Saturday, January 5, 2013

Edgefield Discovery Center

Edgefield Discovery Center - Edgefield, SC January 4, 2013

A spend about 30 minutes in and out of this Edgefield Discovery Center.  And then I spend about just as long in Edgefield Downtown area.  My intention was to check out the South  Carolina National Heritage Corridor.  Based on the cancellation stamp list updated in December 2012, the Edgefield Discovery Center is one of them.  However when I went in, the volunteer told me that due to budge cuts, the Federal government has cut the Discovery Center funding and therefore, it is no longer part of the cancellation location.  The Edgefield Discovery Center is no longer part of the National Heritage Corridor.  How sad is that? 

The Discovery Center is the Captain James Miller House.  It was built in 1840 and originally located in Trenton, SC.  As part of the National Heritage Corridor, part of the house (the front three rooms) moved to the current location.  The corridor extends 240 miles, stretching from mountains of Oconee County, along the Savannah River, to the port city of Charleston.  It is divided into four regions.

Edgefield is famous for producing at least 10 governors so far. 
  • Andrew Pickens Jr
  • George McDuffie 
  • Pierce Mason Butler 
  • James H. Hammond 
  • Francis Pickens 
  • Milledge Luke Bonham
  • John C. Sheppard 
  • Benjamin Tillman - founder of Clemson College and Winthrop. : )
  • John Gary Evans 
  • J. Strom Thurmond
Edgefield is the home of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF).  
Outside the Discovery Center.
.
Cotton is king! 

The Edgefield County Courthouse. 
Downtown Edgefield. 
J. Strom Thurmond in the town center.




The 10 governors! 

Tiger's final thought:

It is sad to hear that budget cuts could affect such small thing, not having a cancellation stamp and a program to support this beautiful preservation.  It makes me wonder how our government functions.  The fact that National Parks and places like this are intended for the people to enjoy.  Then if other places in the country are experiencing the same thing, how can we expect our next generation to understand the culture, the history, and the way of life?  I wish the government will soon get into some sense of direction and keep moving.  It is sad to see the struggles for National Parks.  They are the jewels of the United States.  


No comments:

Post a Comment