FEATURED PROJECTSwampFest is a popular two-day fall event celebrating Lower Richland County’s rich heritage. Part I – BBQ, Blues & Jazz -Friday night – Historic Harriet Barber House. Part II -”SwampFest at the Congaree” – Saturday – FREE: Held in two locations: Congaree National Park & adjoining yard of historic Old Mt. Moriah Church.
FEATURED PROJECTThe Harriet Barber House has always been used as a residence for members of the Barber Family. The original residence was a two-room log cabin built for Sam and Harriet Barber in 1870. When this small structure burned, a new two-room house was built around 1880 at the same location.
South East Rural Community Outreach (SERCO) is an organization whose mission is to create partnerships within the Lower Richland Community to provide charitable, religious, educational, and scientific programs to strengthen and expand the capacity of the community for a better quality of life for its residents.
SERCO plans to develop the Lower Richland Heritage Corridor in partnership with the Harriet Barber House, the Kensington Mansion and the Congaree National Park. The Heritage Corridor will enchance Richland County’s inventory of venues by offering a variety of events that will attract a diverse audience to the historical sites in the Lower Richland area.
If you are interested in finding more information about SERCO or the Lower Richland Heritage Corridor, please contact us here, or you can contact one of the advisory board members directly.
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SERCO’s 7th Annual Holiday Taste & Tour promises to bring a memorable “Old Fashioned Christmas” to the historic Village of Hopkins on Saturday, December 7, 2013, from 12:00 Noon until 4:00 PM. The Village of Hopkins is located just 11 miles from Columbia at 214 Hopkins Road, intersecting Lower Richland Boulevard.
Back-by-popular-demand, is the Norfolk Southern Corporation’s Exhibit Car! This restored 1926 Pullman passenger car was converted to a mobile museum in 1971, and offers FREE tours through the train. Guests can enjoy a display of locomotive models, historical information, flat-screen monitor images, interactive challenge games, photo booth, locomotive simulator, and much more. The railroad system is intertwined with the heritage of the Village of Hopkins -this was once a bustling location, originally named “Hopkins Turnout” between 1836 and 1842, when the South Carolina Railroad from Charleston completed a turntable there. Through the 1920’s, the Village of Hopkins was thriving with general stores, gin mills, industries, residences and a Town Hall. SERCO has taken on a labor of love to recreate a similar atmosphere. We are planning a full schedule of FREE activities for our guests, including delicious FREE Food Samplings: Norfolk Southern Exhibit Car, SC Railroad MuseumDisplay, BBQ Cook Off (Lower Richland Local Legends), Local HistoryMuseum, 3-C Bake Off (Cakes, Cupcakes & Cookies), Kiddy Train, Talent Show, Carriage Rides, Antique Cars Display, Hayrides & VENDORS: Farmers Market, Gifts, Crafts & Flea Market, Food Vendor, and Oyster Roast. There is something magical when the Village of Hopkins comes alive during our Annual Holiday Taste & Tour. Perhaps, as has occurred before, visitors from across the states will encounter kin & old friends; these reunions result in guests lingering near our warm rustic fireplace. We invite all to join us for a day of fun!
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Each year the Historic Columbia Foundation offers Awards of Excellence, which recognize groups and individuals whose work impacts the preservation of the “built” culture of our area and illuminates our history to residents of Columbia and Richland County. This year Historic Columbia Foundation presented the Celia Mann Award to the South East Rural Community Outreach Board. The Celia Mann Award is presented to a neighborhood or district that has researched and preserved, through a cohesive effort, structures and common areas in the region. The award was presented to Marie Barber Adams and the SERCO Board members at the annual meeting of the Historic Columbia Foundation, October 19, 2009 at the Seibels Gardens in Columbia.
read moreSERCO formed a coalition of representatives from community groups (churches, educational advocacy organizations) and significant Lower Richland natural and historic sites, local historians and preservation advocates, meeting at least once a month to review projects and organize programs.
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