News Release

Four New Sites Added to Reconstruction Era National Historic Network

The Gilmore Cabin at James Madison's Montpelier is among the recent additions to the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network

Submitted Photo - Gilmore Cabin at James Madison's Montpelier

News Release Date: October 31, 2022

Contact: Nathan Betcher, 843-592-0370

Contact: Scott Teodorski, 803-767-0534

BEAUFORT, SC- The National Park Service announces the addition of four new sites to Reconstruction Era National Historic Network. This national network connects sites across the country who provide education, interpretation and research related to the period of Reconstruction. The Reconstruction Era (1861-1900) is one of the most fascinating and misunderstood periods in American History and includes stories of freedom, education and self-determination. 

The new community sites in South Carolina and Virginia that have been added to the network include:

• The Gilmore Cabin at James Madison’s Montpelier in Orange County, Virginia, was built in the 1870s during Reconstruction by George Gilmore, a man who had been enslaved at Montpelier prior to the Civil War, but as a citizen later owned part of the property. Restored in the early 2000s, Gilmore Cabin serves to teach the public about the legacies of slavery in America including political status, land ownership, and economic production.  

• Hamburg-Carrsville African American Heritage District in North Augusta, South Carolina interprets the history and legacy of the Hamburg Community, which was a Freedman community established after the Civil War, and was the site of the “Hamburg Massacre,” an attack by former Confederates and Red Shirts against Black citizens during the 1876 election period. 

• Center for African American History, Arts, and Culture in Aiken, South Carolina is located in the building that was home to the Immanuel School, a Reconstruction era school built in the 1880s for Black children in the Aiken community.

• The Grand Army Hall in Beaufort, South Carolina was home to the David Hunter Post #9 of the Grand Army of the Republic, the largest Civil War veterans organization. Many of the post’s members had served in Black regiments raised around Beaufort during the Civil War, and is a tangible connection the community of Black veterans during Reconstruction. 

“We are excited to see the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network growing,” said Superintendent Scott Teodorski, “These new sites, from as nearby as here in Beaufort to as far away as rural Virginia, remind all Americans that nearly every community has a Reconstruction story to tell.”

The John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, signed into law on March 12, 2019,  outlined the creation of the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network. This network, managed by Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, includes sites and programs that are affiliated with the Reconstruction Era, but not necessarily managed by the National Park Service. This network is nationwide and works to provide opportunities for visitors to connect to the stories of Reconstruction. For more information about the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network, visit https://www.nps.gov/subjects/reconstruction/network.htm.

For more information about Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, visit www.nps.gov/reeror follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ReconstructionNPS.