Lincolnville (South Carolina) Hometown Festival – Savannah Herald

LINCOLNVILLE HOMETOWN FESTIVAL — May 29–30, 2026

A Weekend of Celebration, Remembrance, and Community Pride in One of South Carolina’s Oldest African American Towns

Lincolnville, SC — The Lincolnville Preservation & Historical Society announces a powerful weekend of celebration, remembrance, and community pride as the town prepares to host the 2026 Lincolnville Hometown Festival, May 29–30, 2026. This two-day event honors the legacy of one of South Carolina’s oldest African American towns and invites families, descendants, neighbors, and visitors from across the nation to come home to Lincolnville.

SATURDAY, MAY 30 — THE HOMETOWN FESTIVAL

At 10:00 AM, the International African American Museum (IAAM) will partner with the Lincolnville Preservation & Historical Society to host IAAM History Lincolnville, a landmark event dedicated to collecting and digitally archiving Lincolnville family records, photographs, and oral histories dating back to 1832. This historic preservation effort will take place at Ebenezer AME Church, 124 E. Pinckney Street.

From 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM, the celebration continues at the Bishop Richard H. Cain Community Garden, 112 Dunmeyer Hill Road. The festival will feature:

• Trailblazer Twan Richardson, better known as “Lady T”
• Legacy Band
• Wona Womalan African Dancers
• Storyteller Nancy D. Tolson
• DJ Corey B
• The Gullah Museum of Georgetown
• Arts & Crafts vendors
• Health & Wellness exhibitors
• Gullah Culture presentations
• Food trucks and more

A TOWN ROOTED IN HISTORY

Founded in 1867 by Bishop Richard H. Cain, then pastor of Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, Lincolnville stands as a testament to African American resilience, self-determination, and community building. Incorporated in 1889, the town remains a living monument to Reconstruction-era achievement.

“As the nation approaches its 250th Anniversary, it is imperative that African American history is taught, celebrated, and preserved now and for generations to come,” says Dr. Pernessa C. Seele, Founder and President of the Lincolnville Preservation & Historical Society. “Everyone is welcome to join us—from far and near—to celebrate our Hometown Festival.”

Lincolnville was added to the National Park Service Reconstruction Era National Historic Network in 2022 and is recognized as a descendant community of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor.

A HOMECOMING OF THE HEART

Among the many descendants returning home is Carol Hill Byrd of Atlanta, whose family roots in Lincolnville stretch back to the 1880s. “I am excited to be coming home,” she shares. “My great-grandmother, Charlotte Riley—born enslaved in Charleston—moved to Lincolnville and became the town’s second postmaster general. My grandfather, David Riley Hill, became the first principal of Burke High School in Charleston; my grandmother, Mattie Seabrook Hill, was the first teacher at Lincolnville’s William Graded School; and my father, David S. Hill, served as a Charleston City Councilman and has a street named in his honor. I am honored to be a living descendant of Lincolnville, SC.”

This festival is a homecoming, a restoration, and a declaration that Lincolnville’s story will not be forgotten. We invite every family, every descendant, every friend of Lincolnville, and every lover of history to stand with us, celebrate with us, and help carry this legacy forward. Come be part of history. Come be part of home. For more information, visit www.lincolnvillesc.org

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