Experience Gullah
 

Mitchelville, located near the Port Royal Sound, is one of the most historically significant communities in the United States. Established in 1862, it became the first settlement built by and for freed slaves, symbolizing a new era of African American self-determination and civic life. The community also houses the Cherry Hill School, built in 1937 on land purchased by Gullah residents and now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, underscoring its enduring educational and cultural legacy.

The area remains a vital touchpoint for historical preservation and interpretation. At the Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park, visitors can explore the living narrative of resilience, community, and cultural heritage that defines Mitchelville and its ongoing contribution to the American story.

 
 

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The Toni Morrison Reflection Bench at Mitchelville
The Toni Morrison Reflection Bench at Mitchelville

The Toni Morrison Society has installed its eighth Bench by the Road on Hilton Head Island, honoring the legacy of the formerly enslaved African Americans who founded Mitchelville—the first self-governing freedmen’s village in the South. The bench, placed by The Mitchelville Preservation Project, commemorates the resilience and achievement of a community that built homes, churches, and schools in the aftermath of the Civil War.

HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS