A New Vision for Silver Bluff?
August 3, 2017
In early August, I went to Silver Bluff plantation, now a South Carolina Audubon Society sanctuary, and then to Redcliff Plantation, now a state historic site. Both were owned before and after the Civil War by James Henry Hammond, a prominent political leader in South Carolina, who served as both governor and U.S. Senator. The Audubon Society has operated Silver Bluff for decades as a wonderful nature center and sanctuary, attracting a number of birds and giving them safe haven as they fly up and down the Atlantic flyway. Among the most spectacular are the hundreds of wood storks that gather to feed in the ponds whose water levels have been lowered to make the fish and amphibians more available to feeding wading birds, as shown here.
Sharon Richardson, Vice President of the National Audubon Society and director of the SC chapter of the National Audubon Society, is interested in giving more attention to the historical resources of the sanctuary and asked me to visit with her. I was struck by the beauty of the Savannah River as seen from the bluffs of the historical plantation, whose settlement dates to the colonial period, and before then, to Native Americans. In the colonial period there had been a trading post and river crossing at the site, so there must be an abundance of archaeological resources. There was also the site of the antebellum main house, slave quarters, and many other buildings that were essential to plantation life.
Among the above-ground resources were postbellum tenant houses as well as an African American cemetery, shown left, with grave markers dating to the late 1800’s and, probably, unmarked graves dating to the antebellum period. One stone, shown below left, marked the grave of a woman born in the late 1700s. What stories she could have told!
Nearby is Redcliffe, which features the impressive house Hammond built in the late 1850s, replacing the one at Silver Bluff, and furnished with a remarkable collection of original artifacts. Elizabeth Laney, who used to work with me at Drayton Hall as site interpreter and educator, now works at Redcliffe as a site interpreter and knows its history well and would be eager to work with Silver Bluff. The good news is Redcliffe has a wealth of Hammond documents, which describe plantation life at Silver Bluff before and after the war and which are safely housed in state archives.
After my visit, I submitted a report about the unique combination of both historical and natural resources of Silver Bluff and proposed ideas for the future. I suggested building on the strong foundation both have established and crafting a new vision — the details of which were in my report. The result would constitute a place unique to South Carolina, if not the nation. More to come on this in the near future.
In the meantime, enjoy learning more about the Silver Bluff Audubon Center and Sanctuary here.
George W. McDaniel, Ph.D., is President of McDaniel Consulting, LLC, a strategy firm that helps organizations use history to build bridges within itself and to its broader constituents. The company’s tag line, “Building Bridges through History,” is grounded in McDaniel’s personal beliefs and his experience in site management, preservation, education, board development, fundraising, and community outreach. Rather than using history to divide us, he strives to help organizations use history, especially local history, to enhance cross-cultural understanding and to support local museums, preservation, and education. Dr. McDaniel recently led volunteer efforts with Emanuel AME Church and historical organizations in Charleston to use historic preservation to enhance racial reconciliation and healing.
McDaniel is also the Executive Director Emeritus of Drayton Hall, a historic site in Charleston, SC, owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. He retired from Drayton Hall in 2015 after 25 years of distinguished service.
Header Image: Savannah River, Silver Bluff – colonial site, trading post, plantation.
McDaniel Consulting LLC is a strategy firm that helps organizations use history to build bridges within itself and its broader constituents.