‘A Sea Island Lady’ to be topic at Verdier House Tea

The 1804 Verdier House, at 801 Bay St., will be open to Sea Island ladies and gentlemen at the annual Verdier House Tea at 3 p.m. Feb. 19, according to a news release.

Grace Cordial, collection manager of the Beaufort District Collection at the Beaufort County Library, will present a program on “A Sea Island Lady,” a historical novel set in Beaufort.

The tea, held annually as a fundraiser for the Verdier House, will feature traditional afternoon sweets, savories and sandwiches and four kinds of tea. Following the tea, Cordial will introduce Francis Griswold’s popular 1939 novel, “A Sea Island Lady.” The novel has become a representation of Civil War Beaufort for newcomers.

Set in Beaufort and based on the people and architecture of the town, the novel was commercially successful and went through six printings within two months of its publication. The Verdier House was among the “old houses” Griswold romanticized in the novel. He moved to California shortly after writing the book and died in 2001 at 99. His estate continues to support Historic Beaufort Foundation’s preservation mission.

Unlike its counterpart, “Gone with the Wind,” written at the same time, Griswold’s novel focused on the Civil War in Beaufort alone and Reconstruction here. It offers commentary on the town’s Reconstruction history, which was recently designated as having national significance by the National Park Service.

Seating is limited for the tea. Tickets are $25 per person and must be purchased in advance by calling Historic Beaufort Foundation at 843-379-3331 or online at www.historicbeaufort.org.

This story was originally published February 10, 2017 at 12:19 PM with the headline "‘A Sea Island Lady’ to be topic at Verdier House Tea."