Heroes that are committed to the preservation of the Gullah culture.
Our Partners
The Town of Hilton Head Island
The First Freedman's Town est. 1862
The Mitchelville Preservation Project
At its height, Mitchelville boasted over 3,000 residents, but after the Union army left the area in 1868, the population began to decrease. Many residents began farming and engaging in local commerce to sustain themselves and the town would maintain until the end of the century. Eventually, the residents took apart their homes and moved inland towards the area of Squire Pope, Baynard and Chaplin. Even though the citizens of this important community moved on from the physical property, their connection to the town endures through their descendants and the impact of the first taste of African American independence. Mitchelville truly is: “Where Freedom Began.”
The Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park is a non-profit, self-sustaining organization dedicated to the preservation of historic Mitchelville. We hope you will join us in our mission to preserve and protect this powerful and important moment in American history. We encourage you to visit the site and experience Mitchelville for yourself.
Physical Address: 539 William Hilton Pkwy. Suite 134 Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
Mailing Address: PO Box 21758 Hilton Head Island, SC 29925
Park Address: 229 Beach City Rd Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
Authentic Gullah Tours
The Gullah Heritage Trail Tours
Gullah Culture Defined
Gullah is the West African based system of traditions, customs, beliefs, art forms and family life that have survived centuries of slavery and more than a century of free lifestryle. Modern resort development began influencing the culture in the 1950s.
Tour Features
Please come with us for a pleasant two-hour narrated travel through hidden paths of the subtropic traditional landscape of Hilton Head Island. Fourth generation Gullah Family members who relate first hand stories of traditional food ways, family life and the Gullah language, will guide you.
At halfway point you will have a 15-20 minute rest stop at one of the Public Beach accesses allowing for a casual stroll over a boardwalk to view the Atlantic Ocean and refresh.
The tour route takes a scenic weave through ten family-based villages that have sustained themselves for more than a century, but are tempered by current resort developmental pressures.
Tour Highlights
• Gullah Family Compounds
• Old Dembarkation Point (used before the island’s connection to the mainland)
• Old One-room School House
• Plantation Tabby Ruins
• Historic Marker of First Freedom Village
70 Honey Horn Drive
(North end of the Island)
Time 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
12:00 p.m.
Sundays
Regular Tour Fares $32.00 Adults
$15.00 Children under 12
Phone: (843) 681-7066
email: tourinfo@gullaheritage.com
To revive, restore and preserve the Hilton Head Island Gullah history for the benefit of all – lest we forget
The Gullah Museum of Hilton Head
The Gullah Museum of Hilton Head Island is to revive, restore and preserve the Hilton Head Island Gullah history for the benefit of all – lest we forget Since 2003, the Gullah Museum of Hilton Head, a 501(C)3 organization, has been committed to maintaining Gullah customs, traditions, language, stories, songs and structures on Hilton Head. Through the generous support of individuals and institutions the Gullah Museum of Hilton Head has successfully preserved its first structure “The Little House” and completed a documentary – “ Hilton Head Island Back in the Day: Through the Eyes of the Gullah Elders”. |
Mailing Address: 3 Farmers Club Rd., Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
Call 843-681-3254 for more information and tours