Circling the Savannah: Cultural Landmarks of the Central Savannah River Area

by Tom Mack

Overview

The Central Savannah River Area is famous for the sand hills that frame both sides of the great river dividing South Carolina and Georgia. Professor and journalist Dr. Tom Mack presents his favorite places in this storied region, from the grand architectural remnants of Aiken's winter colony to Woodrow Wilson's boyhood home in Augusta. Explore Edgefield, where the cemeteries are storytellers; Columbia, where Robert Mills-America's first homegrown architect-once plied his trade; and Abbeville, where the last meeting of the Confederate cabinet was held. Discover the secrets of Barnwell's famous sundial and learn which world-renowned pianist once called Aiken home. Visit plantations, museums, monuments and much more in this delightful collection of columns that first appeared in the Aiken Standard.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781540220882
Publisher:	History Press Library Editions
Publication date:	10/11/2009
Pages:	130
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.38(d)

About the Author

Dr. Tom Mack is the chair of the English department at USC-Aiken and has been a professor there for more than 20 years. Since 1990, he has written a weekly column for The Aiken Standard. He has received numerous awards for both his teaching and his service to the community. He is a member of the SC Humanities Council

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 7

Introduction 9

Part I Aiken

Aiken Lays Claim to Antebellum Poet 11

Novel Highlights Aiken's Role in Civil War 15

Aiken County Museum Reveals Treasures Inside and Out 17

Hopeland Gardens Linked to Racing Controversy 20

Aiken Monuments Memorialize the "Lost Cause" 23

Pickens-Salley House Celebrates Two Great Women 27

Aiken Boasts Masterpiece of Religious Art 30

Celebrated Pianist Once Called Aiken Home 33

Free-Spirited Writer Led Transatlantic life 36

Sculpture Depicts America's "Assistant President" 39

Courthouse Mural Sparks Controversy 42

Meaning of Campus Sculpture Decoded 45

Part II Augusta

Eighteenth-Century Naturalist Explored CSRA 49

Augusta Preserves Tangible Connections to Two Signers 52

Woodrow Wilson Boyhood Home Offers Model of Restoration 55

Augusta Breathes New Life into Old Canal 58

Controversial Novels Straddle Both Sides of River 60

Frank Yerby House Gets Second Chance 63

Part III Edgefield

Willowbrook Cemetery Deserves Restoration 71

Enslaved Potter Left His Mark 71

Oakley Park Stands as Red Shirt Shrine 74

Graves Tell Stories of Two Carolinas 77

Part IV And Beyond

South Carolina Native Became First National Architect 83

Redcliffe Plantation Recalls Heyday of King Cotton 86

Harlem Museum Showcases Legendary Comedians 89

Park Interprets South Carolina's Only Preserved Civil War Battlefield 91

Barnwell's Famous Sundial Marks More than Time 94

Artist Receives South Carolina's Greatest Honor 97

Interest in Romantic Novelist Revived 100

Trinity Churchyard Serves as State Pantheon 102

South Carolina Retains Ties to Confederate Diarist 105

Statehouse Monuments Offer Stories in Stone108

National Park Commemorates Revolutionary War's longest Siege 113

Burt-Stark Mansion Recalls End of Civil War 115

Abbeville Paintings Preserve Moments of Southern Past 118

Antebellum Charleston Mansion Has Aiken Ties 121

Bibliography 125

About the Author 127