THE STORY YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR
From a silent witness to a living museum.
The teaser sparked a conversation; now, experience the full journey. We are proud to premiere our collaboration with History Before Us—a documentary film exploring 120 years of the Epps-McGill Farmhouse, the enduring legacy of the McGill family, and our mission to save this Folk Victorian landmark.
Help Us Write the Next Chapter
The farmhouse has stood for over a century, but to ensure it stands for another, we must move from preservation to active restoration. We are officially launching our Givebutter Restoration Fund to address critical structural needs and prepare this home to open its doors as a public museum.
Your contribution tonight goes directly to the craftsmen and materials needed to stabilize the foundation and modernize our systems for the next generation.
How You Can Make an Impact
Choose a giving tier that resonates with you. Every gift is a brick in the foundation of this legacy:
- $25 | Friend of the Farmhouse: Supports the documentation of oral histories with community elders.
- $50 | Heritage Guardian: Funds supplies to clean and restore original 19th-century interior woodwork.
- $100 | Homestead Supporter: Provides materials for the restoration of exterior Folk Victorian trim.
- $250 | Legacy Steward: Directly funds the modernization of our electrical system for public safety.
- $500 | History Keeper: Contributes to the restoration of original interior mantels and bay windows.
- $1,000+ | Farmhouse Founder: A cornerstone gift for foundation stabilization and museum curation.
“Preserving the past is the best way to inspire the future.”
The Epps-McGill Farmhouse, in Kingstree, South Carolina, is a surviving example of a vernacular structure that represents the evolution of agricultural society in Williamsburg County during the 20th century and the end of sharecropping in the second half of the 20th century. The structure’s significance is derived from the evolution of the house and farmland over the course of the 20th century which saw the rise of tobacco tenant farming and the eventual reduction of the farmland to its current footprint due to the changes in the agricultural economy.
While the sharecropping system generally failed to produce its promised path to land ownership, the Epps-McGill Farmhouse stands out as a rare and important example of success, with the purchase of the property by African American farmer Weaver McGill offering an unusual case within the broader regional history of sharecropping.
The extraordinary history of the Farmhouse led to its selection to be added to the National Registry of Historic Places in September 2020.
McGill and Associates, Inc.
A non-profit organization committed to the historic preservation of Epps McGill Farmhouse as well as uplifting education and economic empowerment in the surrounding community.
Our Board of Directors and advisory board are a working board where our members are actively involved in restoration and preservation planning, fundraising and the management and operations of our organization and the Farmhouse.
Current Needs and Efforts
We have construction-ready architectural plans for the restoration and stabilization of Epps-McGill Farmhouse. These plans include exterior woodwork and window replacement, interior restoration – plaster repair, woodwork refinishing and mechanical, plumbing and electrical modernization.
We are currently seeking funding for the construction through Federal, State and Local grants as well as private funds, partnerships and tax-deductible donations. Many grants require a monetary match of as much of 100%.
We welcome In-Kind donations in the form of professional services and historic sharecropping and vintage farming items.