James Family Returning To Jamestown After COVID-19 Hiatus

July 08, 2022
Determined to own his own land rather than to rent or sharecrop, former slave Ervin James (1815-1872) bought a 105-acre tract here in 1870. His five sons and a son-in-law later divided the tract into individual farms, and other area families purchased additional land, creating a rural community of some 250 residents that flourished for 70 years. Among its institutions were Jamestown Cemetery, Summerville Methodist Church (now Bowers Chapel United Methodist Church), established about 1880, and an elementary school founded in 1926. Only one of the settlement’s original houses remains. A large family reunion, with educational programs open to the public, is held each July. Determined to own his own land rather than to rent or sharecrop, former slave Ervin James (1815-1872) bought a 105-acre tract here in 1870. His five sons and a son-in-law later divided the tract into individual farms, and other area families purchased additional land, creating a rural community of some 250 residents that flourished for 70 years. Among its institutions were Jamestown Cemetery, Summerville Methodist Church (now Bowers Chapel United Methodist Church), established about 1880, and an elementary school founded in 1926. Only one of the settlement’s original houses remains. A large family reunion, with educational programs open to the public, is held each July.

Florence, SC - June 29, 2022

Emerging from health and safety concerns that have gripped our nation since the COVID-19 Pandemic began, and after nearly two years of Virtual Reunions, the James Family Heritage Reunion will return to Florence to host an in-person Family Reunion. The family is excited to host its Reunion on the grounds of Bowers Chapel United Methodist Church on Saturday, July 23, 2022 at 11AM EDT, a stone’s throw away from Jamestown, the family’s heirs’ property. Still riding the exciting winds of the recent 150th Anniversary celebration of the establishment of Jamestown, where the family commemorated the event by minting a Limited Edition Coin Set, family members from near and far will once again gather to embrace, fellowship, and give thanks for a renewed opportunity, post-pandemic, to visit, walk and honor the land.

Jamestown, a post-Reconstruction African American community was founded by Ervin James, a former slave, in 1870, and flourished for 70 years. James purchased the original 105-acre tract from Eli Mckissick and Mary Poston, enabling his 5 sons and a son-in-law to then divide the tract into individual farms. Within the rural community of nearly 250 residents, principal institutions at that time included the Summerville Methodist Church (renamed Bowers Chapel), Summerville Elementary School and the Jamestown Cemetery.

Following two years of virtual reunions and noting the current economic state of our country, the James Family Heritage Reunion Committee will also host a virtual event for those unable to travel. Please contact the James Family Heritage Reunion Committee for additional information at jamesfamilyheritage@gmail.com or (843) 942-9140.





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