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Three-Century Project starting to take shape

Published Thursday, April 30, 2009
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The Beaufort Three-Century Project finally has a place to call home.

With that should come broader participation in the civic undertaking of a lifetime -- or many, many lifetimes. The Three-Century Project will mark in the cleverest of ways the 300th anniversary of the city of Beaufort. The city was chartered in 1711, the second oldest city in South Carolina behind Charleston, and we have quite a lot of stories to tell.

A steering committee and project coordinator have brought life and form to the idea. Already a number of individuals, neighborhoods, clubs and schools are actively documenting their own portions of the colorful patchwork that makes up Beaufort.

Now, thanks to John Trask III and Edward Dukes of Lowcountry Real Estate, the Three-Century Project has a place where people can meet, plan and literally record their stories. Trask and Dukes have donated use of space at 207/209 Charles Street, at the corner of Port Republic downtown. The Three-Century Project will be there until a paying tenant is found, keeping hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays; 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays; and by appointment through project coordinator Deborah Johnson, 843-489-1711.

Starting in May, a small room will be used for recording interviews for an oral history project.

Katherine Lang will use a corner for the memory card project. Residents will have their picture taken and write their favorite thing about Beaufort on the back.

The Old Commons Neighborhood's ambitious "House and Home" book project now has a place for meetings and storage.

But that should be only the beginning. The space will give the project greater visibility and should get many more people involved.

Every building, school, street, neighborhood, church, club, creek, business, island, bridge, family, hobby, food, generation, season, industry, holiday, architecture, furniture, festival, cemetery, library, choir, garden and painting in town has a story to tell. That's the beauty of the Three-Century Project: It's not reserved for learned scholars or people with an interest in history. It is contemporary. It is of and by the people. It can document today's hip-hop impressions as easily as it can document the old shell road we now call Boundary Street. But it won't document anything if we don't get involved.

And while the headquarters building is necessary, don't expect to see everything the project produces in hard copy or bricks and mortar.

For example, faculty members at Beaufort Middle School were awarded a grant from the Northern Beaufort County Education Foundation to establish a Web museum in conjunction with the students' research for the Beaufort Three-Century Project.

And participation does not have to be constrained by the city limit signs, either. As Mayor Billy Keyserling, who initially pushed this project, said, when you tell people you're from Beaufort, they consider that to be anywhere in northern Beaufort County.

This community really has one history, but it is seen from many different perspectives.This project will be a real keeper, but it will take every one of us to do it right. We thank the businessmen for giving this valuable project a place to call home. And we urge everyone to get involved.

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    Governor’s Office, State House, P.O. Box 12267, Columbia, S.C. 29211
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  • Senator Tom Davis(R-District 46)
    P.O. Drawer 1107, Beaufort, 29901-1107
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  • Rep. Curtis Brantley (D-District 122)
    194 Bees Creek Rd., Ridgeland, 29936
    (843) 726-5998
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    (803) 734-2965
  • Rep. Richard Chalk (R-District 123)
    326C Blatt Building, Columbia, S.C. 29211-1867
    Office: (803) 734-3067; Home: (843) 842-5985
    15 Goldfinch Lane, Hilton Head Island, S.C. 29928
  • Rep. Shannon S. Erickson (R-District 124)
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  • Rep. Bill Herbkersman (R-District 118)
    P.O. Box 11867, Columbia, S.C. 29211
    Office: (803) 734-3063; Home: (843) 757-5424
    151 Gascoigne Bluff, Bluffton, S.C. 29910
  • Rep. Kenneth F. Hodges (D-District 121)
    PO Drawer 355, Green Pond, 29446
    (843) 525-9006 Home (843) 844-8756
    434B Blatt Bldg., Columbia, 29201
    (803) 734-3062
Beaufort County
  • Rick Caporale (R-District 1)
    17 Salt Wind Way, Hilton Head Island, S.C. 29926
    Office: 680-9999; fax: 681-6700
  • Steven Baer (R-District 2)
    10 Heather Lane, Hilton Head Island, S.C. 29926
    Office: 689-3570; fax: 689-3569
  • Stu Rodman (R-District 3)
    27 Baynard Park, Hilton Head Island, S.C. 29928
    Office: 363-470; fax: 363-6472
  • Weston J. Newton chairman (R-District 4)
    P.O. Drawer 7049, Hilton Head Island, S.C. 29938
    Office: 842-6111; fax: 706-9981
  • William McBride (D-District 5)
    P.O. Box 77, St. Helena Island, SC 29920
    Fax:(843)838-8303
    Home:(843)838-2264
  • Gerald Dawson (D-District 6)
    64-A Horace Dawsone Drive, Seabrook, SC 29940
    Fax:(843)846-4738
    Office:(843)846-4830
  • Paul Sommerville vice chairman (R-District 7)
    1509 Pigeon Point Road, Beaufort, SC 29902
    Fax:(843)379-7115
    Office:(843)379-7114
  • Herbert N. Glaze (D-District 8)
    P.O. Box 4053, Burton, SC 29903
    Fax:(843)846-3601
    Home:(843)846-2845
  • Brian Flewelling (R- District 9)
    25 Petigru Drive, Beaufort, SC 29902
    Fax:(843)379-9806
    Office:(843)379-9805
  • Jerry Stewart (R-District 10)
    11 Teaberry Lane, Bluffton, S.C. 29909
    Office: 705-4753; fax: 705-4723
  • Laura Von Harten (D-District 11)
    166 Fuller Parkway, Beaufort, SC 29902
    Fax:(843)379-1380
    Office:(843)379-1367
Beaufort County School District
  • District Office: 1300 King St., P.O. Drawer 309, Beaufort, SC 29902
    Office: 322-2300; fax: 322-2371
    Hilton Head Island office, 689-4635; fax: 689-4617
    • Beaufort County Board of Education members:
    • Fred S. Washington chairman (District 11)
      PO 325, 804 West Street, Beaufort, SC 29901
      (C) 843-524-8404
    • Bob Arundell vice chairman (District 2)
      198 Woodlake Villas, Hilton Head, S.C. 29926
      Home: 681-8502; work: 7855-8040; fax: 785-3056;
    • Joan Deery (District 1)
      5 old Fort Drive, Hilton Head, S.C. 29926
      Home: 681-8968
    • Wayne Carbiener (District 3)
      Home: 843-363-2113
    • Laura Bush (District 4)
      P.O. Box 172, Bluffton, S.C. 29910
      Home: 757-2638; fax: 757-2638
    • Michael F. Rivers, Sr. (District 5)
      734 Seaside Road, St. Helena, SC 29920
      (H) 843-838-2277
      FAX 843-838-1192
    • Earl Campbell (District 6)
      93 Bruce Smalls, Grays Hill, P.O. Box 768, Lobeco, SC 29931
      (H) 843-846-4531
      (C) 843-476-7512
      FAX 843-846-1373
    • Jim Bequette (District 7)
      4 Broomfield Lane 2532, Beaufort, SC 29907
      (H/C) 843-263-8327
    • Herbert Burnes (District 8)
      95 Pine Grove Road, Beaufort, SC 29906
      (H) 843-846-445
      (C) 843-263-2776
    • Ronald Speaks (District 9)
      3121 Palomino Dr., Burton, SC 29906
      (H) 843-525-1163
      (W) 843-525-8277
      FAX 843-525-1163
    • George Wilson (District 10)
      20 Osprey Circle, Callawassie Island, S.C. 29909
      Home: 987-1234; cell: 812-9870
City of Beaufort
Town of Hilton Head Island
  • Town Hall: One Town Center Court, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928; 341-4600
    • Town Council
    • Mayor Thomas D. Peeples
      4 Hartford Place, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928-3922
      Home: 686-4138; office: 681-2600; fax: 689-3229
    • Bill Ferguson (Ward 1)
      634 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
      Home: 686-2863
    • William Harkins (Ward 2)
      3 Old Fort Lane Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
      263-3261 - cell
    • Drew A. Laughlin (Ward 3)
      5 McIntosh Road, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
      Home: 689-5723; work 689-5700; fax 689-9300
    • John Safay (Ward 4)
      19 Starboard Tack, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
      Home: 785-4489; work: 785-4696; fax: 785-4696
    • George Williams (Ward 5)
      8 Braddock Cove, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
      Home: 363-6601; fax: 363-6604
    • Ken S. Heitzke (Ward 6)
      3 Audubon Place, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
      Home: 681-8182; fax: 681-9864
Town of Bluffton
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