THE HEYWARD LEGACY IN BLUFFTON
George Cuthbert Heyward's horse arrived in Bluffton that evening without its mount. Retracing the path back toward the plantation where George had ridden earlier that day, with the cash payroll for his overseers and staff, they found his body beside the road and found that he had been shot. The immediate chaos that the incident threw the Heyward family into was devastating, and the older sons stepped in to help care for their mother and keep the home. The mystery surrounding his murder and the theft of the payroll would not be solved until many years later, when on his deathbed, a former subordinate in the military confessed to the crime, admitting his revenge taken after being passed over for a promotion in rank.
George Cuthbert Heyward's great-grandfather, Daniel Heyward, came from Charles Towne when he was awarded a land grant in Beaufort (then Granville) County. Starting with a 500-acre parcel in "Okeetee", he built a large plantation called Old House (and later Whitehall). With 7 enslaved West Africans, he raised rice and indigo, becoming one of the wealthiest and most successful planters in the area. His eldest son, Thomas, who has aspirations to control his future over the ever-escalating taxes and tariffs levied by the British, was compelled to enter politics and served as one of the earliest statesmen in South Carolina. Thomas went on to be one of the four signers of the Declaration of Independence from South Carolina.
In 1936, the Heyward of Old House welcomed a baby daughter, Anne, into the world. She would be the oldest of 4 children. Her youngest brother was Thomas Heyward, who many in Bluffton remember well to this day for his many contributions to our town, and after whom one of our downtown bridges is named. Anne tells the story of the pre-WWII days in Bluffton very well. "We moved to the Pine House on Heyward Cove in 1943, when Bridge Street was still oyster shell." She remembers the big storm when the "skid" foot-bridge across the cove blew down and was never replaced. Anne says, with a twinkling eye, "my daddy was the one who planted every palmetto tree along Calhoun Street." Anne's mother, Lucille, took the temporary title of "acting" Bluffton Postmaster in 1953 when the Postmaster (Ms. Harrison who lived at Seven Oaks) had a stroke and died suddenly. Lucille Heyward would hold that post for 22 years, until her retirement in 1975. Anne's father, Gaillard Stoney Heyward, served as the local state game warden from 1955-1965.
So what does, Anne, who is a willowy (and very active), senior, do for fun? She volunteers! She walks around Historic Bluffton sharing the stories of the homes and history of Bluffton. This amazing woman is an encyclopedia of Bluffton knowledge and her mind and memory are sharper than yours. She usually remembers the MONTH and the year that things happened years ago, and is glad to share her wealth of first-hand information. As she pauses in front of the Pine House, where she grew up as a little girl, one of many stories is told: "the little concrete bench near the cove is where I used to go when I was mad or upset; it became known as my 'pouting' bench." Her walking tours of Bluffton are told as only a gracious southern lady can tell them, with charm, culture and a keen dry wit.
Since that day 151 years ago, in 1867, when George Cuthbert Heyward was murdered, five generations of Heyward have lived in the house, until it was sold to the non-profit Bluffton Historical Preservation Society in 1998. Since then, the Heyward House has been lovingly maintained and operated as a house museum and since 2000 as the official Welcome Center for the town. The historic Heyward House is the familiar 'Blake House' yellow Carolina farmhouse with shuttered dormers and shiny tin roof in the heart of Bluffton's historic district where we tell the story of George Cuthbert Heyward, his family, and the succeeding generations of his family who held this house and its historical treasures for us to learn from and to enjoy. The Heyward legacy lives on and is well-represented by many like Anne Heyward.
Kelly Logan Graham is Executive Director of the Bluffton Historical Preservation Society, the non-profit group who own and operate the Heyward House Museum and Welcome Center. Call 843-757-6293 or visit HeywardHouse.org.