2026 BIHS Historic Tour

The 18th Annual Historic Beech Island Tour - Saturday, April 25, 2026
will be held from 10 am - 5 pm and will feature 12 historical and unusual places in Beech Island and Jackson, SC.

Among them will be the beautiful, Hankinson House, in nearby Jackson, SC, built by Amelia Hankinson, wife of R.S. Hankinson, in 1911.
Other tour sites include: a beautiful home on the Savannah River; Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site; the Lily Farm;
Boondock Farm, an agri-tourism farm;
the historic Silver Bluff Missionary Baptist Church and schoolhouse;
a 1730s Swiss settler home site;
the historic Zubly and Hammond cemeteries;
the historic Silver Bluff on the Savannah River,
site of Revolutionary War Patriot George Galphin's trading post and 1781 Revolutionary War battle;
the Silver Bluff Audubon Center and Sanctuary;
and the Beech Island Historical Society's History and Visitors Center, Agricultural Museum and Country Store.

An old-fashion barbecue lunch of pork and chicken will be served from 11 am - 1 pm behind the BIHS Visitors Center at 144 Old Jackson Highway in Beech Island.

Cost of a BBQ Dinner will be $15,

Cost of Tour Tickets for Adults in Advance are $20 and $25 the Day of the Tour.

Senior (60 and up) Tickets Cost $15 in Advance and $20 the Day of the Tour.

Children under age 18 are free.

Advance tickets can be purchased at:
the Beech Island Appliance Service, the Arts & Heritage Center of North Augusta,
the Jackson Municipal Complex and Sweet B's in Aiken.

Tickets can be purchased at the Beech Island Historical Society Visitors Center on the day of the tour. (April 25, 2026)

For more information, to purchase tickets or receive a brochure,
Call Jackie Bartley at 706-833-3651 or email bdbartley2@gmail.com.

To learn more, watch WJBF News Channel 6 News with Mary Morrison
at Noon on April 22

and WRDW Channel 12 Morning Mix at 9:00 am on April 24.

2026 Tour Brochure PDF See 2026 Tour Map

2026 BIHS History Tour

Tickets for this one-day, self-guided, driving tour can be purchased the day of the tour at the Beech Island Historical Society History & Visitors Center (Site # 7) located at 144 Old Jackson Highway in Beech Island, SC 29842.

The following 12 places can be visited at your leisure and in any order you choose, except Site # 3, Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site, with tour times beginning at 11 a.m. and ending at 4:30 p.m. Due to hurricane damage, there is limited access to the grounds.

Locations of the 2026 Tour:
#1 The Lily Farm - 148 Redcliffe Road, Beech Island, SC
#2 Hammond Cemetery (Beech Island Cemetery) - Hammond Road, Beech Island, SC
#3 Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site *- 181 Redcliffe Road, Beech Island, SC
#4 Old Hankinson House - 117 Jackson Road, Jackson, SC
#5 The River House - 860 Gum Swamp Road, Jackson, SC
#6 Boondock Farms - 755 Foreman Street, Jackson, SC
#7 Beech Island Historical Society Visitors Center & Barn -144 Old Jackson Highway, Beech Island, SC
#8 The Beech Island Country Store - 144 Old Jackson Highway, Beech Island, SC
#9 Silver Bluff Missionary Baptist Church & Schoolhouse - 360 Old Jackson Hwy, Jackson, SC
#10 Meyer Brothers’ Swiss Settlers’ Farm & Home Site - Forrest Drive, Jackson, SC
#11 Zubly Cemetery * - Forrest Drive, Jackson, SC
#12 Silver Bluff Audubon Center & Sanctuary * - 4542 Silver Bluff Road, Jackson, SC
2026 BIHS Tour Brochure PDF

About

The Beech Island Historical Society is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing the history of our nation, with a special focus on the rich heritage of the Beech Island, South Carolina area. Through education, preservation, and community involvement, the Society works to ensure that the stories, people, and places that shaped Beech Island are remembered and passed on to future generations.

The Society was first envisioned during the winter of 1985 by a group of fourteen local citizens with a shared passion for history. The first official meeting was held on March 19, 1985, at All Saints Episcopal Church. Under the leadership of its first president, Harold Maness, the organization became a nonprofit corporation under South Carolina law on September 9, 1985.

In 1986, the Society organized the Beech Island Tricentennial Celebration at Redcliffe State Park, attracting more than 10,000 visitors. The success of that event led to the creation of Beech Island Heritage Day, which became an annual celebration and was held for twenty consecutive years.

In 1991, the heirs of charter member George McElmurray donated one acre of land, a four-room meeting hall, and a large warehouse to the Society. In his honor, the property was dedicated to the late George McElmurray, and the Beech Island Historical Society History and Visitor’s Center was established to welcome visitors and tourists.

On April 3, 1998, the Society received the Progress Award for the History and Visitor’s Center from the Confederation of Local South Carolina Historical Societies in Columbia, South Carolina. Today, the Society has grown to a membership of more than 300 individuals who share a commitment to preserving Beech Island’s heritage.

The Beech Island Historical Society holds monthly meetings from September through March on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the BIHS Office and Society Meeting Hall.

All meetings are open to the public, and visitors are always welcome.

Contact Us if you would like to join us for a meeting or learn more about becoming a Member of the BIHS.

2026 BIHS Historic Tour

2026 BIHS History Tour

About

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