Historic Rice Museum in downtown Georgetown celebrates funding for needed repairs

Historic Rice Museum in downtown Georgetown celebrates funding for needed repairs

Standing as an icon for 55 years on historic Front Street in downtown Georgetown, on South Carolina’s Hammock Coast®, the Rice Museum is celebrating funding for some much-needed repairs.

The Rice Museum is located in the Town Clock building, built in 1842 with the tower added in 1857, and in the adjacent Kaminski building, built in 1848 and added to in 1878. It exhibits a permanent collection of dioramas, maps, paintings, artifacts and other displays that tell the history of rice cultivation in Georgetown County.

The Kaminski building houses the Rice Museum’s Maritime Museum Gallery, including the remains of the Browns Ferry Vessel, the Gift Shop and the Prevost Art Gallery. Maintenance and repair of these buildings is a reason to celebrate.

The Rice Museum held a special reception recently to honor philanthropist Laura Sonius of Pawleys Island for a generous contribution towards a new elevator for the Kaminski building, as well as the city and county councils, which approved Accommodations Tax funding for the other projects, equaling about $250,000. Other repairs include painting and resurfacing of inside areas, including walling and flooring, and outside structures such as window shutters and decorative features.

And celebrating right along with the museum, Sonius said she is excited to help. When she found out that the Rice Museum needed a new elevator for people to reach the second and third floors of the building, she sprang into action.

She donated $100,000 to help pay for the $200,000 project. Jim Fitch, director of the museum, said that the elevator has been broken since 2020, and he is graciously accepting other donations from the public for the project.

“After meeting Jim, I was given a private tour of the museum and I knew they needed the elevator,” Sonius said. “There is so much education on the upper two floors of the museum and in the Clock Tower building and I wanted to make sure more people are exposed to that.”

Fitch said that Georgetown County has already awarded the Rice Museum a $50,000 appropriation for the new elevator, which is a big help.

Georgetown Mayor Carol Jayroe spoke at the reception, saying that it was a momentous occasion for the city and thanking Sonius for her contribution.

“The Rice Museum started in 1970, and it was 750 square feet,” she said. “It is 10 times that size now and only because of contributions like your family has made, and the commitment of the community and the volunteers that have helped serve the Rice Museum.”

She added that being able to enjoy the Rice Museum in the city is important for all its citizens, as well as visitors to the area. The City of Georgetown approved $32,000 in Accommodations Tax funds for renovations to the Town Clock building.

Vida Miller, chair of the Rice Museum’s Board of Directors, explained that the museum started in the Clock Tower building and only expanded into the Kaminski building next door when Fitch became director in 1976.

Embedded in the arts community of Georgetown, Fitch makes a point to host 10 art exhibits throughout the year in the museum’s Prevost Gallery, each with a different theme and purpose.

“In my opinion, Jim has been the impetus behind the art movement in Georgetown County because when no one else was doing art shows, when no one else was supporting artists, he was,” she said. “He takes the risk of offering a wide variety of shows and he insists on offering a cultural experience.”

Georgetown County Councilman Louis Morant, who is the former chair, was also at the meeting. He said that the Rice Museum epitomizes the history of the City of Georgetown.

“It is an important part of Georgetown County because it shows the history and part of it is used to exhibit artwork on a regular basis,” Morant said. “It shows our home here in Georgetown County is still a small town It lets people know that this town is nice and well-kept and so they can take a look at our history.”

He agreed that replacing the elevator will make the museum even better. County Council approved $52,000 in Accommodations Tax funds for the renovations, as well as a $50,000 appropriation specifically for the elevator.

“As I took a tour here, I became aware that people with disabilities would not be able to go to the upper floors due to the elevators not operating,” he said. “Obviously we need to try to find a way they can enjoy the entire building instead of just a part of it.”

The State Legislative Delegation, Sen. Stephen Goldfinch, Sen. Ronnie Sabb, Rep. Lee Hewitt, and Rep. Carl Anderson, found an additional $50,000 for the elevator. Fundraising efforts will make up for any shortfalls.

Rice cultivation in Georgetown

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Georgetown was one of the wealthiest towns in the United States, thanks to its rice plantations. Rice became one of the region’s most profitable crops, with a significant portion of it being exported to Europe. This period saw the rise of the plantation economy, and rice was cultivated primarily by enslaved Africans who brought their knowledge of irrigation and rice cultivation to the area.

The rice industry helped shape the economy of South Carolina, and the wealth generated by the crop contributed to the development of the local community. However, by the early 20th century, the rice industry in Georgetown began to decline because of the lack of free labor, and partly due to changing agricultural practices and natural disasters such as hurricanes.

Georgetown, once known as the “Rice Capital of the World,” has deep ties to the rice industry, and the Rice Museum helps preserve and share that heritage.

By Clayton Stairs / tourism manager for the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce and South Carolina’s Hammock Coast®