Christmas in July at Olympia Mill Village Museum

The Olympia Mill Village Museum will present two free classes on July 13 and July 14, 2021 that will combine elements of historic education, crafting, and social interaction. SC Humanities supported this program with a Mini Grant.

The Olympia-Granby Historical Foundation was established in 2014 in Columbia to create the Olympia Mill Village Museum to preserve the rich history and culture of this unique place. The foundation’s mission is to share our story and to promote activities within the Olympia and Granby Mill Villages that will enhance the lives of the people living in those communities. The Olympia Mill Village Museum is in the heart of the mill village.  It stands proudly at the intersection of Bluff Road and Olympia Avenue. The museum house was built by Whaley Mills in 1901 as a residential place for mill workers.  In the fall of that same year, the house was modified to become the first mill village school—Olympia School. The one-room school opened in October 1901 with an enrollment of about thirty pupils.

Each “Christmas in July” class will include a mini-lecture about the museum and its artifacts and a related card-making experience, led by local artist and teacher Jacqueline Dudley Price. Classes are free, and all materials will be provided. Reservations must be made by texting 803-719-7138 or emailing ogmvmuseum@gmail.com with your name, cell phone, and chosen date (Tuesday, July 13 or Wednesday, July 14 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.).

Classes will meet at the Olympia Mill Village Museum, 1170 Olympia Avenue, Columbia, SC.

For more information about the Olympia Mill Village Museum, visit the website at: https://www.olympiagranbymillvillagemuseum.com/.

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 21-member Board of Directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state. It presents and/or 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.