The Johnsonville Heritage Festival was held on May 17-18, 2013. Several activities took place over the weekend which falls on the 100th anniversary of the founding of Johnsonville. The key attraction of the Festival was the unveiling of the statue of General Francis Marion on his Marsh Tacky horse. The festivities took place at Ventors’ Landing in Johnsonville, SC. Francis Marion was commissioned to lead the local militia of patriots in this approximate location which at that time was called Witherspoon’s Ferry.
Florence historian Ben Zeigler, Johnsonville Mayor Steve Dukes, and project engineer Mike Hanna remove the enormous tarp to reveal the statue of General Francis Marion.
This bigger-than-life statue certainly captures the spirit of both man and horse. It is ten feet wide and sits on a pedestal that is 12 feet high.
Florence artist and sculptor, Alex Palkovich, stands in front of his creation and addresses the audience.
Hemingway SC’s First Battalion, 178th Field Artillery SC National Guard, AKA Swamp Fox Brigade was there to honor the service General Francis Marion gave to our country as it fought for freedom from British rule.
Representatives of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Sons of the American Revolution, and others came in Revolutionary period costume to honor General Francis Marion’s memory.
To be continued… More pictures of the festival will appear in Johnsonville Heritage Festival, part 2 & part 3. By dividing the pictures, the blog pages will open more quickly.
