Another chapter in Beaufort’s long, varied and colorful history will be presented as part of Historic Beaufort Foundation’s “Dinner & a Lecture” series Monday, February 28^th, 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m., at the Verdier House, 801 Bay Street.

“The History and Architecture of the McKee-Smalls House” will be presented by Robert Smalls’ scholar and lecturer Dennis Cannady.  The story of the home is embellished by Cannady’s personal discovery of the Robert Smalls story and also the story of the ship CSS PLANTER.   Newcomers are often swept up in the romance and the facts of Smalls’ life, but perhaps none more so than Cannady. He, like most new to Beaufort, had never heard of Smalls despite a lifetime of Civil War research. Once here, with his avocation of history and his hobby of building historic ship models, Cannady found previously unexplored material.

History related to Beaufort is, in many cases, like nowhere else. An example is the story of Smalls, born into enslavement, whose daring action in the Civil War led to his impact on Beaufort’s history for over 45 years and on generations of Beaufortonians that extends until today.

The McKee-Smalls House at 511 Prince Street was Smalls’ home both in enslavement and as a free man. The house remained in his family until 1940. Cannady will give an overview of the history of the McKee family starting with the Lords Proprietors’ land grants on Lady’s Island where Ashdale Plantation was developed to the in-town house and Smalls’ storied acquisition of the house during the Civil War. Changes to the house from its building in the 1810s to the recent changes by the current owners will also be examined. A scale model of the house, built by Cannady, will be on display along with photographs from the model’s research, design, and construction phases

In addition to lecturing on Smalls and the crafting of ship models for Osher Life Long Learning, Cannady, a retired mechanical engineer, is a lecturer for the nationally touring exhibition, The Life & Times of Congressman Robert Smalls, which will be at the Verdier House next October – December. His ship models have been displayed in galleries and museums along the east coast from Jacksonville to Boston.

Open to HBF members and non-members, the monthly lecture series features a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception, 5:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. Programs are 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. followed by audience questions and are held the fourth Monday of each month.

A three-course dinner at Saltus River Grill is offered at $19 per person for attendees at the lecture. Admission to the lecture is $15/$25 per member/member couple respectively, and $20/$30 per non-member/non-member couple respectively. Seating is limited; call 379-3331 to make reservations. Call Saltus River Grill directly to make dining reservations.

Connoisseur Trip to Ossabaw Island: March 2-3

Located 20 miles south of Savannah, GA, Ossabaw is one of the best preserved of Georgia’s magnificent barrier islands. With a total area of 26,000 acres, its many natural zones progressing from the ocean include beaches, dunes, meadows, ponds, maritime forest and freshwater and saltwater marshes. The island was inhabited by Native Americans from as early as 2200 B.C. to the 18th Century and offers numerous archaeological sites as well as slave cabins, a late 19th Century prefab house and a grand 1920s mansion in the midst of undisturbed wildlife. Owned by the State of Georgia and managed through a public-private partnership with the Ossabaw Island Foundation, Ossabaw Island has been designated as a Heritage Preserve by the state, with its use restricted to natural, scientific and cultural study, research and education.

Please note that Ossabaw Island is not open to the public. HBF has special permission for the trip.

Price is $250 per HBF member or $275 per non-HBF member. Download a trip brochure here. Call 843-379-3331 to make your reservation!

“African Americans in the Civil War” by Joseph McGill, Jr.

Open to HBF members and non-members, the lecture series, which takes place on the second floor of the Verdier House, features a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception, 5:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. The program is 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. followed by audience questions. A three-course dinner at Saltus River Grill is offered at $19 per person for attendees at the lecture. Admission to the lecture is $15/$25 per member/member couple respectively, and $20/$30 per non-member/non-member couple respectively. Seating is limited. Call 379-3331 to make reservations. Call Saltus River Grill directly to make dining reservations.

Joseph McGill, Jr. is a native of Kingstree, SC and is currently a Program Officer for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. He works in the Southern Office in Charleston, SC and is responsible for the states of Alabama, Louisiana, and South Carolina. Mr. McGill received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Professional English from South Carolina State University. He spent six years in the United States Air Force and has been employed by the National Park Service, Penn Center, and the African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa.

Mr. McGill is the founder of Company “I” 54th Massachusetts Reenactment Regiment in Charleston, SC. The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was the regiment portrayed in the award-winning movie Glory. As a Civil War reenactor, Mr. McGill participates in parades, living history presentations, lectures, and battle reenactments. Mr. McGill is a member of the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission and the African American Historical Alliance.

This program is supported by The Humanities Council SC.