Events 2020

2020 Yorkville Historical Society Meetings:

  • January 30, 2020 Our banquet was held at First Presbyterian Church, 10 West Liberty Street, York, SC
  • February 27, 2020 We were delighted that Strauss Moore Shiple was our speaker.  Along with having a long list of accomplishments and community involvement projects, Strauss is the York County representative to the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission, and her presentation focused on the mission of that organization.  Web sites: http://scaaheritagefound.org   //greenbookofsc.com
  • ***** Canceled *****  March 26, 2020 John Shiflet was scheduled to speak about the history of and the future plans for York Place.

2020 Yorkville Historical Society Other Events:

    • York Tour  March 12, 2020 by the Rock Hill Garden Club  From our excellent tour guide Russell Propst:  The Rock Hill Garden Club arranged for a roughly 1-hour York Tour on March 12, 2020. 14 members attended. The tour centered at the granite monument on the corner of Liberty and Congress Streets. The tour was also a preview of the new book A Guide to Olde York, coming April 20, 2020. It included Catawba and Cherokee use of the area, prehistoric Indian paths that are now city streets, and the staunch alliance of Catawba warriors with York County settlers and Patriot forces in South Carolina.  We learned of the invention of Guerrilla warfare in our area, the first known training in Guerrilla war, and where it occurred in York County.  We talked about the area’s importance in the Revolutionary War, viewed a map of the 50 battles and events in the area that were key in winning the war, and events at the crossroads that became York’s square.  We explained the people listed on the granite marker.  We described how York County and York City were born and saw copies of the 1786 Village Plan for Yorkville.  We saw the oldest lots at the square, and the oldest buildings near the square – – including the 1828 County Jail, 1828 Latta House, 1829 Moore House, and 1839 Bratton Building.  We talked about the first courthouse and jail buildings in 1786, and the fourth courthouse we have today.  We talked about famous architects that designed buildings near the square – – and pointed out the types of architecture you can see at the square, as shown on pictures we displayed.  We noted where Jefferson Davis and his cabinet stayed as they fled Richmond at the end of the Civil War.  We talked about Reconstruction, when York County residents in Ebenezer, Sharon, Bullock Creek, the area north of York and elsewhere drove events that brought the U.S Army to York to restore order – – and the building where they set up state and county headquarters.  We saw the building where Klan meetings were held by the leader of the 45 dens throughout York County.  We closed the tour by talking about the Circus Days in York, and where the Lone Ranger tied up Silver and tied one on.  We stood where Santa rode by riding Big Alice, the 7400-lb elephant.
    • Christmas in Old York during the weekends in December 2020