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Home
is where the heart is. And Ridgeland is known as "The Heart
of the Lowcountry." It's a hometown with traditional values
and a great deal of optimism about the future. Like a ripple
in a pond, the warmth of the community spreads farther and farther
outward. With a walk down its oak-lined streets, the town of
Ridgeland will steal your heart. So don't say we didn't warn
you. |
The
town of Ridgeland is best known for its proximity to three of
the most visited vacation destinations on the southeastern seaboard.
It is 30 miles from Savannah, Georgia with its beautiful squares,
where Spanish moss gently swings in the summer breeze and the
historic downtown takes you back to a gentler and kinder time.
Hilton Head Island's world famous beaches and golf courses are
also only 30 miles away. Beaufort with its historic district
and antebellum mansions is also 30 miles away. While not 30
but 75 miles away, the holy city of Charleston is an easy day
trip from Ridgeland. Much like you would consider staying at
Kissemmee/St. Cloud for your Orlando, FL vacation, we would
like you to consider a stay in Ridgeland for your visit to one
or all of these historic places. Ridgeland is the perfect combination
of convenience and economy for your next vacation.
After you get tired of all the hustle and bustle in these tourist
destinations return to Ridgeland for a quiet evening at your
reasonable rate motel and have supper at one of our restaurants.
Of course you could always take a real vacation day. Sleep late,
get a good southern breakfast, see the area's points of interest,
shop in our stores and hunt for antiques. |
Finally,
fire up one of the grills at Harold Turpin Park for a cookout,
wile away the remaining day in a swing under century old moss
laden oaks and watch the children while they enjoy the play
ground or show off their agility at the skate board park. If
you feel like it, play some tennis on our free courts. Now isn't
that what a real vacation day ought to be?
For more information on what there is to do in Ridgeland, click
here. You can
find out how the natives enjoy their days in our town. For assistance
in
making
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The
town of Ridgeland is the very picture of "Lowcountry"
beauty. Sandy soil meets warm, salty air. Spanish moss decorates
ancient oak trees. Palmetto trees dot our city streets. A visit
to this part of the world is like traveling back in time. Ridgeland's
Southern charm combined with its untouched natural environment
attracts visitors from all over. Visit these points of interest
and experience it for yourself. |
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Blue
Heron Nature Trail
The pride of Ridgeland, this public nature trail
and arboretum boasts wetland species of flora and fauna, including
palmetto trees, honeysuckle, oaks, jasmine, turtles, alligators,
deer, hawks, osprey, and bald eagles. Not to forget the Great
Blue Heron. Enjoy the butterfly garden, the picnic area, observation
decks, outdoor classrooms, and pond with fountain. In December,
enjoy Ridgeland's Festival of Music & Lights. The Blue Heron
Nature Trail is located off I-95 at Exit 21 and Highway 336.
Visit
the Blue Heron Nature Trail Founders Society web site.
Savannah
Natural Wildlife Refuge
It has been said that the Wetlands of South
Carolina are the state's equivalent of the rainforests of the
Amazon in terms of biodiversity. Set aside
in 1927 as |
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one
of the first natural
wildlife refuges, this 25,608 acres of wetland area can be seen
by a variety of trails or by a free car tour over 4 miles of
old rice field dikes. History buffs can visit the old mill sites
and the slave quarters and graveyards. Birdwatchers can enjoy
waterfowl and migratory birds, which visit the freshwater pools
and "bottomlands." Some hunting and fishing is permitted.
Located along Highway 17 on the Savannah River, the borderline
between South Carolina and Georgia. |
Tomb
of Thomas Heyward, Jr.
Just outside of Ridgeland rests one of the states
most beloved colonial leaders, Thomas Heyward, Jr. His burial
site is at the end of a sandy, half-mile-long avenue of moss-covered
oaks near the Heyward's family home, Old House Plantation. This
signer of the Declaration of Independence was 27 years old when
he was named a delegate of South Carolina to the Continental
Congress of 1776. He later served the State as a circuit court
judge and founder of the |
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Society of South Carolina. His tomb in the walled Heyward family
cemetery contains a monument and bust of the statesman, erected
in 1920 by people of South Carolina. The entrance is located
on SC 462 near the intersection with SC 336. |
Holy
Trinity Episcopal Church
This gray, Gothic style church is considerably
tied to the history of Ridgeland, which was once a summer resort
for the rich in the 1820's. Holy Trinity Episcopal Church is
over a hundred years old, and boasts a congregation older than
that. William Heyward donated the land on which it was built
in 1829 to the wealthy planters. In 1864, the church was spared
by General Sherman's march on the South because it headquartered
Union troops who occupied the area. Even harder times befell
Holy Trinity following the Civil War, when Reconstruction impoverished
the congregation and forced Rev. Edward Edmund Bellinger of
Walterboro, SC to travel back and forth as the church's preacher
for 10 years. A prized possession of the church is a stolen
Bible that was most likely carried off by a union soldier and
later returned having been discovered in an attic in New York
City in 1928. The Church is located on SC 13 at its intersection
with SC 29.
Pratt Memorial Library
Once an elementary school, the circa 1920 building
that houses the Pratt Memorial Library's renowned collection
is as historical as the contents. And beautiful too. Richard
K. Webel, a nationally recognized landscape architect, created
the garden outside the library. It was Mrs. Webel who gave the
building to the county in memory of her husband, Frederic R.
Pratt. Displayed in the library are some of the Lowcountry's
greatest treasures: 200 portraits and maps, Native American
artifacts, and 250 rare history books. The library is located
at 124-A East Wilson Street.
Pauline Pratt Webel Museum
Directly behind the Pratt Memorial Library lies
the Pauline Pratt Webel Museum. Here, a diorama demonstrates
the colonial rice culture that once sustained the state, while
various other exhibits tell the stories of the ancient cultures
that lived in Ridgeland. Civil War memorabilia is displayed,
along with American Indian pottery shards and arrowheads and
other artifacts. Sharing the same building as the Museum is
the Jasper County Chamber of Commerce and Visitor's Center.
Stop in for ideas for your visit or a complimentary hotel, restaurant,
or tour reservation.
Want to know more about what there is to see and do our town?
Come by our Visitor's Center for ideas, maps, guides, pamphlets,
reservations, and a little southern hospitality. |
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