Standing for nearly three centuries, the Barnwell Tabby tells a story that continues to reveal its secrets. Once thought to date from the 1800s, this North Island landmark was actually built between 1730 and 1750 — predating the American Revolution and challenging earlier beliefs about Hilton Head Island’s colonial period.
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Among the historic African American cemeteries on Hilton Head Island, Amelia Cemetery contributes to the tapestry of Gullah heritage.
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Zion Chapel of Ease Cemetery, dating back to 1767, includes the Baynard Mausoleum, believed to be the oldest surviving structure on Hilton Head Island. It reflects the island's colonial and antebellum history.
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In April 1970, a group of Black Hilton Head Island fishermen and members of the resort development community sailed to Washington, D.C., to deliver a petition with 45,000 signatures protesting the construction of a petrochemical plant on Victoria Bluff, near the Island. That trip was the culmination of a long and valiant fight to preserve the area’s natural environment that included environmentalists, developers, concerned citizens and the members of the Hilton Head Fishing Cooperative. Their courageous efforts successfully preserved the area’s natural environment and resources, which significantly contributed to the survival of the Lowcountry’s shrimping industry.
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Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church was founded on March 14, 1914, by members who separated from First African Baptist Church to establish a new congregation in the Pope community. Under the leadership of Rev. B.W. Williams, the church was built on land donated by the Miller family. Mt. Calvary has maintained traditional Gullah worship practices, including outdoor baptisms in Skull Creek, and continues to be an active spiritual and cultural center on the island.
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