Grounded in History, Driven by Community: Heyward House Stays Ours
In June, we announced our decision to sell the Heyward House to sustain the long-term future of our mission. After our announcement, we had conversations we did not anticipate. Our donors, neighbors, and visitors agree: this property is much more than a historic site. It is an active museum and communal space that makes our town a better place.
The Board of Directors has spent the past several months carefully reviewing our path forward and listening to community input. We have decided to reverse our decision; the Historic Bluffton Foundation will not sell the Heyward House. We will continue to own, operate, and care for this historic home and its grounds.
The Heyward House doesn't limit our mission, it grounds it. Choosing to keep the house means recognizing that this responsibility belongs to all of us together. To ensure a vibrant, sustainable future for the Heyward House, we need a renewed commitment from the community that stood up to save it as a museum. Our Board of Directors is actively working to expand the museum's programs, but this step forward requires your hands and energy.
We are launching a call to action for local support. We need you to stand with us to protect our museum by getting involved in the following ways:
Become a Volunteer: We need enthusiastic docents, tour guides, and event support staff to keep our history alive and accessible to the public.
Lend Technical & Operational Skills: If you are experienced in historic preservation, site management, fundraising, or educational programming, your leadership can help us thrive.
Partner Locally: We invite local businesses and community organizations to collaborate with us on events, sponsorships, and shared programming.
Invest in the Mission: Your financial contributions and membership will go directly toward the physical stewardship of the house and the expansion of programs here on the property.
We are profoundly grateful to everyone who advocated this site's continued operation as a publicly accessible museum. We saved this house together once; now, let’s work together to ensure it continues to serve, educate, and inspire generations to come.