Historic Columbia Opens New Exhibit at the Robert Mills House and Gardens

Historic Columbia’s latest exhibit, Heat & Hardship: The Hidden Labor of Enslaved Cooks, will open on February 5, 2025 at the Robert Mills House & Gardens. This innovative exhibit reimagines the site’s warming kitchen, offering visitors a deeper understanding of the lives of enslaved cooks in the 1820s. SC Humanities supported this project with a Major Grant

Through immersive storytelling and interactive activities, Heat & Hardship: The Hidden Labor of Enslaved Cooks will give visitors the opportunity to:

  • Hear first-person perspectives, including an enslaved cook sharing her struggles and resilience. 
  • Explore spices and tools while learning about their cultural and human cost. 
  • Discover the untold stories of labor, memory, and survival in Columbia’s history. 

Heat & Hardship is part of Historic Columbia’s ambitious effort to reinterpret the Robert Mills House as a site that reflects its many historical uses and the people connected to it. This exhibit highlights the importance of inclusive storytelling and invites visitors to help shape the future of this National Historic Landmark by offering survey feedback at the conclusion of the tour. 

Tours of the Robert Mills House & Gardens are offered Wednesday – Sunday. Learn more and plan your visit: historiccolumbia.org/robert-mills

Historic Columbia’s mission is to share the complex history of Columbia and Richland County through historic preservation advocacy, innovative educational programs, and strategic partnerships. Learn more: https://www.historiccolumbia.org/.

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.