Belle Baruch Institute for South Carolina Studies

04/06/2026

If you enjoy painting and love a beautiful setting, please do check this out. Led by FMU Assistant Professor of Fine Arts Brittany Gilbert.

02/04/2026

Dear Friends of BISCS,

We’re excited to share that the 2026 Hobcaw Research Symposium is coming up on Friday, February 27, 2026, at Hobcaw Barony.

The symposium brings together researchers from across the sciences, social sciences, and humanities to share what they’re working on at Hobcaw and to learn from one another. It’s a great chance to see the range of research happening on the property and to connect with people who care about Hobcaw as much as we do.

The event is hosted by the Belle W. Baruch Foundation, Clemson University, Coastal Carolina University, Francis Marion University, and the University of South Carolina, and will feature short (15 minute) research talks and a poster session.

We’re especially glad that our own Madison Cates, Carolyn Dillian, and Lynn Hanson will be presenting as part of the program.

The symposium will be in the BICEFS Conference Room, Hobcaw Barony, and lunch will be available on site for purchase. Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe2jGW0aI76hg6WUW2jkIM0gaghEqHPwEl-N1hWOIux3MmiPA/viewform?usp=dialog

We hope you’ll join us for a day of learning, conversation, and community at Hobcaw.

11/24/2025

Recently, three of our CCU Prince Fellows, Madison Francis, Calleigh Smith, and Gus Tuttle, accompanied Prof. Cates on a visit to explore more of Hobcaw! During the academic year, these History and Social Studies majors are studying documents related to the Civil War-era North Island refugee/contraband camp. Here, they got a chance to see and learn more about a few of the places they've been reading about. A huge thank you to Richard Camlin and Liz Lewis of Hobcaw's Education staff for braving the bugs with us while providing an enlightening tour of the former Alderly, Oryzanthia, and Friendfield plantations. We're excited to see how this project will continue to document more of South Carolina’s cultural and environmental heritage.

05/26/2025

Good morning, friends of BISCS, and happy Memorial Day.

Madison and I are happy to announce that Volume 2 of Carolina Currents has been published and is available online for free. The editorial staff have outdone themselves again - this volume features: a poem, eight pieces of original research, a review essay, and fourteen book reviews.

You'll see at least a few familiar names in the Contents, including BISCS Co-Director Emerita and FMU Professor of English Emerita Dr. Lynn Hanson.

Volume 2 can be found here: https://manifold.sc.edu/projects/carolina-currents-2

Enjoy!

From the Piedmont to the Lowcountry, South Carolina is the site of countless engaging stories. The contributors to Carolina Currents share those stories, broadening our understanding of the state's unique and diverse histories and cultures. A venue for public-facing interdisciplinary schol...

04/11/2025

Another great research tour at Hobcaw! We love getting to be a part of it and talking about all of the interesting research being done on the property!

04/10/2025

Hello, friends of BISCS,

On March 27, my FMU colleague Dr. David White delivered a talk to a packed house at Kimbel Lodge. Dr. White is the Neal Thigpen Professor of Political Science at FMU and a 2024-25 Lightsey Visiting Scholar at Hobcaw Barony.

With a career-long interest in presidential travel, David has been digging deeply into FDR's April 1944 stay at Hobcaw. He's uncovered a wealth of behind-the-scenes information and added a tremendous amount to what we know about that famous visit. We're looking forward to seeing what new information he discovers!

02/20/2025

Hello, friends of BISCS!

I'm happy to announce that my colleague at FMU and Hobcaw Barony Lightsey Fellow, Dr. David White, is giving a talk at Kimbel Lodge on the evening of March 27. He's been doing a deep dive into FDR's 1944 stay at Hobcaw, which has taken him to archives all up and down the East Coast. That night, he'll be sharing some of his findings.

The event will be catered by Hog Heaven, and reservations are required. It'll be a great talk - he's discovered a lot of new information. I hope you can join us on the 27th.

« All Events Supper and a Talk – FDR at Hobcaw Barony: Fresh Insights into President Franklin Roosevelt’s 1944 Visit March 27 @ 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm Come to Kimbel Lodge at Hobcaw Barony for a barbeque dinner catered by Hog Heaven followed by a presentation by Dr. David R. White. He will recount...

10/08/2024

Check out the photos from the recent Hobcaw Research Tour! There was beautiful weather and a wonderful, engaged group of visitors. Your friendly neighborhood BISCS Co-Directors loved being a part of it! We presented part of the research on the Naming the Enslaved Project at Friendfield Village, and then headed to Bellefield House to talk about the research FMU Professor David White has been doing on FDR’s visit to Hobcaw. Thanks to the Hobcaw Barony staff, especially Liz, Richard, and Sara Beth, for helping make this event a success (and apologies to Madison for not taking pictures of his great talk)! We’re looking forward to more opportunities to feature the great work being done across the Baruch Institutes.

09/22/2024

Hello friends of BISCS,

Happy fall! I'm happy to mention an ongoing research project happening at Hobcaw that I hope you'll find interesting.

Dr. David White, Francis Marion University’s Neal D. Thigpen Professor of Public Affairs and Professor of Political Science received a Lightsey Fellowship from Hobcaw Barony to do a deep dive into FDR's 1945 stay at Hobcaw. Over the last 15 months, Dr. White has explored more than 10 archives housing information related to the stay, and has documented a huge array of the logistical details of the trip (like a list of the tips given to Hobcaw employees) and turned up a number of interesting tidbits about the substance of the trip itself. Bernard Baruch's scrapbook has been a wealth of information!

08/25/2024

FYI! Hope to see many friends of the BISCS this Tuesday afternoon at 4:00! There have been so many fantastic presentations already for the Georgetown County Library's 225th Anniversary Celebration, with even more to come. Be sure to follow their page for more info as well as recordings of previous speakers.

08/22/2024

End of summer news! One of our CCU students (LaBria Alston) had a great experience this summer as an intern working in and around Hobcaw with good folks from the SC Sea Grant Consortium, USC's Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences, and the Joyner Institute for Gullah and African Diaspora Studies. LaBria previously worked on a Prince Fellows project about the experience of enslaved communities on the Waccamaw Neck and the contraband camp on North Island.

You can read more about her experience below! We're all looking forward to getting more students engaged in work at Hobcaw as we start the new academic year!

Student Spotlight: LaBria Alston

Our students have been busy! Senior History major LaBria Alston spent her summer serving as a Community Engaged Intern with the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium. Working with Sea Grant staff as well as CCU Joyner Institute Director Zenobia Harper, LaBria coordinated, conducted, and transcribed oral history interviews with members of the Gullah-Geechee community. These oral histories document local ecological knowledge and practices in the South Carolina Lowcountry, while also helping scientists understand the historical use of “non-plastic alternatives” in marine ecosystems. To conclude her internship, LaBria recently spoke on a panel touting the project’s findings in Georgetown, hosted and organized by USC’s Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences at Hobcaw Barony.
Her work this summer is a testament to how the skills of a historian can help local communities preserve their histories while also addressing real-world problems. We’re proud of you, LaBria!

05/14/2024

This spring, FMU Associate Professor of Archaeology Dr. Chris Barton completed work on an exploratory archaeological dig conducted at Hobcaw Barony. A team of five undergraduate researchers, led by Dr. Barton, began with a 12-day field session at Friendfield Village. The students first mapped and surveyed the village, then excavated approximately 15 test sites. The work continued through the Spring semester, ultimately recovering thousands of artifacts. The team recovered a large number of brick and mortar fragments, other construction materials, shells, and bits of glassware. Noteworthy findings included many fragments of Colonoware pottery, several fragments of Deptford Stamped pottery, an antebellum South Carolina Militia button, and a clay pipe bowl carved in the likeness of Julius Caesar. Congrats to Dr. Barton and these amazing students!