SEPTEMBER

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

September 4 - Labor Day: Museum and historic houses OPEN

September 8 - Fossil Friday with the Natural History Department

September 9* - In Defense of Charleston: A Tour of Battery Pringle with Chief of Collections Jennifer McCormick

September 9* - STEAM Saturday: Nature Protectors

September 10* -Indigo Dyeing Workshop with Local Artist Kristy Bishop

September 15 - Fossil Friday with the Natural History Department

September 17* - Children’s Painting Workshop with Local Artist and Museum Educator Maggie Roof

September 21* - Homeschool History Day: Day at the Dill

September 21 - Special 250th Early Days Gallery Tour with Curator of Archaeology Martha Zierden

September 22* - Owl Pellet Workshop

September 22 - Fossil Friday with the Natural History Department

September 28 - Exploring Pottery-making to Learn about Indigenous and African Communities during Charleston’s Colonial Period (ca. 1670-1750) with Dr. Jon Marcoux

September 29 - Fossil Friday with the Natural History Department

Reservations Required

SAVE THE DATE

Community Day at the Dill Sanctuary
Saturday, October 7 | 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

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SPECIAL EXHIBITS

America’s First Museum: 250 Years of Collecting, Preserving and Educating, Part 2

June 17, 2023 - January 7, 2024

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YOUTUBE CHANNEL

The Charleston Museum’s archaeological collections contain over 2 million fragmentary objects discovered locally and globally. The collections from other parts of the world contain antiquities from Egypt, Greece, Rome, the Mid East, and the Americas. Many of the objects were collected by diplomats, missionaries, and adventurers rather than archaeologists, however some are rare and remarkable enough to warrant study from eminent institutions. One such object is a carved stone yoke from Puerto Rico, the product of the Taino people (1,000-1,600 C.E.). Explore this extremely rare object in the Museum’s collection with Curator of Historical Archaeology Martha Zierden.

In conjunction with The Charleston Museum's 250th anniversary in 2023, the Museum will release a monthly video to highlight important objects in the collections. We invite you to check back monthly to explore each object with our curatorial staff.

YOUTUBE CHANNEL

TOURS

In Defense of Charleston: A Tour of Battery Pringle with Chief of Collections Jennifer McCormick
Saturday, September 9 | 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

The Confederate earthwork Battery Pringle was created by enslaved people and soldiers stationed on James Islands to serve as part of General Pierre Beauregard’s “New Lines.” Hurriedly constructed in 1863, the battery served as part of the defense of Charleston and James Island until the end of the Civil War. Well-armed, the small number of officers and enlisted men within Pringle endured heat, supply shortages and punishing artillery barrages, particularly in the summer of 1864, when the strategic defensive position on the Stono River was of critical importance against both the Federal Army and Navy.

Now listed in the National Register of Historic Places, Battery Pringle is protected within the confines of The Charleston Museum’s Dill Sanctuary and is regarded among the most well-preserved Confederate artillery posts in the country.

Join Chief of Collections Jennifer McCormick to explore this historically important landmark and better understand its strategic importance in the Civil War.

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Special 250th Early Days Gallery Tour with Curator of Archaeology Martha Zierden
Thursday, September 21 | 3:30 PM

Celebrate the Charleston Museum’s 250th anniversary with a tour of the Museum’s earliest collections in the Early Days gallery, which reflects the Museum’s long history from its founding before the American Revolution to the late twentieth century. Following the tour of Early Days gallery, guests will be led through the Museum’s special exhibit America’s First Museum: 250 Years of Collecting, Preserving, and Educating, Part 2, which will include a church pew made by enslaved hands measuring 20 feet in length, centuries old Archaic carved bone pins, a skull from the largest known flying bird and a couture Fortuny gown. Join Curator of Archaeology Martha Zierden for the story of the Museum’s history and take a closer look at some of its earliest objects.

This program is FREE for Members and FREE with admission. Reservations preferred.

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WORKSHOP

Indigo Dyeing Workshop with Local Artist Kristy Bishop
Sunday, September 10 | 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Join local artist Kristy Bishop as she leads an introductory workshop on dyeing with indigo at the Dill Sanctuary! Participants will have the chance to learn about the history of this dye plant as it pertains to South Carolina, the chemistry of a vat, and dye fabric using shibori tie-dye methods. Bishop will focus on itajime (folding and clamped resist), kumo (bound resist), and Nui (stitched resist). These three techniques all yield unique and beautiful patterns. Attendees will be able to sample these methods on 12” x 12” cotton squares. Once comfortable they will be able to dye a 24” x 24” cotton fabric and an 11” x 60” crepe de chine silk scarf. In addition, participants are encouraged to bring personal items to dye such as a garment, yarn, or even colored fabric to over-dye.

All materials, instruction and admission to the Dill Sanctuary will be provided in this workshop.

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LECTURE

Exploring Pottery-making to Learn about Indigenous and African Communities during Charleston’s Colonial Period (ca. 1670-1750) with Dr. Jon Marcoux
Thursday, September 28 | 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

In this talk, Dr. Jon Marcoux presents some of the research he has conducted using the pottery collections from The Charleston Museum. He will discuss how archaeologists gain insights about human behavior and culture through the study of artifacts. In doing so, he will show how these rather mundane objects play into the grander historical process of colonialism.

Jon Bernard Marcoux is the director of the Clemson University Graduate Program in Historic Preservation. Marcoux’s research focuses on early colonial interactions between Native Americans, enslaved Africans, and Europeans in the southeastern United States. He has published two books and numerous articles and book chapters exploring the ways that Cherokees, Savannahs, and other Native American groups negotiated the social and political turmoil caused by European colonialism. He is currently engaged in a project involving colonial sites in and around Charleston. The project’s goal is to characterize how Native Americans, enslaved Africans, and Europeans materialized their identities through architecture, pottery manufacture, foodways, and other detritus of daily life.

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CHILDREN EVENTS

STEAM Saturday: Nature Protectors
Saturday, September 9 | 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Learn how to become a Nature Protector at the Dill Sanctuary. Participate in activities and experiments including an experiment to clean up an oil spill, creating seed bombs, and building a pollinator house. Full STEAM Ahead is now STEAM Saturday. STEAM Saturday is a hands-on workshop series featuring the components of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. This program is for children ages 6 and up. We encourage adults to stay.

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Children’s Painting Workshop with Local Artist and Museum Educator Maggie Roof
Sunday, September 1 | 10:00 - 11:30 AM

Enjoy this brand new program with Museum Educator, Maggie Roof! Join us at the Dill Sanctuary to learn to paint a saltmarsh landscape. Maggie is a professional artist and graduate of SCAD. Supplies, including easels and canvases, will be provided. Participants will be able to keep their canvas landscape. For ages 8 to 12.

Reservations required.

$35 per Member child | $40 for Non-member child

For more information: call 843-722-2996 ext. 236

Register

Homeschool History Day: Day at the Dill
Thursday, September 21 | 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Explore the Dill Sanctuary on a guided Marsh Walk where you will learn all about the amazing Salt Marsh Ecosystem and the creatures that call it home. Dress for mess as you will have the opportunity to catch fiddler crabs in the pluff mud. Rain Boots are recommended for easy clean off after the Marsh Walk. Homeschool History Day programs feature a field trip experience, a chance to go through the Museum, and an educational activity.

Reservations required. Two sessions offered: 10–11 AM and 11:30 AM –12:30 PM

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Owl Pellet Workshop
Friday, September 22 | 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Learn all about owls and other birds of prey and how they survive in environments around the world. Visit our bird of prey specimens during a guided tour of our Natural History Hall. Dissect your own owl pellet and use a guide sheet to identify what the owl ate. Museum Workshops offer kids a chance to get hands on with history and natural history. Included in our workshops are a lesson on the topic and hands-on activities. Recommended for children ages 6 to 12.

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MUSEUM BLOG

The Story of the Charleston Whale
The Charleston Museum has many exhibits which have become fixtures in the minds of visitors. Items and creatures that spark the imagination and leave a lifelong impression. Few have been leaving such an impression as the North Atlantic right whale that hangs in the Museum’s lobby, as it has been a feature of the Museum since it was acquired by then curator Dr. Gabriel E. Manigault in 1880.

The story of the collection of this whale is a snapshot in the changing mentality of how we treat these creatures. When this adolescent made its way into the harbor on January 7th, 1880, it instantly piqued the interest of the local Charlestonians. Although right whales migrate along the eastern coast of the United States, to have one make its way into the harbor was unheard of. Many took to their boats to pursue the animal, at one point amassing a fleet of 60 or so seacraft ranging from rowboats to tugboats, all to be a part of the spectacle.

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CURRENT EXHIBITS

America’s First Museum: 250 Years of Collecting, Preserving and Educating, Part 2
NOW ON VIEW
Historic Textiles Gallery


A Historical Timeline of America's First Museum: 1773 - 2023
NOW ON VIEW
Lowcountry Image Gallery

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COLLECTIONS ONLINE

The Charleston Museum offers an online catalog of the collections. This online catalog represents only a portion of the collections, but it is regularly updated, so check back often.

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