Givhans Ferry State Park

Last updated
Givhans Ferry State Park

Edisto-GivhansFerrySP.jpg

Edisto River in Givhans Ferry State Park
Nearest city Ridgeville, SC
Coordinates 33°01′56″N80°22′38″W / 33.032125°N 80.377228°W / 33.032125; -80.377228 Coordinates: 33°01′56″N80°22′38″W / 33.032125°N 80.377228°W / 33.032125; -80.377228
Area 988 acres (4 km2)
Created 1934
Camp sites tent and RV sites, primitive group camping area, cabins
Hiking trails 1.5 mile long River Bluff Nature Trail

Givhans Ferry State Park is a state park located near the town of Ridgeville in Dorchester County, South Carolina.

Dorchester County, South Carolina County in the United States

Dorchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 136,555. Its county seat is St. George.

Contents

History

The property used to create Givhans Ferry State Park was donated by the city of Charleston in 1934 [1] and was one of the original built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in South Carolina. Its namesake, Phillip Givhan, was a ferry master on the Edisto River and operated Givhan's Ferry, which allowed access between Augusta and Charleston.

Civilian Conservation Corps public work relief program

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men. Originally for young men ages 18–25, it was eventually expanded to ages 17–28. Robert Fechner was the first director of the agency, succeeded by James McEntee following Fechner's death. The CCC was a major part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal that provided unskilled manual labor jobs related to the conservation and development of natural resources in rural lands owned by federal, state, and local governments. The CCC was designed to provide jobs for young men and to relieve families who had difficulty finding jobs during the Great Depression in the United States. Maximum enrollment at any one time was 300,000. Through the course of its nine years in operation, 3 million young men participated in the CCC, which provided them with shelter, clothing, and food, together with a wage of $30 per month.

Edisto River river in the United States of America

The Edisto River is one of the longest free-flowing blackwater rivers in North America, flowing over 250 meandering miles from its sources in Saluda and Edgefield counties, to its Atlantic Ocean mouth at Edisto Beach, South Carolina. It rises in two main tributaries from springs under the Sandhills region of West Central South Carolina, just to the south of the Piedmont Fall Line. It is the longest and largest river system completely contained by the borders of South Carolina. Its name comes from the Edisto subtribe of the Cusabo Indians.

A cemetery is located on the grounds of the park. The only remaining tombstone belongs to Mary E Ford, granddaughter of Phillip Givhan. [2]

A series of copper marl limestone bluffs along the Edisto River in the park, formed by prehistoric ocean deposits, are protected as a Heritage Trust Site. [3]

Activities and amenities

Activities available at the park include picnicking, fishing, bird watching, geocaching and camping. A boat drop off area allows small boats access to the Edisto River. The multi-purpose River Bluff Nature Trail is available for hiking and biking.

Fishing Activity of trying to catch fish

Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping. “Fishing” may include catching aquatic animals other than fish, such as molluscs, cephalopods, crustaceans, and echinoderms. The term is not normally applied to catching farmed fish, or to aquatic mammals, such as whales where the term whaling is more appropriate. In addition to being caught to be eaten, fish are caught as recreational pastimes. Fishing tournaments are held, and caught fish are sometimes kept as preserved or living trophies. When bioblitzes occur, fish are typically caught, identified, and then released.

Geocaching outdoor recreational activity

Geocaching is an outdoor recreational activity, in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", at specific locations marked by coordinates all over the world.

Camping outdoor recreational activity

Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home in a shelter, such as a tent. Typically participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more natural ones in pursuit of activities providing them enjoyment. To be regarded as "camping" a minimum of one night is spent outdoors, distinguishing it from day-tripping, picnicking, and other similarly short-term recreational activities. Camping can be enjoyed through all four seasons.

Amenities include a playground, picnic shelters, volleyball courts and a park store. Visitors can rent fishing rods and reels from the park office. [4]

Playground place with a specific design for children to be able to play there

A playground, playpark, or play area is a place specifically designed to enable children to play there. It is typically outdoors. While a playground is usually designed for children, some target other age groups. Berlin's Preußenpark for example is designed for people aged 70 or higher. A playground might exclude children below a certain age.

Picnic an excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors

A picnic is a meal taken outdoors as part of an excursion – ideally in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding an open-air theatre performance, and usually in summer.

Volleyball ballgame and team sport in which two teams compete to ground the ball on their opponents side of the net

Volleyball is a popular team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summer Olympic Games since Tokyo 1964.

Historic, fully furnished cabins built by the CCC are available for lodging. The Riverfront Hall is available for rental, with the ability to accommodate up to 100 people.

Related Research Articles

Edisto Beach, South Carolina Town in South Carolina, United States

Edisto Beach is a town in Colleton County, South Carolina, United States. Edisto Beach's population was 414 as of the 2010 census, down from 641 in 2000. The town limits include only the developed coastal area of Edisto Island within Colleton County, while the majority of the island consists of unincorporated land in Charleston County. Due to its status as a bedroom community, Edisto Beach is among the most affluent communities in the state.

Edisto Island, South Carolina Unincorporated area in South Carolina, United States

Edisto Island is one of South Carolina's Sea Islands, the larger part of which lies in Charleston County, with its southern tip in Colleton County. The town of Edisto Beach is in Colleton County, while the Charleston County part of the island is unincorporated.

Buffalo National River river in northern Arkansas, USA

The Buffalo River, located in Northern Arkansas, was the first National River to be designated in the United States. The Buffalo River is 153 miles (246 km) long. The lower 135 miles (217 km) flow within the boundaries of an area managed by the National Park Service, where the stream is designated the Buffalo National River. The river flows through Newton, Searcy, Marion, and Baxter Counties, from west to east. The river originates in the highest part of Boston Mountains of the Ozarks, flows out onto the Springfield Plateau near the historic community of Erbie, and finally crosses a portion of the Salem Plateau just before joining the White River. The Park is home to the state's only elk herd. The upper section of the river in the Ozark National Forest is managed by the U.S. Forest Service and is designated as a National Scenic River and a National Wild River; that section is not part of the area managed as a park by the Park Service, but is managed as a part of the Ozark National Forest.

South Carolina Lowcountry geographic and cultural region located along South Carolinas coast

The Lowcountry is a geographic and cultural region along South Carolina's coast, including the Sea Islands. Once known for its slave-based agricultural wealth in rice and indigo dye, often referred to as indigo, that flourished in the hot subtropical climate, the Lowcountry today is known for its historic cities and communities, natural environment, cultural heritage, and tourism industry.

Edisto Beach State Park

Edisto Beach State Park is located on the coast of South Carolina, 50 miles south of Charleston, near the town of Edisto Beach in Colleton County.

William Seabrook House plantation

The William Seabrook House, also known as the Seabrook is a plantation house built about 1810 on Edisto Island, South Carolina, United States, southwest of Charleston. It is located off Steamboat Landing Road Extension close to Steamboat Creek about 0.7 mi (1.1 km) from Steam Boat Landing. It was named to the National Register of Historic Places on May 6, 1971.

ACE Basin

The Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto Basin is one of the largest undeveloped estuaries along the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Located primarily in Colleton, Charleston and Beaufort counties in South Carolina, the Ashepoo, Combahee and South Edisto rivers combine into the larger St. Helena Sound and drain a significant portion of the Lowcountry region. The 350,000 acres (1,400 km2) area is known for its natural environment and the preservation of its marshes, wetlands, hardwood forests, and riverine systems and the fauna that occupy the area.

South Carolina Highway 700 is a state highway in the U.S. state of South Carolina. Known for most of its length as Maybank Highway, the state highway runs 20.38 miles (32.80 km) from a dead end in Rockville east to U.S. Highway 17 in Charleston. SC 700 connects Charleston with James Island, Johns Island, and Wadmalaw Island in southwestern Charleston County.

Prospect Hill (Charleston County, South Carolina) building in South Carolina, United States

Prospect Hill is an historic plantation house in Edisto Island, South Carolina.

Colleton State Park

Colleton State Park is a 35-acre (0.14 km2) state park located along U.S. Highway 15 between St. George and Walterboro, South Carolina, United States. One of the smallest state parks in the South Carolina, Colleton's main attraction is recreational access to the Edisto River in the form of paddling or fishing. Several campsites for RVs and tents as well as some team-sport recreation facilities are also located in the site. For many years, the park was underutilized due in part to an adjacent SCE&G coal-fire power plant, which discouraged many potential visitors from the park. The power plant was closed by SCE&G at the end of 2012. Local officials hope to potentially acquire the site and expand the park.

Barnwell State Park is a state park located near the town of Blackville in Barnwell County, South Carolina. The park was one of the 16 built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in South Carolina, sitting on land purchased from landowners in 1937. Many buildings constructed by the CCC are still in use.

Lee State Park, formerly Lee State Natural Area, is a state park located near the town of Bishopville in Lee County, South Carolina along the Lynches River.

Woods Bay State Park

Woods Bay State Park is a state park located near the town of Olanta in Florence County, South Carolina. The park contains some of the last remaining large Carolina Bays.

Aiken State Park

Aiken State Park is a state park located near the town of Windsor in Aiken County, South Carolina.

Little Pee Dee State Park is a state park located near the town of Dillon in Dillon County, South Carolina. The park land includes a part of a Carolina Bay and the sand rim once part of the coastline is visible.

Hickory Knob State Resort Park is a state park located on the shores of Lake Strom Thurmond near the town of McCormick in McCormick County, South Carolina. It is the only resort park in the South Carolina State Park system.

Willtown Bluff

Willtown Bluff, also known as Wilton and New London, is a historic settlement site located on the S. Edisto River near Adams Run, Charleston County, South Carolina. Founded about 1704, it was the second planned town to be established after the relocation of Charleston in 1682. Willtown served as a local governmental center and regional commercial center. The property includes three early-19th century buildings: the Parsonage, the Willtown Plantation House, and the remains of a single column of the Episcopal church. Unexposed remains are of a colonial village thought to have had 80 houses.

Powhatan State Park

Powhatan State Park is a state park located along the James River in Virginia. It is in Powhatan County. The park is 1,565 acres (6 km2) total with a 2-mile (3.2 km) of riverfront.

Lacey-Keosauqua State Park

Lacey-Keosauqua State Park is located southwest of Keosauqua, Iowa, United States. Located along the Des Moines River in Van Buren County, it was dedicated in 1921. It is the largest state park in size in Iowa. In 1990 three areas were named nationally recognized historic districts and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Wapsipinicon State Park

Wapsipinicon State Park is located south of Anamosa, Iowa, United States. The 394-acre (159 ha) park is along the sandstone and limestone bluffs of the Wapsipinicon River, from which it derives its name. It is one of the oldest state parks in Iowa, and it was listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014.

References

  1. ↑ "History & Interpretation". 2013-09-05.
  2. ↑ "Givhans Ferry State Park Cemetery". 2013-09-05.
  3. ↑ "Limestone bluffs along Edisto get protection from Trust Act". The News and Courier. Charleston. 26 October 1986. p. 15.
  4. ↑ "Things to Do". 2013-09-05.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.