Baynard Masolemn at Zion Cemetary

 
 
 
Lou Belfante, President of the Heritage Foundation, board of governors, shared information on the latest project to bring history to life for the residents and visitors of Hilton Head.   Before there was a single golf course on Hilton Head Island, there was the Baynard Mausoleum.
 

Located on the corner of William Hilton Parkway and Mathews Road, the mausoleum is part of the Zion Chapel of Ease Cemetery.

The Heritage Library wants to give the island’s fascinating antebellum heritage its due, and is launching a capital campaign in October to raise money to restore the mausoleum and create an outdoor learning center where programs for visitors of all ages can be held.

The Heritage Library hopes to raise $440,000. Half will go to create an outdoor learning center with pathways and benches, new fences and educational markers outlining the importance of both the site and the area’s Revolutionary War-era history.

The other half of the money will be used to restore the Baynard Mausoleum, ensuring that this enduring piece of island history remains for future generations.

The Colonial Assembly of South Carolina had created St. Luke’s Parish in 1767, it served as the planters’ church and was located at the center of island activities.The church is no longer standing, but its cemetery contains the graves and memorials of four Revolutionary War patriots: Captain John Stoney, Charles Davant, James Davant and Isaac Baldwin. 
 
In 1846, William Eddings Baynard built his mausoleum, which today is the oldest structure on Hilton Head Island.

A fund has been created at the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry for the restoration. Donations may be mailed to the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, P.O. Box 23019, Hilton Head Island, SC 29925. Online donations can be made at www.cf-lowcountry.org.