Website

Originally opened in 2005 in a former Masonic lodge, the Georgetown County Museum—now located in the History Center as of 2014—promotes and preserves the county's history through its collections, exhibits and event programming. It features several themed-rooms including the military, slavery, industry, plantation life, and 20th century rooms. Items displayed in these rooms include military uniforms, agricultural tools, photographs and memorabilia. The museum is also making an effort to make video recordings of oral histories and two can be seen on the website. 

Georgetown County Museum

Starting at the Joseph Rainey House, Gullah Museum, and Kaminski House Museum, this short walk includes a variety of landmarks that show the diverse history of Georgetown. The tour includes the Rice Museum and South Carolina Maritime Museum along with historic homes, churches, and civic buildings. 

Born on June 21, 1832, Joseph Rainey was born to enslaved parents. His father was able to save money from taking on extra work and after many years, he used those funds to purchase his family's freedom. His family wanted Joseph to follow his father's footsteps as a barber, which he did for several years at the Mills House Hotel. He and his wife Susan had three children.During the war, Joseph Rainey was drafted by the state to help build Confederate fortifications. Soon after him and his wife escaped to Bermuda. In Bermuda he continued his barber work as well as sought more education. The family returned back to South Carolina in 1866. Two years later he was elected to the state senate. Two years after that he was selected to replace Benjamin Whittemore's, a white man, position as Congressman.The home was renovated in the 1970s. Regardless of it being renovated it still holds some of the originality such as the panel floors, cypress paneling, as well as wainscoting. You can also find more history on Joseph Rainey at the Georgetown Rice Museum. The museum has a huge exhibit dedicated to Rainey and his connection to the town.

Joseph Rainey was born into slavery in 1832 in Georgetown, South Carolina, and later became the first African American Congressman in the United States. This historic home was built in the 1760s and was Rainey's birthplace and he was enslaved here until his family was able to purchase their freedom and moved to Charleston in 1846. The family maintained a barbershop and Rainey was able to attend school in the latter years of his youth. After working aboard ships in the Civil War, Rainey returned to South Carolina and was elected to the state legislature in 1868 and served in Congress two years later. The home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was later declared a National Historic Landmark in 1984.

Joseph H. Rainey House

Bunny is an artist who specializes in creating story quilts and is a&nbsp;South Carolina Community Scholar in the Traditional Arts. Her quilts are on display in museums across the country. She made one for Michelle Obama&nbsp;Michelle and it is now part of the permanent collection at Smithsonian Institution. Andrew is a scholar of Gullah culture and frequently gives lectures on topics such as rice and indigo cultivation, and the many contributions the Gullah people have made in South Carolina.

Located in downtown Georgetown, the Gullah Museum celebrates the culture of the Gullah people, the descendants of slaves brought here from West Africa and who have lived mostly in the Lowcountry region (South Carolina and Georgia). The museum promotes this history through arts, crafts, artifacts as well as tours and presentations. It was founded by husband and wife, Vermelle "Bunny" and Andrew Rodrigues. 

Gullah Museum

Several owners lived in the house over the years. The last owners were Harold and Julia Kaminski. Harold served in the Navy during WWI and WWII; he was stationed at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked on December 7, 1941.

The Kaminski House Museum is an excellent example of 18th century antebellum homes representing the Lowcountry "single style" architecture. One of 60 such homes in the Georgetown, it was built in 1770 by wealthy French merchant Paul Trapier. The well-maintained house features period furnishing and allows visitors an to see what life was like for wealthy South Carolinians from the 18th century through WWII. The home is one of the structures that comprise the Georgetown Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum also maintains the adjacent Parker House, which was built around 1740 and is used for offices and is available to rent for wedding, meetings, etc.

Kaminski House Museum

The South Carolina Maritime Museum opened in 2011 and its inception resulted from the success of the Georgetown Wooden Boat Show, which began in the early 1990s and run by the Harbor Historical Association. The association wanted to a museum to preserve the state's long maritime history and started efforts to establish the museum in 1996. The museum features numerous photographs, artifacts, documents and interactive exhibits. Highlights include the Fresnel lens light that was once housed in the old North Island Lighthouse. Another is the 1:10 scale model of the Brown's Ferry boat, which is considered the oldest American made boat ever recovered and believed to have been sunk in 1730-1740. In addition to its exhibits and collections, the museum offers various educational programming such as youth sailing classes and a history lunch series.

South Carolina Maritime Museum

The Old Market Building served as a law court, jail, and market to sell agricultural goods and animals; it was also a slave market.

Rice cultivation in Georgetown County began in 1750 and for over a century rice proved to be a lucrative crop. The Rice Museum preserves and promotes this history through its exhibits and educational programs. It is located in the historic Old Market Building, which was built in 1848 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The museum also explores African American history. There is an exhibit exploring the remarkable story of teach Miss Ruby Forsythe (1905-1992), who, for decades, taught children in a one-room school on Pawley Island. Another exhibit is dedicated to Joseph Hayne Rainey, the first African American elected to the House of Representatives. The museum also explores maritime history. The remains of the oldest American-made boat, the Brown's Ferry Vessel, which is believed to have sunk between 1730-1740, is on display (it is also listed on the National Register). Right next to the museum is the Kaminski Hardware Building (1840s) which houses the vessel and contains an art gallery. Guided tours take visitors through both buildings.    

The Rice Museum

Founded in 1729, Georgetown is the third oldest city in South Carolina. Its prosperity came first from indigo exports and then, towards the end of the 1700s, rice exports. These crops were cultivated by African slaves who worked in the fields (they also cleared the thousands of acres to make room for the fields and dug canals). Information about when the first courthouse was built is not readily available, but it was replaced by the current one in 1824. This was necessary because the first courthouse had been damaged by two hurricanes. The new one cost $12,000 to build and its construction was overseen by the South Carolina Board of Commissioners for Public Buildings. Contractor Russell Warren built it. According to a Mills historian, it is Mills' most sophisticated courthouse in the state. In addition, it was designed to be fireproof; the walls of the first floor are thick and the courtroom is located on the second floor.

The Georgetown County Courthouse has served as the seat of the county government since it was built in 1824. Designed by famous architect Robert Mills, it is a fine example of Classical Revival architecture. Mills, who called the courthouse "a great ornament to the town," designed many well-known buildings and structures around the country including the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. The courthouse is a contributing property of the Georgetown Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Georgetown County Courthouse

During his tenure as mayor, William Doyle Morgan oversaw the modernization of the city's infrastructure. Thanks to his leadership, a water and sewage system was built, electric lights were installed, and streets and sidewalks were paved. He also led the effort to deepen Winyah Bay to facilitate larger ship traffic and had jetties built as well. In addition, Morgan also established the Bank of Georgetown in 1891 and served as its president until 1927. He also played a large role in the construction of St. Mary's Catholic Church, which was erected in 1901. When Morgan retired, residents gave him a silver punch bowl in appreciation for his efforts. Morgan Park is named after him. He died in 1938.

This historic home was built in 1886 by its namesake, William Doyle Morgan, who served as mayor from 1891-1906. Morgan was responsible for the city's growth, modernization, and increasing prosperity at the turn-of-the-century. The house is a beautiful example of Georgian architecture and appears to be a private residence today. 

William Doyle Morgan House

Prince George Parish was created in 1721 from another parish called the Saint James Santee Parish. The name of church was chosen in honor of Prince George, who would later become King George II of England. The first church building, a wooden structure, was built in 1726 and was located 12 to the miles north along the Black River. In 1734, the Prince George Parish was divided into two as the population of rice planters grew in the area. When this happened, the church was located in the new parish, which was called St. Frederick's Parish. As a result, there was a need for a new church for Prince George Parish. Construction began in 1745 and was finished ten years later. However, the first church service was held in 1747. During the American Revolutionary War, British troops occupied the church and it was also heavily damaged by fire. The chancel, which is the area of a church where the altar is, was added in 1809. The tower was built in 1824 and the stained glass windows were installed sometime in the 1900s. Four windows still contain some original panes of glass. Prince George Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

Prince George Winyah Episcopal Church is one of the oldest churches in the state. It was completed in 1755 and is home to a congregation established in 1721. The building itself, which is constructed of brick and oyster shell mortar, features Jacobean style gables on either end, doors and windows with fanlights, brick pilasters, and a tower consisting of a square section with an octagonal section and cupola on top. The interior features a vaulted ceiling and wooden box pews. The congregation is one of the oldest continuously active parishes in South Carolina.

Georgetown South Carolina Walking Tour

Georgetown County Museum

Introduction

Images

Sources

Additional Information