If you ask me what my favorite season is, that’s an easy one. Fall, of course. Fall is all about coasting toward the finish line. Weeds with strange names, grass that demands cutting every week, mosquitos from Egypt, gnats from South America and stratospheric power bills all know that their time is soon coming to an end. Thank goodness for Jack Frost! Fall is the time to elevate your feet, and reflect on how you have done since January, and where the days ahead might take you. Thinking in the broader sense, I would also say Fall is a good time to think about history.
On a very fall-ish afternoon this past weekend, my wife and I headed out to Longview Farm for the annual Fall Open House of the Emanuel County Historic Preservation Society. I have said it before, and I will again say that it is amazing, inspiring and all together commendable to see what this non-profit group of volunteer archivists and virtual” time travelers” have assembled on 14 acres. Sitting on a hill that used to be the old county shop across from the Fairgrounds is a village recreated from authentic buildings of various description from the early part of the last century. You would think that you’re in the middle of a Hollywood movie set complete with trees and sidewalks, but its pedigree is genuine. All of the buildings came from around this area and were donated from various individuals and families and moved to the museum grounds. There, you can visit a turn-of-the-century one-room rural post office, a modest two-room log cabin residence, and a somewhat grander home with four bedrooms. This home is even equipped with a spinning wheel and an organ in the parlor. To guard against the common threat of home fires, the kitchen in those days was located at the end of the “dog trot” hallway. Nearby those early homes stands the commissary. “Sunbeam Bread” screen doors insist that you come on into the store where shelves on the wall would have held the household staples, and a glass jar for jellybeans sits on the counter. Several buildings exhibit the equipment used in grist mill operation and other farming activities. A highlight of a walk around the village is the one-room schoolhouse complete with folding top desks. At one time there were over 50 of these small schools sprinkled throughout Emanuel County. Other buildings hold fascinating surprises, and the main museum houses innumerable treasures of Emanuel County’s historic past.
An afternoon visit to this special place is entertaining, instructive and infectious. Not only does it provide a key to unlock a glimpse of what life was like a hundred years ago, but it encourages the importance of learning and understanding the “who, what and why”of this place we call home. That’s important because the pride we feel in the place we live is important, and we are responsible for sustaining the roots that strengthen it. We owe it not only to all those who came before us, but also those who will follow. Thanks to the Emanuel County Historic Preservation Society and all its members, and thanks also to the Emanuel County Board of Commissioners for its help and support in honoring our past through this historical gem. It’s free, it’s nearby, and it’s the real deal. You can find more information at The Emanuel County Historic Preservation Society.com or on Facebook.
