**Celebrate Flag Day at Walnut Grove Plantation!

Join us THIS Friday, June 14, at Walnut Grove Plantation for two special programs marking Flag Day!

Walnut Grove Plantation Marks Flag Day with Daytime Activities and Evening Campfire
Celebrate Flag Day with a visit to Walnut Grove Plantation! The historic site is offering a variety of flag-themed activities during the day on Friday, June 14.  Then, that same evening, the plantation will reopen for its first Friday Campfire of the summer, which will also be flag-themed.
First, Walnut Grove’s “Flag Day Celebration” takes place from 11am-5pm on Friday, June 14.  Admission is $6.00 for adults, $3.00 for ages 5-17, and free for ages 4 and under.  Visitors can learn the stories behind historic flags and create a flag design that represents them and tells their story.  All daytime visitors will also receive a free Betsy Ross Flag (while supplies last) with their paid admission.
Then, “Friday Campfire: Flags of the American Revolution” takes place from 7:30pm-9:30pm on Friday, June 14.  Campfire admission is $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for ages 5-17, and free for ages 4 and under.  At the campfire, Mark Anthony will present his fascinating and engaging history of the American Revolution as told through its flags.  Gates open at 7:30 p.m. for visitors to tour the site and make s’mores. Mr. Anthony will begin his talk at 8:30 p.m. Lawn chairs, blankets, and bug spray are encouraged. Rain or shine!
Walnut Grove Plantation is located at 1200 Otts Shoals Road in Roebuck.  For more information, email walnutgrove@spartanburghistory.org or call 864-576-6546.

Spartanburg County Historical Association

**Seay House open – THIS Saturday, June 15, 10:00-4:00

Join us THIS Saturday, June 15, at the Seay House for relaxation and history.  Although it’s open by appointment year round, it’s only open without a reservation 6 days a year.  Don’t miss it!  You can even bring your lunch and enjoy a picnic.  See details below. Saturday at The Seay House June 15, 2013 10:00-4:00 Join us this Saturday at The Seay House, Spartanburg’s oldest standing home.  Located at 106 Darby Road just off Crescent Avenue, this home showcases the dwelling of a local farmstead managed and maintained by three maiden Seay sisters in the late 1800s.  Come relax for an hour or two on this historic property!  Visit www.spartanburghistory.org, email seayhouse@spartanburghistory.org, or call 864-596-3501 for more information. The Seay House is open by appointment year-round and on the 3rd Saturday of the summer months.  We are open at no charge to the public, though visitor donations and sponsorships help us maintain the property.  The Seay House is one of 3 historic homes maintained by the Spartanburg County Historical Association. General Information: The Seay House is the oldest house still standing in the city limits of Spartanburg.  Although a definite construction date for the log portion has not been established, evidence indicates that it was built prior to 1850.  Two of the frame additions made to the home in the late 19th century still remain.  The oldest portion of the house is a typical Scots-Irish, one room, one-and-a-half story, log house.  The logs are hand-hewn, and the foundation is fieldstone.  The pipestem chimney, also made of fieldstone, is a style commonly found in Virginia but unusual for upstate South Carolina. The Seay House is a modest home and reflects the kind of life that the majority of the settlers in Spartanburg County and the Carolina Backcountry lived.  Interpretation at the Seay House focuses on the lives of women in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  This was a farmstead, and the three daughters of Kinsman Seay - Ruthy, Patsy, and Sarah – who lived in this house up to the times of their deaths lived a simple farm life.  While today this home is largely surrounded by a modern neighborhood, when you step onto the grounds you can begin to imagine what it must have been like to live without electricity or running water, to grow and raise your own food, and to make your own clothing.   ###

Spartanburg County Historical Association

**Join us THIS Saturday, May 18, at the Seay House for relaxation and history.

Join us THIS Saturday, May 18, at the Seay House for relaxation and history. Although it’s open by appointment year round, it’s only open without a reservation 6 days a year. Don’t miss it! You can even bring your lunch and enjoy a picnic. See details below.

Saturday at The Seay House
May 18, 2013
10:00-4:00

Join us this Saturday at The Seay House, Spartanburg’s oldest standing home. Located at 106 Darby Road just off Crescent Avenue, this home showcases the dwelling of a local farmstead managed and maintained by three maiden Seay sisters in the late 1800s. Come relax for an hour or two on this historic property! Visit www.spartanburghistory.org, email seayhouse@spartanburghistory.org, or call 864-596-3501 for more information.

The Seay House is open by appointment year-round and on the 3rd Saturday of the summer months. We are open at no charge to the public, though visitor donations and sponsorships help us maintain the property. The Seay House is one of 3 historic homes maintained by the Spartanburg County Historical Association.

General Information:
The Seay House is the oldest house still standing in the city limits of Spartanburg. Although a definite construction date for the log portion has not been established, evidence indicates that it was built prior to 1850. Two of the frame additions made to the home in the late 19th century still remain. The oldest portion of the house is a typical Scots-Irish, one room, one-and-a-half story, log house. The logs are hand-hewn, and the foundation is fieldstone. The pipestem chimney, also made of fieldstone, is a style commonly found in Virginia but unusual for upstate South Carolina.

The Seay House is a modest home and reflects the kind of life that the majority of the settlers in Spartanburg County and the Carolina Backcountry lived. Interpretation at the Seay House focuses on the lives of women in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This was a farmstead, and the three daughters of Kinsman Seay – Ruthy, Patsy, and Sarah – who lived in this house up to the times of their deaths lived a simple farm life. While today this home is largely surrounded by a modern neighborhood, when you step onto the grounds you can begin to imagine what it must have been like to live without electricity or running water, to grow and raise your own food, and to make your own clothing.
###

**Historic Downtown Spartanburg Walking Map – NOW Available!

I love collaborations and I’m excited to tell you about our latest – there is now a historic downtown walking map available in print and online.  Check out the details below and then check out the tour!
Becky

WALKING MAP FEATURES HISTORIC SPARTANBURG SITES
Spartanburg, SC – History comes alive with a new downtown walking map of Spartanburg that provides visitors and residents alike with 14 historic points of interest. The walking tour takes less than an hour and spans five city blocks, beginning at Morgan Square.
The project was a joint effort between the Spartanburg County Historical Association, the City of Spartanburg, and the Spartanburg Convention & Visitors Bureau (SCVB). It also was one of the recommendations of the County’s Tourism Action Plan that the SCVB has been implementing.
“This is another great example of how partnerships can make things happen,” said Chris Jennings, SCVB director. “The Historical Association already had a downtown tour, the City had a great map, and the SCVB helped put it all together.” A mobile version of the tour with audio is available. Click Here!
From Morgan Square and the Masonic Temple, to the Montgomery Building and Denny’s Plaza, the historic walking trail highlights some of Spartanburg’s most memorable icons. Find out where Palmetto Corner is located, learn about the civil rights protests at Woolworth’s lunch counter, and see what stands on the site of the former Piedmont and Northern Railroad Depot. All this and more can be found in the Historic Downtown Walking Map.
Maps are available at the Spartanburg Regional History Museum in the Chapman Cultural Center at 200 E. St. John Street, at City Hall and at the SCVB Visitors Center at 105 N. Pine Street.

ABOUT SPARTANBURG CVB:
The Spartanburg Convention & Visitors Bureau (SCVB) is the official destination marketing organization for the County and City of Spartanburg, South Carolina. The SCVB was established in 1986 as a division of the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce.
Located in the foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, Spartanburg is known for its Revolutionary War battles, as well as a rich textile and agricultural history. Home to a thriving arts and culture community, Spartanburg also offers visitors plentiful outdoor recreation opportunities and stunning scenic views.
Originally called the Hub City for its railroad crossroads, Spartanburg is conveniently located at the junction of Interstates 26 and 85, making it easily accessible from Columbia, SC, Atlanta, GA, Asheville and Charlotte, NC.
For more information, call (800) 374-8326, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, or bookmark our website: www.VisitSpartanburg.com

**Don’t forget to come to the Price House THIS Saturday, May 4, for brickmaking and more!

Don’t forget to come to the Price House THIS Saturday, May 4, for brickmaking and more!  Just 10 minutes from Dorman High School,  the Price House gives the beauty of a rural setting without the inconvenience.  Plan to spend the day learning history, walking the trails, and making bricks.  Picnics are welcome!  See the details below.
Becky Slayton, Executive Director
Spartanburg County Historical Association, 864-278-9664

Historic Price House Opens Its Season with Make Your Own Brick Activity and Historic Tours

When arriving for a rest stop, stagecoach travelers of the early 1800s surely found the deep red and orange brick home of Thomas Price quite an imposing sight.  Evidence indicates enslaved African American laborers made the building’s bricks right on site, gathering clay from the nearby Tyger River.  On Saturday, May 4, Historic Price House opens its 2013 season with “Brickmaking at Price House,” a day-long program devoted to what was a crucial building material and important skill in the early days of the new American republic.  Expert Rick Owens will demonstrate brickmaking while visitors can make their own brick to take home.  Visitors can also learn how Thomas Price’s arrival and his farming practices began a century-long process of soil erosion that still impacts the Upstate’s natural environment today.  Tours of the main house, kitchen cabin, and slave quarters will be available as well.

“Brickmaking at Price House” takes place from 11am-4pm, Saturday, May 4.Admission is $6.00 for adults, $4.00 for ages 5-17, and free for ages 4 and under.  Price House is located at 1200 Oakview Farms Road near Woodruff.  For more information, email pricehouse@spartanburghistory.org or call 864-576-6546.

Thomas and Ann Price built Price House in 1795.  Located along the young nation’s burgeoning road network, Mr. Price ran a general store, post office, and tavern for the local community as well as an inn for travelers.  Two-dozen enslaved African Americans worked in these businesses, labored in cotton fields, and lived in quarters not unlike the slave cabin on-site today.  Price House tells how free and enslaved residents transformed the frontier Backcountry into the antebellum Upcountry through improved roads and communications, more non-farm businesses, and an explosion in cotton farming and slave labor as well as how, in doing so, they caused social, economic, and environmental changes that still impact the region today.

Operated by the Spartanburg County Historical Association, Price House is open for public tours from May through October from 11am-5pm on Saturdays and from 2pm-5pm on Sundays.  Additionally, groups of ten or more people from schools, churches, scout troops, senior citizen organizations, and other community groups can schedule, a minimum of 14 days in advance, group tours and natural history activities year-round.  Schools may schedule activities both on-site and in-school.

For more, visit the Spartanburg County Historical Association’s website at spartanburghistory.org, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/spartanburghistory, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/sptbghistory, or see photos from our programs and events on Flickr at flickr.com/spartanburghistory.

**Walnut Grove Plantation: 250 Years of History Celebrate with Balsam Range in Concert!

Balsam Range, nationally-renowned bluegrass band, will help Walnut Grove
Plantation celebrate 250 Years of History in concert at 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 18! Don’t miss this historic celebration!   Click Here for more information!

Zac Cunningham, Director
Walnut Grove Plantation & Historic Price House
Spartanburg County Historical Association

**Brickmaking at Price House – May 4, 11:00-4:00

Mark your calendars now for May 4 because you won’t want to miss brickmaking at Historic Price House.  Just 10 minutes from Dorman High School, the Price House gives the beauty of a rural setting without the inconvenience.  Plan to spend the day learning history, walking the trails, and making bricks.  Picnics are welcome!  See the details below.
By the way, don’t forget to drop by the Piedmont Club TONIGHT, April 24, between 6:00 & 8:00 to meet artist Jill Steenhuis.  There’s no charge, though you’re invited to purchase Jill’s art and her new book Art, Soul, & Destinty: An Artist’s Journey from America to Provence.  The proceeds from the sales will benefit the Spartanburg County Historical Association and it will be a lovely evening.  You can see the full e-vite here.

Historic Price House Opens Its Season with Make Your Own Brick Activity and Historic Tours

Woodruff, SC, April 22 — When arriving for a rest stop, stagecoach travelers of the early 1800s surely found the deep red and orange brick home of Thomas Price quite an imposing sight.  Evidence indicates enslaved African American laborers made the building’s bricks right on site, gathering clay from the nearby Tyger River.  On Saturday, May 4, Historic Price House opens its 2013 season with “Brickmaking at Price House,” a day-long program devoted to what was a crucial building material and important skill in the early days of the new American republic.  Expert Rick Owens will demonstrate brickmaking while visitors can make their own brick to take home.  Visitors can also learn how Thomas Price’s arrival and his farming practices began a century-long process of soil erosion that still impacts the Upstate’s natural environment today.  Tours of the main house, kitchen cabin, and slave quarters will be available as well.

“Brickmaking at Price House” takes place from 11am-4pm, Saturday, May 4. Admission is $6.00 for adults, $4.00 for ages 5-17, and free for ages 4 and under.  Price House is located at 1200 Oakview Farms Road near Woodruff.  For more information, email pricehouse@spartanburghistory.org or call 864-576-6546.

Thomas and Ann Price built Price House in 1795.  Located along the young nation’s burgeoning road network, Mr. Price ran a general store, post office, and tavern for the local community as well as an inn for travelers.  Two-dozen enslaved African Americans worked in these businesses, labored in cotton fields, and lived in quarters not unlike the slave cabin on-site today.  Price House tells how free and enslaved residents transformed the frontier Backcountry into the antebellum Upcountry through improved roads and communications, more non-farm businesses, and an explosion in cotton farming and slave labor as well as how, in doing so, they caused social, economic, and environmental changes that still impact the region today.

Operated by the Spartanburg County Historical Association, Price House is open for public tours from May through October from 11am-5pm on Saturdays and from 2pm-5pm on Sundays.  Additionally, groups of ten or more people from schools, churches, scout troops, senior citizen organizations, and other community groups can schedule, a minimum of 14 days in advance, group tours and natural history activities year-round.  Schools may schedule activities both on-site and in-school.

For more, visit the Spartanburg County Historical Association’s website at spartanburghistory.org, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/spartanburghistory, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/sptbghistory, or see photos from our programs and events on Flickr at flickr.com/spartanburghistory.

**Lunch & Learn: Gen. Daniel Morgan in person – sort of – April 26th

Many of you were disappointed in January because the snowy weather made us postpone Dr. George Fields as his alter ego, Gen. Daniel Morgan.  Well wipe those tears away and join us THIS Friday, April 26, to meet the General himself – more or less.  See more details below.
See you Friday!
Becky Slayton, Executive Director
Spartanburg County Historical Association

 Lunch & Learn Spartanburg: Gen. Daniel Morgan In Person – Sort of
Join the Regional History Museum for an hour each month to learn interesting pieces of Spartanburg’s history from various speakers. Bring your lunch and learn from experts!
This month, Dr. George Fields will be Gen. Daniel Morgan from the Revolutionary War and hero of the Battle of Cowpens. Dr. Fields has often appeared as Gen. Morgan and his presentation is entertaining and accurate. You won’t want to miss this!
Event Date & Time: Friday, April 26, 2013; 12:30-1:30
Cost: $5
Location: West Wing Conference Room, Chapman Cultural Center

**An Evening of Art by renowned artist Jill Steenhuis – April 24th

Make plans now to join Lisa & John Chapman and the Spartanburg County Historical Association for “An Evening of Art” featuring recent works from the South of France by renowned artist Jill Steenhuis on Wednesday, April 24, 2013, from 6-8 pm at the Piedmont Club in Spartanburg.  A portion of the proceeds will benefit SCHA and the art will beautify your home or office.  It’s a win-win!!!  The artist will be present and her new book, Art, Soul and Destiny: An Artist’s Journey from America to Provence, will be available for purchase and autographing.  Here is the full e-vite.
See you there! Becky

Becky Slayton, Executive Director Spartanburg County Historical Association

*”Spring into History” at Walnut Grove – Tues-Sat, April 2-6

Spring Break is almost here and we’re excited!  We’ve got all sorts of stuff for you to do at the History Museum and Walnut Grove Plantation.  There’s no charge for current SCHA members – just show your card!  If you need to join or renew, send in the form available on our website and pay by check or PayPal.  Let me know if you have any questions (864-278-9664; scha@spartanburghistory.org) The History Museum has its usual wonderful exhibits plus our current feature exhibit of fashion through the years.  I’m not sure how they got those tiny, delicate gloves on their hands and I won’t even get started on the bloomers!  The Museum is open Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00-5:00, in the Chapman Cultural Center at 200 E. St. John Street. Walnut Grove Plantation is pulling out all the stops for Spring Break, too, with period dress and special activities and presentations during the week.  We’re winding up the break with a bang on Saturday with our feature program – Colonial Grossology.  It explores all the stuff that makes you say “Ewwwwww!!!”  See the details below. Go ahead and plan your exciting spring break – whether kids are involved or not! See you in the break! Becky Becky Slayton, Executive Director Spartanburg County Historical Association, 864-278-9664

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  Zac Cunningham, Director Walnut Grove Plantation & Historic Price House Spartanburg County Historical Association 864-576-6546 (o), 864-576-5048 (f) walnutgrove@spartanburghistory,org Walnut Grove Plantation offers Special Kid-Focused Programming during Spring Break Roebuck, SC, March 26 – You went to the bathroom in that!?  The doctor made you bleed on purpose!?  You ate pigs’ ears for dinner!?  GROSS!!!  Explore all things “gross” about colonial days during “Colonial Grossology” at Walnut Grove Plantation on Saturday, April 6.  This kid-friendly day features plenty of hands-on activities for the adventurous.  See a real outhouse! Taste pigs’ ears and other weird food! Try some herbs as deodorant and find out how to care for what few teeth you would’ve had.  Get treated for what ails you by Dr. Andrew Barry Moore, who may use some decidedly gross methods to cure your sickness.  Race to empty that stinky chamber pot without spilling anything. Tour the historic buildings. “Colonial Grossology” takes place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 6 and admission is $6.00 for adults, $4.00 for ages 5-17, and free for ages 4 and under. In the days leading up to “Colonial Grossology,” families looking for Spring Break activities can visit the late 1700s during Walnut Grove’s “Spring into History.”  Guides in period dress will share the history of the Moore family and the South Carolina Backcountry. On select days, a Revolutionary War reenactor will share the latest news in the fight for independence from Great Britain.  A daily hands-on activity will be offered. “Spring into History” takes place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Tuesday, April 2 to Friday, April 5 and admission is $6.00 for adults, $3.00 for ages 5-17, and free for ages 4 and under. Walnut Grove Plantation is located at 1200 Otts Shoals Road in Roebuck.  For more information, email walnutgrove@spartanburghistory.org or call 864-576-6546. Among the first settlers in Upstate South Carolina, Charles and Mary Moore established Walnut Grove Plantation on a 550-acre land grant about 1765.  These Scots-Irish immigrants raised ten children in the house they built and lived in for 40 years.  Mr. Moore relied on a dozen enslaved African Americans and his own large family to work his sizable farm.  During the American Revolution, the Moore family, including eldest daughter Kate Moore Barry, actively supported the Patriot cause.  Operated by the Spartanburg County Historical Association, Walnut Grove’s tours and programs tell the stories of the free and enslaved people who settled South Carolina and the rest of Britain’s American colonies, who fought for independence, and who, in the end, built a new nation. To learn more, visit the Spartanburg County Historical Association’s website at spartanburghistory.org, like us on Facebook at facebook.com/spartanburghistory, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/sptbghistory, or see photos from our programs and events on Flickr at flickr.com/spartanburghistory. ###