Adventure, Nature, Education and History — Head to Hobcaw Barony to Experience Some Fun Fall Activities
Georgetown, S.C., Oct. 04, 2018 — The summer has come to an end, but don’t worry — there are still plenty of fun and educational activities on tap at Hobcaw Barony to take you through the fall season. Check out the schedule of programs running through fall that you won’t want to miss:
Hike Hobcaw: Hobcaw Beach
October 8, 2018
2 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
The southern two miles of Debidue Island belongs to The Belle W. Baruch Foundation. Come explore the undeveloped barrier island with Hobcaw Barony staff. Bare trees, shorebirds and views of wind shear, erosion and accretion result in a lesson on beach ecology in a beautiful setting. Please remember to wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather. Reservations required ($25/person).
Book Night at the Barony
October 11, 2018
5:30 – 7p.m.
Celebrate the publication of a new book, Pawleys Island Images, by NY Times syndicated columnist Steve Roberts and Hobcaw Barony senior interpreter Lee Brockington. Wine and cheese with remarks and a book signing in the Discovery Center’s seminar room includes a rare evening opportunity to shop in our well-stocked gift shop. Reservations required (Free).
Yachting With the Baruchs: Women’s History Cruise
October 12, 2018
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Join Hobcaw Barony staff and docents on a new installment of Yachting With The Baruchs. Travel by car to Hobcaw House where participants will board the Carolina Rover for a river cruise experience unlike any other. This trip travels up the Great Pee Dee River, discussing the colonial, antebellum and post-Civil War women, black and white who made history in this part of the lowcountry. Discussion of notable women rice planters and their families who did all they could to retain ownership of their property, and those women who survived to set an example to generations of descendants. Bring a lunch and a folding chair for a picnic on the grounds of Dirleton Plantation. After lunch will be a tour of Dirleton, the 1850s house of Heriot-Sparkman-Samworth families. Afterwards, the river cruise will continue up the river past Chicora Wood and return down the Waccamaw River. We begin and end at the Hobcaw House Pier, traveling on the Carolina Rover. PFDs provided. Reservations required ($65/person).
Friendfield Village Tour
October 15, 2018
November 12, 2018
1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Daily Introductory Tours pass through this African American village, once home to 100 slaves and lived in by black employees until 1952. Consider joining this in-depth tour for a more comprehensive exploration of Friendfield, traveling by bus, but being guided on foot through the cabins and the 19th century church. Hobcaw Barony has a unique chance to interpret history at the site, as gleaned from documents, photographs, oral histories and visits from former residents. Reservations are required ($20/person).
Hobcaw Halloween Hayride to Bellefield
October 31, 2018
1:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.
This open air Halloween tour of the Barony winds its way by truck and trailer down tree-lined dirt roads, under moss-laden limbs, through a 19th century village and onto the grounds of Bellefield Plantation where staff share the history and folklore of the lowcountry. Hags and haints, boodaddies and plat-eyes from the African continent, together with leprechauns from Ireland and the boogeymen from England combine in the swamps, rice fields and woods to create an eerie or beautiful scene. Enjoy the ride while learning of the culture of superstition and religion. Reservations required ($25/person).
Arcadia Plantation Lecture & Tour
November 2, 2018
1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
In 1906, Captain Isaac Emerson became Bernard Baruch’s next door neighbor by purchasing the plantations north of Hobcaw Barony, combining and renaming them “Arcadia Plantation.” The bountiful natural splendor inspired the NC-born and Baltimore based millionaire to restore the 18th century house and formal gardens that terrace down to the Waccamaw River. His grandson George Vanderbilt inherited the property and is still owned today by his descendants. Join Baruch Foundation staff first for a lecture at Hobcaw Barony based on the memoirs of the plantation superintendent and receive your own copy of Neal Cox of Arcadia Plantation: Memoirs of a Renaissance Man. (Book included with reservation.) Enjoy an exclusive tour of the grounds, gardens and outbuildings of Arcadia with George Vanderbilt’s grandson. Reservations required ($75/person, book included).
Plantation Sportsmen: Sporting Estates in the South Carolina Lowcountry
November 14 & 15, 2018 (Wednesday & Thursday – Two Day Program)
5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
In this installment of the Plantation Sportsmen’s Series, participants will explore lives of wealthy sporting enthusiasts who created a new type of plantation between the two world wars. As rice cultivation ended in the Lowcountry, more than 70 country estates were established, changing former sites of slave labor into places of leisure. Wednesday evening enjoy a wine reception and dinner in the dining room at Hobcaw House, followed by a lecture in the living room with a lecture by Dr. Daniel J. Vivian of the University of Kentucky and author of: A New Plantation World: The Sporting Plantations of the South Carolina Lowcountry, 1900-1940. From Dr. Daniel J. Vivian’s book, a quote by James C. Derieux of Country Life Magazine, “Better for the grand remains of ancient glory to be saved by outsiders, than not be saved at all.” On Thursday, travel by charter bus with Dr. Vivian and Foundation staff for a behind-the-scenes exploration of private plantations in Georgetown County, purchased in the early 20th century as hunting estates. A picnic lunch on Friday is included with your ticket. Reservations required ($175/person).
Belle’s Riding Legacy
November 17, 2018
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Belle Baruch, an internationally known equestrian, not only “rode to hounds,” but also competed in American and French horse shows and timber races. Recent discovery of numerous equestrian garments inspired Dr. Lynn Hanson of Francis Marion University and co-director of the newly established Belle W. Baruch Institute for SC Studies to seek approval and funding for the conservation of the fabric silks and mounting them on a form. Her colleague Allison Steadman in the Theater Department of FMU also studied the fabric and patterns for subsequent reproductions. Come early to the Discovery Center to see the temporary exhibit of Belle’s complete and original riding outfit comprised of breeches, frock coat, waist coat, top hat and boots. Stay to hear Hanson and Steadman discuss how projects like this can tell a broader story of history. Reservations required ($10/person).
Plantation Christmas Oyster Roast At Bellefield Plantation
December 8, 2018
12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Held annually on the grounds of Bellefield Plantation, this Southern oyster roast also features barbecue and pilau, wine and beer, a bonfire and holiday cheer. Staff and volunteers offer tours of Belle Baruch’s 1938 Bellefield grounds, including the stable, kennels, greenhouse, tea terrace and former rice mill pond looking out to rice fields adjacent to the Waccamaw River. Included is the rare opportunity to tour the first floor of Bellefield House, empty and awaiting restoration, before its eventual use as the headquarters for the newly announced Belle W. Baruch Institute for SC Studies. Enjoy a day in the country, imagining Belle’s vision of research and her great love of “the friendliest woods in the world.” Reservations required ($50/person).
Colonial Christmas at Hobcaw House
December 13, 2018
2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Participants will drive their own cars to Hobcaw House to celebrate Christmas in the lowcountry the old fashioned way with an afternoon party at Hobcaw House. During the 18th and 19th century, plantation owners like Hobcaw Barony’s Allstons, Alstons, Wards and Blythes were in residence during December and preparing for the holiday. Hobcaw House will be decorated by the Georgetown Garden Club with native greenery from our woods, swamps and marshes. Docents will be present giving informal tours and presiding over a dining room table laden with seasonal treats. Also, a musical presentation by Georgetown’s “Marsh Hens” and a historical overview of the symbolism of so many of the Christmas lowcountry customs we share today will take place in the living room. Reservations required ($30/person).
Hike Hobcaw: Rice Mill Ruins
December 27, 2018
1:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Experience an exclusive hike through trails usually closed to the public. This four-mile hike begins at the woods of Belle Baruch’s airport and continues through Barnyard Village. This African-American community contains extant cabins lived in until the 1940s, as well as the 19th century brick rice mill ruins. While hiking through upland woods, taking in the views of rice fields created by enslaved labor of the rice era, and enjoying the woods in winter, discussion will revolve around natural and cultural history of Hobcaw Barony’s western boundary. Reservations required ($25/person).
For more information about Hobcaw Barony, visit the property’s website. To view the selection of activities, tours, lectures and seminars or to reserve your spot for any of these amazing programs, visit the website’s Seasonal Programs page.
You better hurry, because spaces are limited!
About Hobcaw Barony
The Belle W. Baruch Foundation is a private nonprofit foundation created through the vision of Belle Wilcox Baruch and established as a trust at her death in 1964. Today, the Belle W. Baruch Foundation is the sole owner of Hobcaw Barony, the privately owned research reserve located on the coast near Georgetown, South Carolina. The foundation’s primary mission is to conserve Hobcaw Barony’s unique natural and cultural resources for research and education.
Hobcaw Barony’s 16,000 acres encompass a rich diversity of every common ecosystem found on the South Carolina coast, making it an unparalleled site for research in the environmental sciences. In addition, over 70 cultural sites on the former plantation grounds, including cemeteries, slave cabins and the Baruchs’ homes, all provide a time capsule for educators.
Currently, as many as 12 trustees serve on the foundation’s board and are responsible for all ownership decisions. The State of South Carolina Attorney General’s Office and the Probate Court of Richland County, South Carolina, provide oversight for the trust. Additionally, the South Carolina Secretary of State has oversight responsibility for charitable activities of the foundation in South Carolina. The foundation is recognized as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, as well as an exempt operating foundation. Contributions to the foundation are tax exempt to the extent allowed by current tax law.
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