Eight of Walterboro’s beautiful, historic homes were open for tour attendees on Saturday, December 13. Participants also toured Walterboro’s historic St. Jude’s Church. The tour was presented by the Colleton County Historical and Preservation Society (CCHAPS). Attendees enjoyed many features of the homes and church: the intricate woodwork and architecture, variety of decorations, different styles of furniture, beautiful artwork, and special handmade collections. Docents were available to tell the histories of the homes and church. New this year were Junior Docents from Colleton County High School greeting tour attendees and offering help if needed. Homeowners offered their own stories about their renovations and lesser-known stories about the houses. At the end of the tour, a reception was held in the historic Bedon-Lucas House.
The Holiday Tour of Historic Homes is an annual event and serves as the major fundraiser for CCHAPS, a non-profit organization. Monies raised go toward the upkeep of Walterboro’s oldest public building, the Little Library, as well as the Bedon-Lucas House, both built in 1820. These two buildings, along with Pon Pon Chapel of Ease, are properties for which the Society is responsible. CCHAPS depends on fundraisers and membership dues to aid with their maintenance.
Also new this year was the keepsake program full of Walterboro’s history. Not only did it contain histories of each home and church on tour, but it also gave interesting information about sites close to the homes on tour. Ads were sold this year for the program, and CCHAPS would like to thank their wonderful sponsors: The Press; Sparkles Events Décor and Design LLC; Adams Outdoor Advertising; Parker-Rhoden Funeral Home; Brice Herndon Funeral Chapels and Crematory; Enterprise Bank of South Carolina; Harvin Law Firm LLC; Kesia L. Brown-State Farm; Cook Design Studio, Inc.; Coastal Electric Cooperative; Murdaugh’s Tree Service; USC Salkehatchie; Shepherd’s Care Veterinary Services LLC; ABC Exteriors LLC; Bank of the Lowcountry; Ladson Fishburne; P. Spencer Witkin, D.M.D.; Jennifer Ortiz – State Farm; Palmetto Rural Telephone Cooperative, Inc.; Colleton Coffee; Twig; and Lowcountry Firewood.
If you are interested in history or just want to help preserve Colleton County’s visual heritage, please consider joining CCHAPS. Everyone is welcome, so visit CCHAPS at www.cchaps.com.
