Antebellum enthusiasts to speak at Central Academy Middle School, Fincastle
Joseph McGill Jr., a history consultant for Magnolia Plantation in Charleston, SC and founder of The Slave Dwelling Project Inc., is coming to Botetourt County on Friday, Jan. 8.
He will be speaking at Central Academy Middle School in Fincastle at 7:30 p.m. and his talk is free and open to the public.
Joining him will be Terry James of Florence, SC, an African American slave descendant, and Prinny Anderson, a descendant of President Thomas Jefferson who was a slave owner. Both also work with The Slave Dwelling Project. Anderson is also co-founder of the Monticello Community, a board member of the Historic Stagville Project, and coordinator of the linked Descendants Group, Coming to the Table.
The Botetourt County Historical Society, County Wide League and the Mountain Valley Preservation Association are sponsoring the public program as a community service.
The Slave Dwelling Project Inc. has brought much needed attention to these often-neglected structures that are described as “vitally important to the American-built environment.” McGill had hoped to be able to spend the night in the former Greenfield Plantation slave quarters that are in the process of being moved in Botetourt Center at Greenfield.
Part of the Slave Dwelling Project’s efforts to bring attention to former slave dwellings has included McGill sleeping in extant slave dwellings.
Prior to his current position, McGill was a field officer for the National Trust for Historic Preservation working to revitalize the Sweet Auburn commercial district in Atlanta, GA and to develop a management plan for Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area.
McGill served as executive director of the African American Museum located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His responsibilities included seeking funds from grant making entities to support the capital and operating budget of the museum/cultural center and developing programs that interpret the history of African Americans.
McGill is the former director of History and Culture at Penn Center, St. Helena Island, SC. Penn School was the first school built during the Civil War for the education of recently freed slaves.
As director he was responsible for the overall development and implementation of the center’s program for collecting, preserving, and publicising the history of Penn Center and the Sea Island African American history and culture.
McGill was also employed by the National Park Service, serving as a park ranger at Fort Sumter National Monument in Charleston, SC As a park ranger, McGill was responsible for giving oral presentations on Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie on and off site. He was also responsible for supervising volunteers and participating in living history presentations.
McGill is the founder of Company “I” 54th Massachusetts Reenactment Regiment in Charleston, SC. The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was the regiment portrayed in the award-winning movie “Glory.” As a Civil War re-enactor, McGill participates in parades, living history presentations, lectures and battle reenactments.
McGill appears in the book “Confederates in the Attic” by Tony Horwitz. He is also a member of the South Carolina Humanities Council Speakers Bureau.
He is a native of Kingstree, SC and a graduate of Kingstree Senior High School. Upon graduating from high school, he enlisted into the U.S. Air Force. While in the Air Force, he served as Security Policeman in England, Washington State and Germany.
McGill also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Professional English from South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, SC.
He is married to the former Vilarin Mozee and they have one daughter, Jocelyn Mozee McGill.
