Preservationist Joseph McGill Hunts for S.C. Slave Cabins
April 30, 2010
He Will Sleep on May 8 in a Cabin at Magnolia Gardens
CHARLESTON, SC – April 30, 2010 – Historic preservationist Joseph McGill will travel South Carolina to spend the night in cabins once occupied by enslaved families at plantation sites in Charleston, Anderson, Beaufort and Georgetown counties.
McGill, a program officer with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, wants to bring attention to efforts to save these old dwellings because they are a significant part of the “built environment” that tells the story of the African-American experience in the Palmetto State.
His journey starts Saturday, May 8, at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens where five cabins have been restored to show what life was like for enslaved and free workers before Emancipation and into the 20th century. McGill plans to spend one night in one of the cabin, starting at 6 p.m. May 8, and ending around 10:30 a.m. Sunday, May 9.
D.J. Tucker, Magnolia’s director of African-American history and interpretation, said, McGill’s collaboration with Magnolia “suggests the positive potential for rescuing these overlooked cultural treasures by highlighting a bona-fide preservation success story at Magnolia. Five original structures, dilapidated and in danger of collapse, were saved and now serve as the cornerstone for ground-breaking educational programs.”
In 2000, McGill spent the night in a cabin at Boone Hall Plantation as part of a documentary that aired on the History Channel. “I enjoyed that experience and now I want to take it on the road,” he said.
In addition to Magnolia, McGill also has permission from the owners of McLeod Plantation on James Island, Hobcaw Barony in Georgetown and properties in Anderson and Beaufort counties.
McGill’s travel to slave cabins around the state is not an official part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, but the Trust supports his project to bring attention to these endangered structures, particularly the lesser-known cabins, he said. He also has support from the South Carolina Department of Archives and History that will assist him in finding cabins that he might not be aware of.
He has no specific date when he will end his hunt for slave cabins. It will take time to locate cabins and obtain permission from the owners to spend the night, he said.
McGill will video and photograph his experiences and keep a journal of his observations. He hasn’t decided how he will use the information. “I have plans to do a lecture series,” he said. “I know the knowledge I gain has the potential to become something, but I don’t know what that something is.”
