The St. James Foundation will host an installation and dedication ceremony for the first historical marker of their “Gullah Geechee Historical Marker Educators Project,” an effort to install up to eight historical markers along a walking trail on their property. The ceremony will take place on Friday, September 5, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. SC Humanities supported this project with a Major Grant.
The “Gullah Geechee Historical Marker Educators Project” is intended to include 8 interpretive signs along the .4 mile walking trail on the St. James Foundation’s campus on James Island. The historical markers will share details about the people, the land, regional flora, and other facts about the property, with the goal of providing knowledge about the past, insight into the present, and visions for the future. The first historic marker focuses on “The People of the Grimball Community.” The Grimball Plantation enslaved more than 100 people.
The installation and dedication ceremony will take place on Friday, September 5 at 12:00 p.m. at 1981 S. Grimball Road, Charleston, SC 29412. The Rev. Dr. Brian C. Henderson, Pastor of the St. James Presbyterian Church, will present greetings and historical reflections during the ceremony. In addition to the installation of the “Gullah Geechee Historical Marker Educators Project” marker, the ceremony will also include the dedication of a marker commemorating the historical, “Skirmish at Grimball Plantation,” of June 10, 1862 by the City of James Island.
The St. James Foundation is a a 501(c)(3) ecumenical, community outreach nonprofit organization. They steward 7.5 acres of urban land located on Grimball Road, James Island, where they ultimately plan to open a Gullah Cultural Center in addition to the walking trail.
The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. Established in 1973, this 501(c)3 organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state. It presents and supports literary initiatives, lectures, exhibits, festivals, publications, oral history projects, videos, and other humanities-based experiences that directly or indirectly reach more than 250,000 citizens annually. South Carolina Humanities receives funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as corporate, foundation and individual donors. The National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.