Hickory Hills protected by Upstate Forever

A group of dedicated Upstate conservation advocates has banded together to protect Hickory Hills, a beautiful hunting property located in Union County, just outside the small town of Jonesville. The tract is now permanently protected from development through a conservation agreement with Upstate Forever, made possible in part by funding from the South Carolina Conservation Bank.

The 315 protected acres were once a farm, part of a larger property owned since 1805 by the Means family, whose members included generals and a South Carolina governor. Significant historic structures still stand there today, including homes of enslaved workers. Today, Hickory Hills “harbors an extraordinary diversity of plants, plant communities, and animals for an area of its size,” according to Dr. Doug Rayner, Wofford College Professor of Biology. The Means family residence, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, sits on an adjacent tract.

“My partners and I are delighted to protect this property with a conservation agreement with Upstate Forever,” said Norman Pulliam, one of the landowners. “Our long-term goal is to keep it within our families and not see it developed.”

Upstate Forever currently protects over 20,000 acres on 106 properties across the Upstate.

Upstate Forever is a nonprofit, membership-based organization promoting sensible growth and the protection of special places in the Upstate region of South Carolina. Our three program areas are Land Trust, Sustainable Communities, and Clean Air and Water. Founded in 1998, Upstate Forever now has nearly 2,000 members, two offices, and a staff of 19. For more information, visit www.upstateforever.org.

Photo attached: Today a hunting property, Hickory Hills was once a farm and contains historic structures, including this cabin that housed enslaved people.