About SERCO

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.

Latest News

FOCUS: Lower Richland, is a unique 3-day event   promoting Lower Richland County, SC Heritage Corridor. Activities are designed for tourists as well as those with special interest/work related to historical preservation/conservation, tourism, economic development and agri-education. While the event is FREE to the public, registration is requested at sercoevents@gmail.com or 803-261-5596.

Juneteenth Historical Reception,Thursday, June 19, 6:00p.m.-9:00 p.m.- Historic Harriet Baber House. Featuring works of renowned Artist Jonathan Green. He will present at our June 21st Workshop & Expo.  (see: jonathangreenstudios.com) Entertainment, displays and traditional foods as those of the 1865 Juneteenth celebration-including strawberry soda!

Guided Tours   Friday, June 20th, 9:00 a.m. -Goodwill Plantation (premier tour).  Other tour options: Congaree National Park & Driving Tour of Historic Sites & Cemeteries. Convene at Harriet Barber House.

Farm-to-Table Feast, Friday, June 20, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. – Historic Wavering Place Plantation. (see:waveringplaceplantation.com)

Youth Education Field Day, Saturday, June 21 – Youth and accompanying educators will convene at the Harriet Barber House in Hopkins, SC, and travel to the Congaree National Park for guided experiences on the park’s boardwalk, storytelling, and film viewing. Youth will return to the Harriet Barber House which is the setting of what was once an active farm.  Activities will include a local history skit; hayrides; exploring historical inventions and a display of farming tools from the past; demonstrations by Four Square Gardening Foundation and USC-Sustainable Carolina; hands on experiences in soap making, corn grinding, potato banking, and a take-away agriculture project provided by the 2014 SC State Fair “Going Pink Seed Project.”

Workshops & Expo Saturday, June 21 –To be held at the St. John Baptist Church Wellness Center, Hopkins, SC, brings together tourists, local historians, preservation/conservation entities, and organizations for discussions on promoting the Lower Richland Heritage Corridor, and also features displays and demonstrations. Presenters: Debbie Bloom, Manager RCPL/Walker History Room, James “Buddy” Atkins, Ph.D., conservationist and renowned artist Jonathan Green.

At 1:00 p.m., all will convene for Lunch on Historic Grounds (Harriet Barber House).

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Historic Columbia Foundation -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.