Secession Hill
ABBEVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA
I am pleased to announce to our supporters and friends that on 22 April 2004 the historic property in Abbeville, South Carolina known as Secession Hill was purchased by the Southern Cultural Centre. This site was the gathering place on 22 November 1860 of local citizens at which time delegates were selected to attend a secession convention in Columbia, South Carolina on 17 December 1860. The event that took place on this site was the first of many such events that followed throughout South Carolina and the other Southern states. The decisions made at this site had a profound effect on the course of history and the results are felt even to this day.
The property, with your help, will be developed into a park with scenic walkways and benches as a place for Southern people to celebrate our culture and history and to increase our understanding of the state’s sovereign nature. A landscape architect will be needed to develop a layout that can be used for Southern cultural events such as musical performances, speeches, plays, picnics, and etc., while keeping the historical significance of the site in tact. The site will be used to display a large number of historical items in keeping with its function. The park will contain the rock monument relocated to its proper place where the speaker’s platform was originally located, the original Abbeville Confederate monument, and the grave of an unknown Confederate soldier. Other items will be considered as the project progresses.
The original 1906 Confederate monument was donated to the Southern Cultural Centre by the local chapters of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. It was damaged by fire from a Christmas tree display in 1991 and was replaced by the City of Abbeville and the UDC. One part of the monument is in Abbeville and the other parts are in Elberton, Georgia. If at all possible, the monument will be reclaimed and placed on Secession Hill.
From a newspaper account in a 1936 issue of the Abbeville Press and Banner it has been learned that an unknown Confederate soldier was buried on Secession Hill. An extensive search of the property was made and a circle of large rocks resembling a gravesite was found in the identified location.
Funds must be raised to pay for Secession Hill and its development. Donations are not sought at this time as plans are not finalized and the cost is not defined. We do expect to provide something to contributors as a keepsake and a reminder of our culture. Announcements will be provided in the near future as to how you may contribute to this endeavor.
For a free South Carolina,
Robert B. Hayes - Director Southern Cultural Centre
