Saint Helena Island: Gullah Culture and History

Saint Helena Island covers around 64 square miles and consists mostly of flat, largely rural terrain. The island is bordered by St. Helena Sound to the north and Port Royal Sound to the south. The following places and activities offer specific starting points for planning your trip.

Gullah Culture and Penn Center

Penn Center preserves and shares the African American culture of the Sea Islands and Lowcountry, known as Gullah Geechee. It is a 50-acre National Historic Landmark District. A self-guided tour takes you to 25 historic buildings and structures of the Penn School. The Penn Center nature trail is shared with the National Park Service and leads to a scenic overlook. This allows you to include both historic buildings and a nature trail in your plans.

At the York W. Bailey Museum, the “Education for Freedom” exhibit tells the 86-year history of the Penn School. Its story begins in 1862 and continues through the Reconstruction Era and the Penn Normal and Agricultural School to the civil rights movement at Penn Community Services. Darrah Hall hosts changing exhibits about the origins of Reconstruction and education in the region. The museum is currently open Tuesday through Saturday; docent-led tours are offered daily at 10 a.m., noon, and 3 p.m. Check the hours before your visit. Penn Center also offers a presentation and demonstration on sweetgrass basket-making; a workshop is available. Confirm its availability before booking.

Places with a History of Their Own

Enslaved people built Brick Baptist Church in 1855 on Saint Helena Island. Fingerprints of the people who made the bricks are still visible on some of the walls. In 1862, Laura Towne and Ellen Murray held the first classes in the church building for what later became the Penn School. The church interior is still used by an active congregation and is not normally open to visitors. Please be mindful of the congregation’s activities.

Fort Fremont was completed in 1898 and remained active until 1912. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Historic Resources of St. Helena Island and is considered a well-preserved example of a fortification from the Spanish-American War era. The site is in a natural setting with diverse habitats; it also includes a 900-foot stretch of beach along Port Royal Sound. The Fort Fremont Preserve grounds are open daily from morning until evening. Self-guided tours using an app are available during the day. Check opening hours and the latest information about the app and visitor arrangements before traveling.

Nature, Events, and Local Activities

Themed kayak tours for adults and children are offered on Saint Helena Island. Topics include ecology, rice culture, old-growth forests, and dolphins. Beaches and shady, moss-covered trails can also be explored on horseback; pony rides and riding lessons are also offered. These activities offer different focuses: the kayak tours explore ecological and cultural-history themes, while the riding activities show you the island from a different perspective.

Seasonally, strawberries, melons, leafy greens, and pumpkins are available for you to pick. Confirm availability before visiting. Morning Glory Homestead Farm offers a Gullah Campfire Supper and “Stories and Songs” events; check their dates before your trip as well. Community events are regularly held at the park at The Corners. The Saint Helena Island Community Market is also held there on the last Saturday of each month. Confirm the exact market date before you arrive. Macdonald Marketplace houses an art and antiques gallery at the site of a general store founded in 1877.

Getting to Penn Center

For the drive from Charleston to Penn Center, the National Park Service route runs via U.S. 17, U.S. 21 or Sea Island Parkway, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

Discover more destinations: Okatie, Beaufort, Port Royal, Bluffton, Hilton Head Island

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