Grovetown’s history dates back to the 1800s, and pieces of it have been displayed in the city’s museum since 2000.
In 1997, a home built in the late 19th century was expected to be destroyed to make room for a new Grovetown City Hall. City resident and teacher Rosa Lee Owens proposed to have the building relocated and restored for a Grovetown City Museum.
The building was saved, and the Grovetown Museum became the first museum ever in Columbia County.
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Charles Lord, Grovetown’s city historian and former city councilman, has collected many pieces of local history for the museum. Artifacts have also been donated by different people. Lord currently still gives tours at the museum.
Among the many pieces of history at the museum are items about editor and poet Paul Hamilton Hayne and different pictures and information about many historic artifacts that are no longer in the city.
Grovetown was once the home of famous poet Hayne, who moved from Charleston, S.C., to Grovetown in 1865. Some of Hayne’s best works were written while he lived in Grovetown. He had work featured in “Harper’s New Monthly,” “The Atlantic Monthly” and “Southern Bivouac.”
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Lord even has a timeline of the area around Grovetown he created himself displayed at the Grovetown Museum.
The museum still is open to this day with four galleries of interesting artifacts and detailed exhibits of the Grovetown area. Lord encourages people to come and see its history.
“People should come and look at the roots. People now see Grovetown as it is, but they should go back and see how it grew up,” Lord said.
Lord also says he sees many returning visitors at the museum. People who have visited the museum before always return for another visit.
“Once they come one time, usually they will come back again,” Lord said.
The Grovetown Museum is located at 106 East Robinson Ave., next to the Grovetown City Hall. The museum is open Thursday through Saturday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
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Chris Rickerson is a staff reporter covering Columbia County government and general assignment topics for The Augusta Press. Reach him at chris@theaugustapress.com.
