Fort Hill #AtoZChallenge

(If you are looking for my Skywatch Friday post, please check out yesterday's post).

Fort Hill is one of the historic buildings on the campus of Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina.  This was the home of 19th century politician John C. Calhoun and his family until Calhoun passed away in 1850.  Calhoun was the Secretary of War under President Monroe and a Vice-President of the United States, and, at the time of his death, a United States Senator.

The modern Clemson University campus is, in part, the original grounds of the Fort Hill plantation, which consisted of about 1,100 acres.  Some descendants of the enslaved people owned by these families still live in the Clemson area. 

The Fort Hill Mansion.  Thomas Green Clemson married one of the Calhoun daughters, move into Fort Hill, and was an ambassador to Belgium and later first acting Secretary of Agriculture.  He willed 814 acres to the State of South Carolina for an agricultural and mechanical college, which is now Clemson University.

Piano.  Many of the furnishings in the house are original to the house.

A clock.

Vase and portrait.

 

The master bedroom.

Inventory of Enslaved - Names and Ages- at Ft. Hill

 

1854

 But there is also a history to Fort Hill that wasn't acknowledged until the past few years.  The Calhouns and subsequent occupants of this house and plantation enslaved African-Americans to work in the house and on the plantation.  Their story is now being researched and told.  

We happened to visit during Black History month but the student tour guides assured us that plaques in the house telling their story were not just up for the month of February.

A PDF with what we know of African Americans that lived and worked on this property, both as enslaved and (after 1865) wage workers is available on the Clemson website.  One of these families, the Reids, held a reunion at Fort Hill in 2007.

"F" day in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  My theme: Exploring South Carolina and the Eastern United States.

Clemson Camillas and Carnivorous #AtoZChallenge

Welcome to the Campus of Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina.

Clemson University, besides being one of the top public universities in the United States, is the home of the South Carolina botanical garden.  Let's take a short walk through it.

Part of the garden is devoted to native plants, a number of which are carnivorous.  We were only able to view one of them - the others may have been dormant.

I think this is a purple pitcher plant.

I must admit that part of the reason of my visit was to see the camilla garden.  Camillas are not hardy where I live in New York State so I only get to see them down south.

In the third week of February in a mild winter, the camilla season was drawing to an end (they are winter bloomers), but I still got to see some nice specimens.

The white ones weren't in the best place to photograph but I did get this picture.

Overseeing this (you can't see it too well) was a green lizard. I believe this is a green anole.

Although "ice cream" doesn't begin with C, I couldn't leave the Clemson campus without sampling the ice cream made on campus.  It was delicious.

We didn't have much time to explore the campus itself, which is a regret (parking can be scarce, like on so many College campuses), but I will be back in several days for my "F" post.

"C" day of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  My theme:  Exploring South Carolina and the Eastern United States.