A recent discovery at Woodburn Historical House, just off Highway 76 in Pendleton, Sc is shedding new light on how the former plantation’s farm was operated. While working on clearning portions of the former plantation home’s historical trail, the foundations of the horse barn and the blacksmith’s barn were discovered.

The brush around it has been partially cleared, and the building’s remains are now available for public viewing on the former plantation’s historical trail walking tour. The trail also includes an old quartz road, cistern and horse trough, foundations for the creamery, calving barn, an 1880’s bunkhouse, and several mounting blocks.

Now known as the Pendleton Historic Foundation, the “Foundation for Historic Restoration” was founded in 1960 to save the historic house at Woodburn at a time when its future was questionable. That same year, the foundation received Ashtabula as a gift from the Mead Corporation of Dayton, Ohio. The first board members founded several committees: Restoration, Grounds, Research, Membership, Fund Raising, and Public Relations. The first membership drive in 1962 produced an astonishing 292 members. By 1972, Both Ashtabula and Woodburn were placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Asthabula and Woodburn have been operated as house museums since the mid-1970's and are sites on the SC National Heritage Corridor. In 1982, the foundation’s current motto became “Banking the fire thus to guard the flame.” By 1996, the Foundation officially became: The Pendleton Historic Foundation. In the half-century since its founding, the Pendleton Historic Foundation has made wonderful advancements through grants, donations, and membership income.

In 2002, the now annual Benefit Gala: Evening Under the Stars at Woodburn was initiated. All proceeds from the event have benefitted the Preservation Endowment, and have since put the Foundation closer to its goal. In 2005, The Pendleton Historic Foundation, the Pendleton District Commission for History & Tourism, and Clemson University celebrated the installation of a new sign listing their historic sites along “History Lane” in Pendleton. The new sign was placed at the intersection of History Lane, Woodburn Rd., and US76 across from Tri-County Technical College. The historic sites listed on the new sign are Woodburn Historic House (c.1830) owned by the Pendleton Historic Foundation, the Agricultural Museum owned by the Pendleton District Commission, and the Brick Barn (c.1890) owned by Clemson University and once part of the Woodburn Farm site. The new sign has served its purpose of attracting and guiding visitors to these historic sites from US76. By 2008, the Pendleton Historic Foundation increased attendance at its annual Christmas reenactment at Ashtabula, for which it received an Award of Merit by the Confederation of SC Local Historical Societies. The foundation also launched a community “Circa” plaque program for buildings over 50 years old. Last year, the foundation received the 2009 Heritage Tourism Advancement Award from the SC National Heritage Corridor (SCNHC), which recognizes leaders in Heritage Tourism in the 17 counties of the SC National Heritage Corridor based on best practices in sustainable Heritage Tourism. The Pendleton Historic Foundation’s entry, “Ashtabula and Woodburn Historic Houses, Building for the Future”, won based on five principles: collaboration, balance between community and tourism, educational programming, authenticity and preserving and protecting heritage resources. The award will help promote Ashtabula and Woodburn to a broader audience through statewide presses releases by the SCNHC, coverage on the SCNHC website and recognition in the SCNHC newsletter.

Most recently, the Foundation dedicated a replica of the Jane Edna Hunter cabin on the grounds of Woodburn Historic House. The cabin is a replica of her birth place in 1882 on Woodburn Farm. The replica was built to commemorate the life of the African- American reformer and activist who founded the Phillis Wheatley Society to help the many young African- American women who traveled to Ohio during the early 20th century to find work. The cabin is furnished as a typical tenant farm house of the late 19th century and has become a part of the guided tours provided to visitors to Woodburn Historic House. The replica allows Woodburn plantation to retain the look and feel of plantation life in the 1800s. The creation of the slave cabin is dedicated to retelling the story of Jane Edna Hunter, who is nearly unknown in her home state of South Carolina, but is considered one of Ohio's top 20 heroes. The replica serves as a symbol of perseverance, dedication, prosperity, and success.