First, May the Ghost of Christmas Past remind you of the best of those who are no longer with us.  May the Ghost of Christmas Present bring your family and friends near.  And may the Ghost of Christmas Future be your hope for the best of times yet to come.  Pray for us all.

Next is Preservation News from Fork Shoals Historical Society!  We are thrilled to announce the restoration of the 1812 McCullough House’s brick starts NOW!  Ride by to see how the masons, who are experts in restoring historic, hand-made, brick, work.  Their challenge with McCullough’s brick is the Portland cement covering it.  The masons will be removing the cement stucco by first chipping it away from the brick and attempting to do this without lifting off the hard surface of each brick, then they will fill the dumpster full of this heavy material.  Any of the bricks that have surface damage will have to be turned around, and the back face will become the front face, because surface damage would allow water to be absorbed.  Then they will have to repoint, put new mortar around each brick.  The original mortar was basically red dirt and lime.  The plan is for the new mortar to be a soft Type O to match with the soft brick.  Starting on the back of the house they will move to the sides and then to the front.  The look will change from the dirty gray to an upstate red.  

Please drive by to see the progress and pray that we have enough old brick to finish the walls.  The interior walls are two layers of brick as well, so we are hoping for those to be in great condition!

Then, we will be repairing or replacing the windows and have sponsors for all of them.  Those donors are a blessing!  Now, we need sponsors for the shutters, a new double porch over the central front doorway, and for a one level house-wide porch on the rear.  Help us make this exterior restoration a reality.  There is sooooo much to be done and we can not do it without your continued support!  Fork Shoals Historical Society is a registered 501c3 nonprofit.  Facebook page Fork Shoals Historical Society to pay through PayPal.  Checks go to  FSHS, PO Box 442, Pelzer, SC 29669.  Be a part of saving history!

The Fork Shoals Historical Society is also excited to share that along with Truman Humbert, our longtime friend, we have had two more descendants of two of the enslaved who lived on the property visit this fall, one family from nearby and a family from Washington, D.C.  These new friends of the historical society are as excited as we are that they have joined in our love of this place.  The first family came with a number of the descendants who were attending the bi-annual reunion, and the second family learned of our work in the Simpsonville Sentinel a few years ago, and they contacted me.  We’ve been friends ever since, and they were finally able to come with their three young boys.  How exciting that they found their great- great- grandmother’s gravestone in the cemetery.  That was an unexpected blessing!  Our blessings and gratitude abound as this work evolves.

Finally, Visit Christmas.  Take an afternoon and evening to travel to Williamston, Pelzer, and Piedmont.  Visit Williamston’s Christmas Tree extravaganza in City Hall to see the Piedmont Historical Preservation Society’s 9 ft., historic, Christmas card and antique decoration tree.  Vote for our tree.  City Hall has lots of parking in the rear, and while you are there, you can visit the Spring Park Christmas displays across the road.  Go north on Hwy. 20 to Pelzer, and visit the Original Light People, folks who are wrapped in light strands and sing and give out candy!  Also, go on north up Hwy. 20 to Piedmont to visit Piedmont’s Christmas lights on Hwy. 86 through town with lit garland on the Saluda River Bridge, and new lights on the Saluda River Grill and over the Mill Pond!   Stop for a fine dinner at the Grill and enjoy the lights from there.  Come join the fun!

Historically yours,
Moonville Mae 
acpeden07@gmail.com■