Hilton Head Gullah Museum unveils new exhibit. It may bring back some memories
Hilton Head Island’s Gullah Museum has its newest exhibit, and it’s a relic from times past.
A well with a vintage cast iron hand water pump has been installed at the museum to demonstrate the traditional way of getting water on the island. Some residents may remember as children running outside to pump fresh water from the heavy metal wells, using their body weight to leverage the pump up and down.
The well was installed last week by the Hilton Head Public Service District and is part of a program that shares information on the island’s history of water and connection.
Although the Gullah Museum is closed due to COVID-19, the outdoor well is visible on the museum’s site.
“The Gullah Museum preserves the Gullah culture and educates people about a point in history they may not have known,” said Louise Cohen, founder of The Gullah Museum.
Hilton Head’s history with well water is complex.
One of the island’s best known nonprofits, Deep Well, was established in 1973 to help island residents who got sick after drinking contaminated water from shallow wells.
In the past, most of the island’s water was drawn from the large underground Floridan Aquifer. The island shared that resource with the communities of Savannah and Brunswick, Georgia, the town’s website says.
However, overuse of the aquifer has caused salt water to leak in, making wells in some areas useless.
Most of the island now gets drinking water from the Savannah River via a pipeline installed by Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority, according to the town’s website.
