Historical Markers
A girl with a t - shirt that says i am black history - black history sites

Self-guided · metro area, South Carolina

Black History Sites in Hilton Head Island, SC

Schools, churches, cemeteries and neighborhoods built and kept by Black Americans, listed with the history on the record.

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Photo: Anthony McKissic on Unsplash

The Hilton Head Island–Bluffton–Port Royal, SC metro area has about 242,966 residents, ranking 200th in the country. Reading about this period is one thing. Standing where it happened, with the record in your hand, is how it stops being a date on a test.

People sitting on chairs near black metal fence during daytime - black history sites
Photo: Derek Lamar on Unsplash
A young African American woman casting her ballot in 1964 - black history sites
Photo: Unseen Histories on Unsplash
Rosa Parks gives a speech at the Poor Peoples March in 1968 - black history sites
Photo: Unseen Histories on Unsplash

On the record near Hilton Head Island, SC

The 12 nearest

38 listed sites on the record match black history sites within 30 miles of Hilton Head Island, SC, out of 193 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles.

  1. Campbell Chapel AME Church6.5 miles from the center of Hilton Head Island · Building · Bluffton · listed 2019National Register of Historic Places
  2. History of Emancipation: Gen. David Hunter and General Orders No. 715 miles from the center of Hilton Head Island · Chatham County · marker erected 2008Georgia historical marker program
  3. Lazaretto16 miles from the center of Hilton Head Island · Chatham County · marker erected 1958Georgia historical marker program
  4. Savannah Beach Wade-Ins16 miles from the center of Hilton Head Island · Chatham County · marker erected 2022Georgia historical marker program
  5. The Georgia Civil Rights Trail: The Savannah Protest Movement22 miles from the center of Hilton Head Island · Chatham County · marker erected 2016Georgia historical marker program
  6. Beach Institute22 miles from the center of Hilton Head Island · Chatham County · marker erected 2008Georgia historical marker program
  7. St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church: Mother Church of Black Catholics in Georgia22 miles from the center of Hilton Head Island · Chatham County · marker erected 2008Georgia historical marker program
  8. Jonathan Bryan (1708 - 1788)22 miles from the center of Hilton Head Island · Chatham County · marker erected 2011Georgia historical marker program
  9. First African Baptist Church22 miles from the center of Hilton Head Island · Chatham County · marker erected 2017Georgia historical marker program
  10. William Scarbrough House22 miles from the center of Hilton Head Island · Chatham County · marker erected 2010Georgia historical marker program
  11. Walter Bernard Hill Hall22 miles from the center of Hilton Head Island · Chatham County · marker erected 2001Georgia historical marker program
  12. Savannah State College22 miles from the center of Hilton Head Island · Chatham County · marker erected 1978Georgia historical marker program

Distances are straight-line from the center of Hilton Head Island, SC. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Black History Sites in Hilton Head Island, step by step

  1. 1

    Read the short history of the period for this area

  2. 2

    Open the map filtered to the sites from that chapter

  3. 3

    Visit the nearest site and read its full record

  4. 4

    Ask what the marker leaves out and look for the rest

  5. 5

    Add the site to a route that follows the period in order

What people in Hilton Head Island, SC ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Hilton Head Island, SC?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are the hard parts of this history included?

Yes. The record is shown as published, and the stories behind the markers include what happened, who it happened to, and how it was remembered. Leaving the hard parts out would make the stop less worth the trip.

Why are there so many of these sites near Hilton Head Island, SC?

Most areas have more than people expect, because the registers list every surviving building and site tied to a period, not just the famous ones. The list on this page shows exactly what is on the record nearby.

How a visit works in Hilton Head Island

  1. Step 1

    Find the place

    Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Hilton Head Island, SC the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.

  2. Step 2

    Read the story

    The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.

  3. Step 3

    Get there under your own power

    Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Hilton Head Island, SC are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.

  4. Step 4

    Collect it and come back

    Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.

The rules that make it work

The record comes first

Every site on these pages comes from a published register or marker program, with its source named. Nothing is listed that is not on the record.

Read the whole story

A marker is a few lines on a post. The story behind it is longer, and it includes the hard parts. Both are worth the stop.

Movement makes it stick

People remember the places they walked to. A route through five markers teaches more than fifty marker pages read on a couch.

Local beats famous

The marker two streets over usually has a better story than the one in the guidebook, and nobody else is standing in front of it.

Respect the ground

Many sites are private homes, working churches or cemeteries. View from the public way, follow posted hours, and leave it as you found it.

Every visitor can improve it

Markers go missing, get moved, or carry mistakes. A photo or a location fix from the person standing there is how the record stays right.

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Black History Sites near Hilton Head Island

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