Beaufort History Museum, in partnership with the Beaufort Branch Library, will present a lecture by Dr. Richard Porcher, Jr. which will focus on Dr. Henry Woodward, considered to be the first colonist in South Carolina and Beaufort’s first settler.  The talk is scheduled for 2 PM on Tuesday, April 3, 2018 at the Beaufort Branch Library, located at 311 Scott Street.        

            Following the lecture everyone will walk across the street to the historic Arsenal, home of the Museum, to the courtyard, where the Henry Woodward Chapter of the Colonial Dames 17^thCentury will place a wreath on a monument to Woodward.   Refreshments will be served.  

            Admission to the lecture and wreath placement is free.  A donation of $5 is suggested and reservations are required.  To sign up visit the BHM website atwww.beauforthistorymuseum.com. Please print out the ticket and bring to the event.  Registration opens March 20.    (Lectures sell out.  Those with tickets will be admitted first.)  Funds collected will be used to support ongoing Museum programs and the renovation of the Exhibit Hall, which is currently underway.

            Woodward’s story is a fascinating tale. He lived from 1646 -1687. He was South Carolina’s first doctor, learned several Indian languages and was known as an “ambassador” for the colonists to the Indians.   It is believed that through his friendship with the Indians, colonists were warned of the Spanish attack of 1670.  Woodward’s importance was such that the colony wouldn’t have survived without his influence.

            A professor emeritus at the Citadel and adjunct professor of biological sciences at Clemson University, Porcher is a dynamic speaker and respected author.  He has written Wildflowers of the Carolina Lowcountry and Lower Pee Dee and co-authored  A Guide to the Wildflowers of South Carolina (both published by the University of South Carolina Press) and The Story of Sea Island Cotton.

             Porcher is a trustee of the South Carolina Nature Conservancy and on the board of directors of the Charleston Library Society, the Waring Library and the Carolina Rice Foundation.  He is the 2008 recipient of the South Carolina Environmental Awareness Award.

            Beaufort History Museum, located in the historic Arsenal on Craven Street, has   evolved to focus specifically on the history of the Beaufort District. It strives to manage and display artifacts and documents held by the City of Beaufort, telling the compelling stories of this area from the early 16^th Century until modern times.  The Museum’s hours of operation are 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM Monday – Saturday.