Our History
The history of Plantersville is steeped in the Georgetown rice culture and the slave labor that made it so prosperous.
An important aspect of antebellum rice production was the unique societal culture that supported the crop. Rice planting was an exacting science, which required strict attention to details, and adaptability to changing conditions on the part of the planter, his overseer, the slave driver and the field hands. There are numerous scholarly reports documenting the infrastructure, equipment and skills that were required to cultivate rice in tidal fields, including the transfer of technology and expertise from West Africa with the importation of slave laborers. Most planters visited their fields infrequently, if at all, during the growing season, preferring to leave their overseers in charge. The rice plantation slave community was rich in a culture known as Gullah. Gullah culture includes storytelling, cuisine, music, folk beliefs, crafts, farming and fishing traditions, as well as its own language and dialect exhibiting strong influences from West and Central African cultures.
Plantersville Road was designated a Scenic Byway by the SC Department of
Transportation in 2016. At the east end of the Plantersville Scenic Byway is an acre of land at the northwest corner of Plantersville Road and Hwy 701 that was purchased with funds from the SC Conservation Bank and individuals. This corner was designated as the Plantersville Cultural Center and home of The Village Group. The land title is held by the Georgetown County Historical Society.
The Purpose
The Cultural Center provides visitors with a place to stop and learn about the area’s history, its recreational and retail opportunities and its natural environment. The Plantersville Cultural Center preserves and promotes the history of the African American contribution to the local rice culture by providing educational and recreational opportunities. It is the hope that it will expand and create economic opportunities for people of the Plantersville area.
