Congratulations to Mr. David A. Williams & The Williams Muscadine Vineyard and Farm in Nesmith, SC for winning this year’s organization/Group Award in the South Carolina African American Heritage Commission’s 2009 ‘Preserving Our Places in History Awards’. The South Carolina African American Heritage Commission held its fourth annual ‘Preserving Our Places in History Awards’ at the Brookland Baptist Church Banquet & Conference Center in West Columbia, SC. The Commission’s annual meeting was held January 22-23 with the awards being made at the Awards Banquet on Thursday evening. “The awards recognized individuals, organizations and groups, and projects that have made major contributions to the preservation of African American history and culture in South Carolina during the past year”, said Jannie Harriot, past Chairperson of the Commission.

This year’s winners list:

Individual Award- Harlan Greene of the Avery Research Center at the College of Charleston

Organization/Group Award- David Williams & The Williams Muscadine Vineyard & Farm

Project Award- Carolina Atlantic World Program at the College of Charleston

Lifetime Achievement Award- Penn Center, St. Helena Island

“On Friday, January 23, the second Trailblazer Award was presented at the Trailblazer Luncheon. The Trailblazer award has only been presented once. In 2007, the Commission presented the Trailblazer award to the Honorable Judge Matthew J. Perry for his life long work as a civil rights lawyer. This year, the award was presented to Rhoda Green for her years of work in exploring and promoting the Barbados/Carolina connection and to Bobby Ginn for his collaboration with the City of Charleston to save and preserve Morris Island,” per Ms. Harriot.

At the Williams Muscadine Vineyard and Farm, school children and others have seen the operations of the old black farm. You can go back in history 50 + years and relive the farm experience. There are old plows and farm tools. As for household chores, kids have washed clothes in the old wash tub, big black pot, and used lye soap and a wash board. There is a sausage grinder, flour sifter and other old kitchen utensils. Plans are underway to restore the approximately 80 year old farm house where 20 family members have lived at once. The interior will look just like it did when the Rev. Gabriel and Mary Williams family lived there.

Mr. Williams and his family are very pleased to be the recipient of this very prestigious and noteworthy award and will continue to preserve the African American history in Williamsburg County.