Located in the heart of downtown Ridgeland in a historic Sinclair Service Station, is the Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage.
This exhibition center for learning and dedicates itself to preserving and nurturing the history, culture, and spirit of the Lowcountry.
Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage is a non-profit organization funded by the Morris Foundation Trust. Our mission is to cultivate community understanding through education, preservation, and celebration of the region’s rich history and culture. It is a facility where a diversity of people explore and learn about the area’s distinctive sense of place.
The Center advances education and engagement initiatives that preserve the Lowcountry’s history and culture through programs, events, and exhibitions that inspire interest and evoke inquiry. The Trust creates a vibrant center where a wide diversity of people gather to explore and learn about the region’s distinctive sense of place.
The Founder of the Morris Center:
In 1952, Daniel Ollin “Danny” Morris was born into the quaint Tillman community near Ridgeland, South Carolina. Even from a young age, he was a visionary, seeing economic potential in downtown Ridgeland as well as business opportunities along the burgeoning I-95 corridor. When Morris was in his twenties he bought the Tillman School and established an antique refinishing business. Seven years later, he purchased the Floyd Brothers General Store next to the post office and converted it into the first Handy Dan’s convenience store and gas station. Over the years, his varied enterprises revitalized the area and impacted it economically, aesthetically and culturally. He enjoyed bringing new life to old things. He even funded a new set of chimes to ring out in the Tillman church.
As much as Danny cared for the future of his community, preserving its past—especially the history and culture of the Lowcountry—was even closer to his heart. He was an active member of the Jasper County Historical Society, restoring of many of the county’s historical markers.
Morris died in 2005 at the age of 53.
As part of his legacy, he funded the foundation, capturing the spirit of his community and nourishing its soul. Today, the Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage carries out his dream. It is where history and culture, the past and the future, meet to inspire and uplift future generations.
Cultivating community experiences through education, preservation, and celebration of the region’s rich history and culture is our mission at the Morris Center Trust. Your generous contribution to our efforts will assist greatly in elevating our educational programming, rotating exhibits and much more. Donate here: www.morrisheritagecenter.org/donate/.
