1. What inspired you to start your business?
The Lincoln County Historical Society was formed in 1982 to perpetuate the cultural, economic, and historical events of Lincoln County’s past. The members built a historical park on 5 acres of vacant land by moving historical buildings into the park. The Groves May House and Doctors Office were the first buildings moved into the park in 1987 and the last building, the tenant house, was moved in in 2009.
2. How would you describe your business?
We are a unique local historical society, in that we don’t do paper records – we preserve the past by maintaining the Lincoln County Historical Park and the Wright House. In more normal years, we hold a big annual event, Pioneer Day, on a Saturday before Thanksgiving and host History in the Park talks on the evening of the first Thursday of the month from April through November. The facility is available for rental to host community events such as weddings, family reunions, receptions, etc.
3. What makes you excited to go to work every morning?
The beauty of the park, the friendship of the volunteers, and the things I learn while maintaining the park.
4. Tell us a bit about your employees
We do not have any employees but we have a group of very dedicated and motivated volunteers, who meet at the park on Wednesday mornings to help maintain it. During a normal year, we have monthly meetings at noon on the first Wednesday of the month, with a potluck luncheon before the meeting. We also have a history lecture series on the evening of the first Thursday of the month from April through November, and we hold our big annual event Pioneer Day the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
5. Has your business received any notable awards for service?
We have received a number of grants from the Watson Brown Foundation Junior Board that have helped us maintain the park.
6. Briefly describe your customers and community.
We provide a wonderful locale for lunches, family reunions, and weddings. Folks that care about history, those who grew up in rural Georgia, and those who want to recall the way we used to do things love our park. Thousands of people from all over Georgia and South Carolina come to Pioneer Day, our big annual celebration, which is the only time we operate and demonstrate all the features of the Lincoln County Historical Park. Our History in the Park talks attracts a dedicated audience from the surrounding communities in Georgia and South Carolina, as well as from Lincolnton. We have over 180 members.
7. How has COVID affected you?
Our members and volunteers are mostly retirees 65 and over, so we have canceled all activities including monthly meetings, History in the Park talks, the Mothers Day Tea, and Pioneer Day this year. We resumed Board of Directors meetings in July, holding them outside in the pavilion observing social distancing precautions. We plan to resume our History in the Park talks in September, in the pavilion with social distancing precautions.
8. What is your vision for the park in the future?
We would love to have the park open for tours on a routine basis, but that will take more volunteers than we currently have. We are currently renovating the Wright house and hope to have an open house in November 2020.
9. What are some interesting up and coming events that you have planned?
We are planning on holding our first History in the Park for the year in September at our Lewis Family Pavilion and we’ll serve prepacked drinks and snack.
10. What makes you believe that Georgia’s Freshwater Coast is the best play to Live, Work and Play in Georgia
We are close to the shopping, dining, and medical facilities in Augusta and Greenwood and yet are blessed to live in a rural area with only 3 traffic lights, no 4 lane roads, and beautiful pastoral scenery. One of the greatest benefits is the affordable land and the 420 miles of waterfront property on the largest Army Core of Engineers lake east of the Mississippi.