News Release

Gullah Geechee Historic Neighborhoods Community Development Corporation (CDC) to Launch New Website and Wayfinding App

September 25, 2025

The Gullah Geechee Historic Neighborhoods Community Development Corporation (CDC) will launch its Experience Gullah website and a companion wayfinding app that brings the history of significant Gullah landmarks on Hilton Head Island to life.

The community is invited to celebrate the launch on Thursday, October 2, at 5:30 pm at the Rowing & Sailing Center at Squire Pope Community Park, 137 Squire Pope Road. Guests will get a preview of the new website, which showcases Gullah Geechee history and culture on Hilton Head Island, and a live demo of the wayfinding app highlighting seven historic sites across the Island. Refreshments will be served.

"A part of our strategic action plan for the Town of Hilton Head Island and the CDC is to preserve the Gullah Geechee culture that is prevalent throughout the Island's historic neighborhoods," said CDC Executive Director Thomas Boxley.

For the past year, Boxley and a team from Solaos, Inc., a Tulsa-based technology firm, have collaborated to develop a dynamic online platform that honors Gullah culture, promotes Gullah-owned businesses and events, and attracts visitors to cultural sites across Hilton Head Island.

As part of the project, Solaos employed six local high school students to assist with research for the website and app. "Their contributions not only enhanced the authenticity of the content but also provided meaningful educational opportunities," Boxley said. "Students had the chance to deepen their understanding of the history and culture of their community while gaining practical experience with advanced technology used in visual storytelling. These are skills they can continue to build on in their high school and college studies."

The free Experience Gullah wayfinding app, available in app stores, currently features seven historic landmarks around Hilton Head Island. At each site, visitors will be able to scan a QR code to learn their history:

• Old School House Park - Site of Hilton Head’s first consolidated public elementary school, opened in 1954.
• Robinson Junior High Historical Marker - The marker highlights the history of a former school for African American children in grades 6–8.
• Driessen Beach Park - This Town-owned beach park was once the site of a popular beach spot for African American families and visitors.
• Fisherman’s Co-op - Once located where the Rowing & Sailing Center stands today, this co-op united Black fishermen who sustained the Island’s shrimping industry and helped block a proposed chemical plant.
• Fish Camp (Simmons Fishing Camp) - Operated by Capt. Charlie Simmons, Sr., this site served as a launch point for transporting goods to Savannah and ferrying Islanders to and from the mainland.
• Barnwell Tabby - This North Island tabby landmark, built between 1730 and 1750, reflects West African building traditions brought by enslaved Africans along the Carolina coast.
• Historic Mitchelville – Established in 1862 as the nation’s first self-governed town for formerly enslaved people.

Additional landmark sites will be added to the app in the future, Boxley noted.