Head Island. Visit heritagelib.org/HistoricHolidays for more information and to purchase tickets*. Historic Sites included in the Open House on December 11th include: Fort Mitchel: A Civil War Union coastal defense battery site built in 1861-62. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Located in Hilton Head Plantation at 65 Skull Creek Drive – gates passes are available. Fort Howell: This fort was built by members of the USCT during the Civil War as protection for Mitchelville. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. 160 Beach City Road. Gullah Museum of Hilton Head Island: Restored house exhibiting day-to-day life in a farming and bartering community and dedicated to preserving Gullah customs, language, traditions, stories and songs. 12 Georgianna Drive (off Gumtree road). Coastal Discovery Museum: Learning center with programs & walks on 68 coastal acres with historic buildings, trees & wildlife. A Smithsonian Affiliate. 70 Honey Horn Drive. Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park: The site of the first self-governed town of formerly enslaved people. A site on the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. 226 Beach City Road. Zion Chapel of Ease Cemetery: Colonial-era cemetery and mausoleum including 4 grave markings of American Revolutionary War Patriots. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and S. C. Liberty Trail. At the intersection of Mathews Drive, Folly Field Road and US 278. IF YOU GO:  • Historic Holidays Living History Day • Saturday, December 11th, 2021  • Walking Tour begins at 9:30am from Mitchelville Freedom Park • Sites Open with Docents from 1:00pm - 4:00pm ABOUT THE HERITAGE LIBRARY USA Today named The Heritage Library one of the top 10 places in the world to research your roots. The Heritage Library is a non-profit library offering research assistance on ancestry in addition to classes and tours focused on Hilton Head Island’s history from prehistory to the modern era. The Heritage Library owns two historic sites, Ft. Mitchel in Hilton Head Plantation and the Historic Zion Cemetery & Baynard Mausoleum on the corner of William Hilton Parkway & Mathews Drive. The Library houses a wealth of historical information, old photographs, and maps of Hilton Head Island and the Lowcountry. The Library offers a modest daily fee and affordable annual membership options. The Library is an affiliated library of the Family History Library operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. FIND US Heritagelib.org The Heritage Library Foundation 2 Corpus Christi, Suite 100 Hilton Head Island, SC 29928 Monday - Friday, 10 am to 3 pm