Forward Together, The Hutchinson House Reconstruction, highlights the role of a modest rural house on Edisto, a once-isolated sea island south of Charleston, South Carolina in telling the story of the Reconstruction Era in America. Built in c. 1885 by Henry Hutchinson, and his wife Rosa Swinton, the house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. The Hutchinson family owned the home until 2016, when the Edisto Island Open Land Trust purchased it to preserve the structure and ensure public access.

The model incorporates original roofing material salvaged from the structure, supported by a steel frame. A section of the porch framing is delicately suspended on pins, emphasizing the welcoming and outreaching nature of the porch. The base of the model is made of cypress wood, referencing the log piers that originally supported the house. Historic family photographs are displayed, illustrating the evolution of the house and its caretakers over time.

This preservation project seeks to enhance civic engagement and has already become a significant space for celebrating Gullah Geechee culture. The project emphasizes the importance of cultural celebration, building preservation, and land conservation. The house’s porch, in particular, offers visitors a chance to reflect on the accomplishments of a family born into slavery, who went on to lead and organize freed people. It serves as both a sheltered and open space for dialogue about the history of the land and the future of our collective culture, inviting all to look forward together.

Venice photographs by Timothy Hursley.