June 22:As Bluffton’s Destination Marketing Organization, we are hosting along with the Town of Bluffton the dedication of the newly restored Garvin-Garvey House. Southern hors d’oeuvres & refreshments, house tours, and traditional songs performed by local historic groups.
The dedication of the house will be at 5 p.m. with a community celebration to follow at 5:30 p.m. RSVP here to attend.
$5 suggested donation for the Bluffton Historical Society at the door.
Sitting on a bluff overlooking the May River, the Garvin House was built circa 1870 by Cyrus Garvin, who was likely a former slave of Joseph Baynard. The Baynard plantation home sat on the property until it was destroyed during the Burning of Bluffton on June 4, 1863. In fact, much of the original wood in the Garvin House was salvaged from homes burned by Union soldiers.
The interior and exterior of the home was completely restored, and the porch and chimney were reconstructed. Once opened, the Garvin House will be a historical marker, retelling the history of the Reconstruction Era in Old Town Bluffton.
The Garvin house and property was identified as an important resource to the Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, which stretches from Florida through the Carolinas and was designated a National Heritage Area by Congress in 2006.
