Restoring Rose Hill

Sitting among Sumter National Forest and along the banks of the Tyger River in Union, South Carolina, Rose Hill Plantation served as the original home of wealthy upstate “secession Governor” William Gist, his planter family, and the lives of the enslaved who lived and worked there. Once a working plantation, the property was repurposed in the 1960s as a house museum dedicated as a “legacy to the Confederacy.” In the wake of the national reckoning with systemic racism, Rose Hill is reclaiming its narrative by recognizing the history and legacies of the people who worked, lived, and died there, regardless of race. Restoring Rose Hill offers unique insight into the past of the site and a glimpse of what this work of remembrance looks like today. Through interviews with descendants of the plantation site, conversations with historians and archaeologists, and footage of the still-standing grounds of the plantation and its land, the film offers a rich and meaningful portrait of the site’s history, painting a vivid picture of the formerly enslaved and black communities who called Rose Hill home, as well as the inspiring efforts currently underway to honor their life and contributions, and ensure their enduring legacy on this contentious terrain.