#29: Giant trees near Columbia, a self-taught topiary artist, and volunteering at the Coastal Discovery Museum
For South Carolina history lovers far and wide! Enjoy weekly SC history and upcoming SC historical events
Dear reader,
Welcome to Newsletter #29 of The South Carolina History Newsletter! I’m so happy you’re here.
I hope you enjoy today’s newsletter, and as always, please feel free to reply to this email with your ideas and suggestions on South Carolina history you’d like to learn more about. I’m only a click away.
Additionally, please join us & keep the conversation going by becoming a member of our SC History Newsletter Facebook Community here! I can’t wait to meet you.
And now, let’s learn some South Carolina history!
Yours truly,
Kate
(Writing from Greenville, SC)
3 ➳ Upcoming SC History Events
While I have curated the following 3 events below to feature in today’s newsletter, please click here to visit my SC History Events Calendar that organizes all the events I have featured in the newsletter to date, as well as others I have discovered. Please let me know if you’d like to add an event to the list! Reply to this email or send me a note at schistorynewsletter@gmail.com.
I.
Ongoing | “Become a Jr. Volunteer for the Coastal Discovery Museum this Summer 2024!” | Coastal Discovery Museum | Hilton Head, SC
(Note from Kate: while this isn’t a typical “event,” I wanted to post this opportunity for anyone who might live near the Coastal Discovery Museum and has children who might be interested in getting involved in some fun history opportunities this summer!)
“Ready to make a difference? Become a Jr. Volunteer at Coastal Discovery Museum! High school students ages 16+ are invited to join our team! Here's what we're looking for: weekly commitment from early June to early/mid-August, ability to work independently, friendly and proactive approach with guests, and passion for learning about Lowcountry wildlife. Limited positions available. Apply now for an in-person or Zoom interview. Jr. Volunteers will receive training on their first scheduled date.
Download your application here: https://www.coastaldiscovery.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Jr-Volunteer-Application-Summer-2024.pdf
Submit your application to Director of Education Dawn Brut at dbrut@coastaldiscovery.org or mail it to 70 Honey Horn Drive, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926. Don't miss this chance to explore and contribute to the wonders of the Lowcountry!”
II.
On display through Memorial Day weekend | “Celebrating Women in the Military” | Patriot’s Point | Mt. Pleasant, SC | Admission is Adults ($27) Seniors ($19) Children 6-11 ($16) Children 6 and under (free)
“NEW at Patriots Point! Be sure to stop by the new “Celebrating Women in the Military” exhibit. In recognition of Women’s History Month, we are sharing the stories of three women who served during WWII: a WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots), WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), and a Navy Nurse. These uniforms will be on display by the Smokey Stover Theater through Memorial Day weekend.”
III.
Friday, March 15th at 1:00 pm | “Lando Manetta Mills History Center Tour” (for members of Historic Rock Hill) | Rock Hill, SC | FREE with membership with Historic Rock Hill
“Join us on Friday, March 15th at 1 PM for a guided tour of the Lando Manetta Mills History Center & school, exclusively for Historic Rock Hill members. Explore this historical landmark and:
-Discover the history of the mill and school that played a crucial role in Rock Hill's development.
-Gain exclusive insights from our expert guide and uncover fascinating stories behind the walls.
-Immerse yourself in the preserved classrooms and mill machinery, transporting you to a different era.
Don't miss this unique opportunity, there are only 10 spots left! Reserve your spot TODAY on our website: https://www.historicrockhill.com/events”
2 ➳ SC History Fun Facts
I.
Did you know that there is a world renowned self-taught topiary artist living in Bishopville, South Carolina?
Pearl Fryar (born 1939, age 84) is an American topiary artist living in Bishopville, South Carolina. He is originally from Clinton, North Carolina, but in 1975, he began work as a factory engineer at a Coca-Cola can factory in Bishopville until his retirement in 2006.
When he moved to Bishopville, Fryar initially wanted to live within the city limits, but he was “blocked from purchasing a home in the area due to white residents thinking he wouldn't maintain his property” and he instead built on the “outskirts of town.” After his 12-hour workdays at he Coca-Cola factory, Fryar decided to prove his white neighbors wrong, and began beautifying his 3-acre property. He became a self-taught topiary artist using “throwaway plants from the compost pile at local nurseries” and trimming the evergreen plants around his yard into unusual shapes. Using a gas-powered hedge trimmer and his salvaged plants, Pearl Fryar would create a garden with more than 150 topiaries of extraordinary shapes and sizes.
Here are some photos:
Today, the garden stands as a testament to Fryar’s philosophy of “love, peace, and goodwill” — a phrase that is carved into the grass of his own garden. Fryar’s topiary garden has become a destination for visitors from all over the world, and he has won numerous awards, including the Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Award for the Arts (2013), and the Award of Excellence from National Garden Clubs Inc. (2017).
In 2021, Jane Przybysz, Executive Director at the McKissick Museum in Columbia, noticed that Fryar’s garden had become overgrown. Fryar’s health was in decline, and the community rallied together to hire help to maintain the garden in perpetuity. Thereafter, a new nonprofit, The Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden, Inc. was established to work collaboratively and support the preservation of the artistic and horticultural legacy of Pearl Fryar.
Mr. Fryar is still alive, and the garden is still open to the public. You can learn more here!
Here is agreat video from South Carolina ETV on Pearl Fryar’s Topiary Garden:
II.
Did you know that there are 25 giant trees in Congaree National Park, near Columbia, that are the largest of their species in the United States?
In the late 1800s, there were more than “52 million acres of floodplain forests in the southeast.” Those acres slowly disappeared as the trees were harvested for their lumber. In less than 50 years, most of these great bottomland forests had been “decimated by the saws and axes of post-Civil War loggers.”
In 1915, concerned about the conservation of these important forests, timber tycoon Francis Beidler put his vast holdings of South Carolina forestland “in reserve status,” saving a large portion of the Congaree River floodplain. Then in the 1950s, local newspaper editor Harry Hampton launched a one-man campaign to preserve the 11,000-acres of old-growth forest some called "Redwoods East." Recognizing the Congaree floodplain was “one of the few remaining ecosystems of its kind,” Hampton organized a grassroots movement of concerned citizens to convince Congress in 1976 to establish Congaree Swamp National Monument. Nearly three decades later, it became Congaree National Park.
Featured in Congaree National Park are loblolly pines, bald cypress trees, elms, hickories, cypress, pines, maples and oaks that are a part of the “largest remaining tract of old-growth bottomland forest in the United States.” Congaree National Park Ranger Kate Hartley has said:
The trees are simply stunning…We have a loblolly pine out here that's as tall as a 17-story building.
The bald cypress trees of the park have a distinctive shape and rise above the water with extensive, knobby root formations. Some of the cypresses have a circumference of 26+ feet. 25 trees in in the park are the largest of their species (“champion trees”) in the whole country. No other area in North America has a larger concentration of champion trees.
Here are some amazing photos of these old growth trees of Congaree National Park:
For your next adventure to Congaree National Park, Discover South Carolina describes: “Congaree National Park features more than 20 miles of hiking trails in the northwestern portion of the floodplain, the most popular being the 2.4- mile Boardwalk Loop. Raised nearly six feet above the forest floor, the elevated section of walkway winds through a thicket of old-growth trees, ending at Weston Lake, once a channel of the Congaree River. The low boardwalk takes visitors through a primeval bald cypress and water tupelo forest. Before you start your walk, be sure to pick up a self-guided brochure at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center.”
Note from Kate: Have you been to Congaree National Park? If so, we’d love to see photos! Can’t wait to visit someday soon myself!
1 ➳ Quote from an SC historical figure
I.
“If everyone in this country would do one thing for someone who is less fortunate than they are, then we could solve the homeless and a lot of other problems. I use what I have, my God-given talent, to make a difference in other people's lives. I cut up bushes.”
—Pearl Fryar, topiary artist
Sources used in today’s newsletter:
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