The acquisition of the Poinsett Bridge Cultural Heritage Preserve adds 283 acres

Poinsett Bridge

Greenville County Landmark, Triple Size

PUBLISHED ON June 16, 2024

COLUMBIA, SC – The S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) Heritage Trust Program has expanded the Poinsett Bridge Heritage Preserve in Greenville County by 283 acres with the help of key conservation partners.

“It is through ongoing partnerships like these that we are able to preserve and protect irreplaceable properties like the Poinsett Bridge Heritage Preserve for current and future generations,” said Robert H. Boyles Jr., director of SCDNR. “We are very grateful for the cooperation from our conservation partners that made this addition possible.”

The acquisition of the Poinsett Bridge Cultural Heritage Preserve was made possible through partnerships with The Nature Conservancy of South Carolina, the South Carolina Conservation Bank, the Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust, the Boy Scouts of America and SCDNR’s Heritage Trust program. The new land increases the total area of ​​the preserve to 396 acres, more than three times its original size.

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) of South Carolina purchased the property from the Blue Ridge Boy Scouts of America Council in 2022. TNC then held the property while SCDNR secured acquisition funding.

“Protecting this property is important not only because of its natural and historic features,” said Dale Threatt-Taylor, executive director of TNC South Carolina, “but also because of its location just below TNC’s Greenville Watersheds conservation easement. These 30,000 acres provide clean drinking water to over half a million people. We are excited to expand this significant reserve and open new areas to the public.”

The Greenville County Historical and Natural Resources Fund, an independent agency that funds projects to preserve Greenville County’s historic and natural resources, also played a key role in the preserve’s expansion.

“The Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust is honored to be a part of this great project,” said Alex Reynolds, chairman of the Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust Communications Committee. “The Poinsett Bridge is a wonderful landmark that preserves the history and heritage of our county, and a great example of how the Trust can be used to strategically protect key sites for future generations to enjoy.”

The Poinsett Bridge is a 204-year-old arched stone bridge, considered the oldest surviving stone bridge in South Carolina and potentially the oldest stone bridge in the southeastern United States. In 2003, SCDNR’s Heritage Trust program acquired 120 acres to protect and oversee the maintenance of the Poinsett Bridge.

“Archaeological and historical research at the Poinsett Bridge Cultural Heritage Preserve has provided valuable information about ancient people,” said Heritage Trust archaeologist Sean Taylor. “We know that through the acquisition, future archaeological research will reveal more stories about this place and its people, stretching back to time immemorial.”

Poinsett Bridge, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, a South Carolina legislator, physician and botanist. Poinsett was a native of Charleston, a prominent Greenville resident and U.S. ambassador to Mexico. The poinsettia flower, which Poinsett brought to the United States from Mexico, is named after him.

The Poinsett Bridge was part of a state highway from Charleston through Columbia to North Carolina, designed between 1817 and 1819 by Poinsett, then director of the South Carolina Board of Public Works. The Gothic-inspired arch of the Poinsett Bridge features a keystone with the date 1820. Robert Mills, architect of the Washington Monument and many significant buildings in South Carolina, is believed to have designed the Poinsett Bridge. Mills became South Carolina’s state architect and public works engineer in 1820.

In addition to its important history, the reserve is also a significant natural resource. The Poinsett Bridge Cultural Heritage Preserve is an area of ​​the Blue Ridge Escarpment with rich geology, and its steep, north-facing slopes are home to rich bayous forests that support many rare plant species, including Appalachian mint, eastern goat’s beard, Appalachian astilbe, and yellow mandarin. The reserve is home to five species of bats, including the tricolored bat, which is currently awaiting listing under the Endangered Species Act. Migrating songbirds use the forest surrounding Poinsett Bridge to breed and feed, and over 73 bird species have been documented in the reserve.

Funding for the purchase of the Poinsett Bridge expansion was provided by the South Carolina Conservation Bank, Greenville Historic and Natural Resources Trust, SCDNR’s Heritage Trust program and private donors.

“The expansion of the Poinsett Bridge facility is particularly noteworthy because it demonstrates the value of collaboration,” said Raleigh West, executive director of the South Carolina Conservation Bank. “From the Scouts’ interest in the long-term management of the property, to The Nature Conservancy’s willingness to acquire the property and local and state funding partners, to the Heritage Trust’s long-term stewardship, this effort is a collaboration that will ultimately benefit the citizens of South Carolina. We are honored to be part of this significant endeavor.”

Future plans for the preserve include improving accessibility and parking, adding hiking trails and road markings, and stabilizing the Poinsett Bridge.

The Heritage Trust SCDNR program is now celebrating its 50th anniversary^vol anniversary. The Heritage Trust program was established on February 27, 1974, as the first of its kind in the country. He then launched a movement to create similar programs to protect lands of both natural and cultural significance, such as the Poinsett Bridge Heritage Preserve. For more information about the Heritage Trust program, visit: Heritage Trust – South Carolina (sc.gov)