The Pickens County Historical Society and The Pickens County 250 Committee are announcing dates for upcoming local events to celebrate America’s 250^th birthday this year. In addition, the Fort Prince George Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Clemson University, and other organizations are also announcing special events.

On Saturday, March 21, Clemson University will open Hopewell Plantation for free tours from 10 a.m. to noon. Hopewell, once home to General Andrew Pickens, for whom our county is named, will also be open the third Saturday of each month thereafter from 10 a.m. to noon.

On Sunday, April 19 at 3 p.m., the Liberty Tree dedication will take place on the front lawn of the Pickens County Courthouse on Main Street in Pickens.

On Tuesday, April 21, Clemson University will offer a book club from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the Cheezem Education Center. Free books, The British are Coming by Rick Atkinson, will be available. Register by calling 864-633-5242. The book club, to be facilitated by a Clemson University history student, is sponsored by the SC 250 Commission, Clemson University Historic Properties, and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI).

On Saturday, May 9 at 11 a.m., the General Andrew Pickens Bridge on Highway 183 over the Twelve Mile River in Pickens will be dedicated.

On June 2, Clemson University will begin an author series, with John Garrison Marks speaking about his book Thy Will Be Done: George Washington’s Legacy of Slavery and the Fight for American Memory.

On Saturday, June 6 at 11 a.m., the General Andrew Pickens and Revolutionary War Patriots Monument in Legacy Square on Main Street in Pickens will be dedicated.

On Tuesday, June 9, Clemson University’s author series continues with Dr. Rod Andrew, professor of history at Clemson University, who will speak on his book The Life and Times of General Andrew Pickens.

On Saturday, June 20 at 3 p.m., Easley Presbyterian Church will hold a 250^th birthday ladies tea, with proceeds benefiting the Pickens County Advocacy Center.

On Friday, June 27, Carolina Kids Day, a drop-in event with activities for children, will be held at local libraries: at the Central-Clemson Library from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., at the Pickens Village Library from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Sarlin Library in Liberty from noon to 1:30 p.m., and at the Captain Kimberly Hampton Memorial Library in Easley from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fort Prince George DAR Chapter members will be in Revolutionary War-era dress.

On Saturday, June 28, which is Carolina Day, Old Stone Church cemetery in Clemson and Hopewell Plantation in Clemson will be open for tours. Dr. Otis Pickett, author and history professor at Clemson University, will be a speaker at Old Stone Church that afternoon. A definite time will be announced at a later date.

On Tuesday, July 7, Carl Borwick, Director of the Charleston Museum, will speak on his new book Backcountry Resistance: South Carolina’s Militia and the Fight for American Independence, as part of Clemson University’s author series.

Clemson University’s author series will continue with Jim Piecuch, author of Three Peoples, One King: Loyalists, Indians, and Slaves in the Revolutionary South, and Alan Pell Crawford, author of This Fierce People: The Untold Story of America’s Revolutionary War in the South, with dates to be announced.

On September 26, an event to honor General Andrew Pickens will be held at the Hagood Mill Historic Site.

In the fall, tentatively scheduled for October, Clemson University will hold an event at Hopewell. A date will be finalized, and details will be announced at a later time.

More details will be published in The Pickens County Chronicle closer to the time of each event. In addition, more events will be announced as details are finalized.

For more information on Pickens County America 250 events, contact Pickens County 250 Chair Carolyn Nations at CLBradley214@gmail.com or Pickens County Historical Society Senior Vice President Wayne Kelley at PickensCoHistory@gmail.com.