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Life as a Blacksmith
A blacksmith makes tools for the farm.
Photo courtesy of Living History Park.
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Life of a plantation slave
A reenactor teaches a group of students about the life of a plantation slave.
During colonial times in South Carolina, the village blacksmith never lacked for work. Whether it was making tools for farmers or fashioning kitchen utensils for the lady of the house, his skills were always in demand.
A quick browse through any history book will attest to their value and even offer photos of common blacksmithing tools. But to hear the crackle of a soft coal fire and watch a craftsman hammer a lump of glowing metal into a useful object right before your eyes is an entirely different learning experience, says Lynn Thompson of the Living History Park in North Augusta.
“You can read it all day long, but what better way to tell the story than to have it come alive,” she says.
The 7½-acre park allows visitors to walk the streets of a replica colonial village, where everything from the buildings to the plants in the gardens are designed to provide the sights, sounds, textures and smells of what life was like for South Carolinians in the early 18th century. “We want it to be real,”
says Thompson.
Living history demonstrations with a complete cast of costumed re- enactors, storytellers and even musicians are held on the last Saturday of each month and during special annual events like the Olde Towne Artisans Fair (scheduled this year for April 15–17) and the Colonial Times festival (Oct. 15–16).
Thompson says the park strives to be accurate to every historical detail, no matter how painful the facts of that history may be. That includes depictions of slavery. On a recent day, visitors could see a costumed slave re-enactor praying outside the Willow Springs Meeting House while others held a service inside.
“People run from things they don’t know,” Thompson says. “But if you don’t tell the story, history has a tendency to repeat itself.”
Open year-round from dawn until dusk, the park draws more than 25,000 visitors each year, including tourists and school field trips. Teachers use the experience as a teaching tool and the park offers a state-approved curriculum geared toward 4th-grade students.
“If I can get one person or one child excited about history, then it’s all worth it,” Thompson says.
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Get There
The Living History Park in North Augusta offers visitors the sights and sounds of early 18th-century life, including typical gardens and re-enactors who tell stories and give demonstrations.
Directions: The park is located at 299 West Spring Grove Avenue in North Augusta. From I-20, take Exit 1 to Hwy 230 (Martintown Road). Take a right on West Avenue and a right on West Spring Grove Avenue.
Hours: Open year-round from dawn till dusk.
Admission: Free, though donations are accepted.
Special events: Olde Towne Artisans Fair, April 15–17; Under the Crown, June 4–5; Colonial Times: A Day to Remember, Oct. 15–16; Spirits of Hallowed Eve, Oct. 29; Christmas for the Birds, Dec. 3.
Details: (803) 279-7560; colonialtimes.us.