JENNIE: Historic Beech Island Tour coming up April 27
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) — The Beech Island Historical Society’s 16th annual tour is coming up this Saturday, April 27th. It features 13 historic and interesting places to visit.
Jackie Bartley is with the Historical Society and she is back today to tell us what we can expect this weekend.
Jackie Bartley: “It’s a self-guided driving tour. So each place has a number out by the road and everything. And you get a brochure like this and it tells you where to go. You can go in any order you want to go. And our barbecue’s from 11am to 1pm at behind the Beech Island Historical Society’s Visitor Center, 144 Old Jackson Highway.”
JENNIE: Can people get tickets when they get there?
Jackie Bartley: “Yeah, you can bond there at the visitor center or you can buy them ahead of time on several different places like Historic Augusta, Arts and Heritage Center in North Augusta, Beech Island Appliance Shop and the Jackson Municipal Building.”
JENNIE: The house that is featured on your brochure this year is the Dr. Charles Lark house, right?
Jackie Bartley: “Yeah, he grew up on Beech Island and he had the chance to buy that house. And it’s kind of a showplace. And he entertains there. And he’s let us have parties there and he’s let us — this is the second time we have it on a tour.”
JENNIE: What is it that brings people to the Beach Island tour?
Jackie Bartley: “We go back to 1685 and we try to tell all these other towns we’re the oldest settle area in Aiken County. And we have our Fort, which people try to take away from us, Fort Moore, 1716. We have Swiss settlers came over in 1735 and this was all before Augusta was ever started. If you drive through Beech Island, you might not seem much, But you got to go on the back roads to see because we have the Audubon Society and it’s right down on the river and that’s where our battle, our a Revolutionary War battle took place down there. And we have people to tell you all about that.”
JENNIE: So when people get to the houses, there will be guides?
Jackie Bartley: “There’ll be guides there. And don’t forget the Jarrett Museum. It’s a private museum run by Kenny, owned by Kenny Jarrett of Jarrett Rifles. And he’ll have it open that day. And he has artifacts from Native American, Civil War, and things they have shot on safari, too.”
The Beach Island Historical Society’s 16th annual historic Beech Island tour is coming up this Saturday, April 27th from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.. You can buy tickets day at the Beach Island History and Visitor Center there, $25 for adults, $20 for seniors, and children under 18 are free. And you can also get a barbecue once you can pick that one up and pay for it. It’s from 11AM – 1PM.
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