Whispers of My Ancestor: Georgetown Library to unveil life-size statue connecting Harriet Tubman and Georgetown history

A life-size bronze sculpture connecting two towering figures of American history will find its permanent home at the Georgetown County Library this spring — and the story behind it is nearly as remarkable as the work itself.

The sculpture, titled “Whispers of My Ancestor,” was created by acclaimed sculptor Wesley Wofford and depicts Harriet Tubman whispering in the ear of a young James A. Bowley, her grandnephew. Set on an ascending staircase with the words “Nurture” and “Inspire” carved into the steps, the piece captures a moment of intergenerational guidance — and tells a Georgetown story that most residents have never heard.

The dedication ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, May 28, at 4:30 p.m. in the library’s children’s department, where the sculpture will be permanently installed. A reception with light refreshments in the auditorium will follow.

The Georgetown Connection

James A. Bowley was among the first people Harriet Tubman led to freedom through the Underground Railroad — and he was family. Her grandnephew, Bowley traveled north with Tubman but, unlike most of the people she rescued, he was not sent to upstate New York or Canada. Tubman kept him close, investing in his education at the Friends School in Philadelphia using her modest earnings as a housekeeper.

That investment paid extraordinary dividends. Bowley served in the Union Army during the Civil War, then was appointed by the Freedmen’s Bureau to come to Georgetown — a city with no prior connection to his family — where he became a transformative figure during Reconstruction. He served as chair of the Georgetown school board, edited a local newspaper, sat on the board of the University of South Carolina and served in the South Carolina House of Representatives.

The bond between Tubman and Bowley extended to Georgetown itself. While serving as school board chair, Bowley wrote to Tubman describing the district’s financial struggles. She responded with a $100 donation — equivalent to roughly $2,500 to $3,000 today. What makes that figure remarkable is its source. Tubman spent decades petitioning Congress for a pension for her Union Army service and didn’t receive one until 1899, and even then it came as a widow’s pension rather than recognition of her own service. This was not a wealthy patron writing a check. It was a woman who had almost nothing deciding that Georgetown County’s Black children were worth what little she had.

A Vision That Grew

The project traces its origins to a traveling sculpture exhibit featuring another statue of Harriet Tubman that arrived in Georgetown in mid-2023. Bob Willey, immediate past president of the Friends of the Georgetown Library, said the exhibit sparked a conversation about what the Friends could do for the library’s renovated children’s area.

The initial goal was a 32-to-38-inch sculpture with a $45,000 fundraising target. The scope grew when an anonymous donor, working through Wofford, offered to match the $60,000 the Friends had raised. The donor had just one condition: that the piece be made full size. The committee agreed, and what began as a tabletop scale model became a life-size bronze.

The process took nearly two years. Local community members served as models: an elementary school student played the role of young James, and a local woman — chosen in part for her height, as Tubman stood just 4 feet 11 inches — posed as Harriet, complete with a period-accurate hairpiece researched from photographs of Tubman taken in the 1850s.

The sculpture is now at the foundry and will be transported to Georgetown for installation on May 27.

Dedication Event Details

The public is invited to the dedication ceremony on Thursday, May 28, at 4:30 p.m. at the Georgetown County Library, located at 405 Cleland St. The event will be held in the children’s department, where the sculpture will be permanently installed at the entrance. A reception with light refreshments in the library auditorium will follow the ceremony.

Speakers will include Georgetown County Library Board Chair Michelle Greene, historian Steve Williams, sculptor Wesley Wofford and his collaborator Odyssey Wofford. Poet Eunice Brown will read an original work commissioned for the occasion.

Descendants of both James A. Bowley and Harriet Tubman have been invited to attend.