New Year, New Programs: January and February BDC Programs

The BDC is welcoming the new year with quite a few new programs. We can't wait to learn from these presenters, and we look forward to seeing y'all there too!

Dr. Brenda Litchfield has been growing camellias for 30 years and is a co-author of The Camelia Garden Field Guide. Her program on January 27th at the St. Helena Branch Library, from 2:00 to 3:00 PM, will cover the fascinating history of camellias along with their care and propagation. Dr. Litchfield will also discuss the different forms and varieties suitable for growing in the Lowcountry. 

Dr. Brenda Litchfield grew up in Beaufort when it was a sleepy little town that no none had discovered yet. She taught elementary, middle, and high school in Neptune Beach, FL for 11 years before earning her Ph.D. She taught at Florida State University for one year and for 27 years at the University of South Alabama in Mobile. She has been growing camellias for over 25 years and had 250+ in her former yard in Alabama. Dr. Litchfield's book, The Camellia Garden Field Guide, is a guide for anyone interested in growing camellias. She is on the Board of Directors of the American Camellia Society and has served on many committees. She was president of the South Alabama Camellia Club for 13 years – because no one else would do it! She and her husband travel whenever they can, and she has been to 70 different countries. She lived in China (Macau and Xi’an [she awn’] for 10 months and Thailand for 6 months while teaching at universities there.

This program is co-sponsored by the Beaufort History Museum and the Beaufort County Library. 

On Saturday, February 7th, the BDC is going on a Field Trip to the Beaufort National Cemetery - and you're invited! Docent and historian Bonnie Wade-Mucia will be our tour guide. 

 Bonnie Wade Mucia, AG® is an Accredited Genealogist in the New England region and is the owner of Keeper of the Past Genealogy, LLC. She serves as the Director of the Mayflower Families Silver Books Project for the General Society of Mayflower Descendants, where she concentrates on the descendants of Mayflower passengers. In addition, Bonnie is a volunteer docent and historian at Beaufort National Cemetery and has conducted military repatriation casework for the U.S. Army and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) on World War II soldiers. She has published numerous articles in respected genealogical journals and delivered lectures on various topics. Originally from Rhode Island, Bonnie now resides in Bluffton, South Carolina with her husband, Joseph.

The tour will begin promptly at 1 PM and will last an hour. Registration is not required.

Please note:

• Transportation to the Beaufort National Cemetery is on your own. Carpooling is encouraged as parking is limited.
• Please arrive at the National Cemetery (1601 Boundary Street) before 1 PM to ensure that you are not left behind.
• Please dress comfortably in clothes and shoes that will support an hour-long walk outdoors.

Then, on Friday, February 20th at 11:00 AM in the Beaufort Branch Library Meeting Room, NPS Historian Eric J. Ellis will lead a thought-provoking program on Reconstruction-era politics. During the beginning of the Reconstruction period in Beaufort, SC, a division in the Republican party grew. This political division pitted William C. Morrison and Robert Smalls, heroes of the Planter, against each other. This division in the Republican party was heated and even violent at times and involved some big names in Beaufort history. Hear how this division began, how it played out, and how it impacted the Republican Party of Beaufort’s Reconstruction period at "A Party Divided: Political Divisions of the Beaufort Republican Party During Reconstruction." 

Originally from Jacksonville, Eric joined the US Navy after high school serving in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. After the Navy, Eric attended school at New Mexico State University, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Eric earned his Bachelor of Arts in History and his Master of Arts in Public History and 19th c. US History. After graduation Eric took a position with New Mexico Historic Sites as an Interpretive Ranger. In 2023, Eric accepted a position as a historian for the National Park Service at the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park. In his time with the Park Service, Eric focused his research on Black Landownership during the Reconstruction period and completed research on a variety of topics on the Reconstruction period for the park and park partners.  

This program is part of the "Historically Speaking" local history series brought to you by the Beaufort District Collection and the Beaufort County Historical Society.

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This schedule is subject to change. We ask that you check the Library's online calendar for program updates and cancellations. Also, please note that the BDC Research Room may be closed on local history program days due to limited staff availability.

Reminder: The Library system will be closed on Monday, January 19, 2026 in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy AND on Monday, February 16, 2026 in honor of Presidents Day.