H.L. Hunley Traveling Exhibit Coming to Aiken and Edgefield Counties

Aiken and Edgefield Counties will host a special exhibition in September 2014. A full-size replica of the famous Civil War submarine, the H.L. Hunley, will tour Edgefield, North Augusta, and Aiken on the weekend of September 26 – 28, 2014. Period re-enactors will be on hand at several of the host sites to answer questions and share details about the history of the Hunley. SC Humanitiessupported this project with a Mini Grant in July 2014.

The H.L. Hunley has a significant place in American naval history. It was the first combat submarine used to sink a warship, though it also sank soon after, killing all 8 of its crew members. The recovery of the Hunley in Charleston in 2000 was a major event in the state of South Carolina and was described by Dr. William Dudley, Director of the Naval Historical Center, as “probably the most important find of the century.”

The H.L. Hunley exhibit will be on display in Edgefield County in the parking lot next to Piedmont Technical College on Friday, September 26. On Saturday, September 27, the replica will be at the Nancy Carson Library in North Augusta, and it will be at the Aiken County Historical Museum in Aiken on Sunday, September 28.

The life-size replica is approximately 65-feet long and 4-feet wide, giving visitors a hands-on feel for the conditions experienced by the crew. The exhibit will be accompanied by the H.L. Hunley Camp #43, Sons of Confederate Veterans living history encampment. Additional public programs will take place at each host site, including a lecture by author Dianne Brady (Hunley – The Mystery of Its History) in North Augusta on Thursday, September 25 at 6:00 p.m.

For more information about the tour, contact Barbara Walker at the Nancy Carson Library at 803-279-5767.

The mission of The Humanities CouncilSC is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. SC Humanities programs and initiatives are balanced, reflecting sensitivity to the diversity of ideas, encourage open dialogue, demonstrate integrity, and are ethical in operations.