• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

SC Picture Project

The purpose of the South Carolina Picture Project is to celebrate the beauty of the Palmetto State while preserving some of its vanishing landscapes.

  • FIND A LANDMARK
    • BY CITY
    • BY COUNTY
    • BY CATEGORY
    • BYGONE LANDMARKS
  • ADD IMAGES
  • VOLUNTEER
  • SPONSORS
  • DONATE

Silver Bluff Audubon Center and Sanctuary

SC PICTURE PROJECT 3 Comments

SC Picture Project / Aiken County / Silver Bluff Audubon Center and Sanctuary

Silver Bluff Audubon Center and Sanctuary is a wildlife refuge that runs about 2.5 miles along the Savannah River near Jackson in Aiken County. The sanctuary is owned by the National Audubon Society and is home to a wide variety of forests, lakes, streams, plants, and animals. Over 200 species of birds can be found within the sanctuary, including the endangered wood stork and bald eagle.

Silver Bluff Audubon Center

Larry Gleason of Aiken, 2007 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The sanctuary rests on property that was once part of Silver Bluff Plantation. The land was purchased by Irish immigrant George Galphin in the mid-eighteenth century. Galphin dammed part of Hollow Creek, creating a millpond to power a sawmill and gristmill. Galphin was also a well-known Indian trader, and the site of his former post holds great historical significance.

During the Revolutionary War the trading post was fortified by the Loyalists and known as Fort Galphin. The fort was eventually captured by the Patriots in a May 21, 1781 skirmish, and the supplies within the trading post were used by the militia. The site of the former trading post and fort remains relatively untouched, and ongoing archaeological digs within the sanctuary continue to unearth artifacts.

Also within the sanctuary rests an African-American cemetery known as Cohlvin Cemetery (also spelled as Colvin). Slaves and former slaves from Silver Bluff Plantation are buried within the site. Periodic tours of the cemetery are offered in conjunction with nearby Redcliffe Plantation State Historic Site. For more on South Carolina African-American cemeteries, visit our page, Grave Matters: The Preservation of African-American Cemeteries.

There is an educational center within the Silver Bluff Audubon Center and Sanctuary which focuses on environmental education and is a popular stop for school groups. The Galphin Trading Post within Silver Bluff Audubon Center and Sanctuary is listed in the National Register:

(Fort Galphin) Silver Bluff or Galphin Trading Post comprises about 175 acres of cultivated fields and small wooded areas on a steep bluff overlooking the Savannah River. Silver Bluff was the site of an Indian trading post established by George Galphin in the early 1740s. Galphin Trading Post serviced the Yuchi and after them the Coweta, a group of the Lower Creek nation. Galphin’s sphere of influence extended south and west and included Charleston, Savannah, St. Augustine, Pensacola and Mobile. Traders operating out of such places obtained their wares from him.

Galphin, sympathetic to the colonists, was appointed Commissioner of Indian Affairs for the Southern District in 1775. Pertaining to the Galphin Trading Post, there were a number of structures in the area, which included the trading post, barge docks, way-station for travelers, holding-pens for livestock and numerous cabins for family and slaves. At the time of the Revolution, Fort Galphin was built, consisting of a stockaded brick building. This brick structure, probably the Galphin home, was still standing in the early 1870s. After George Galphin’s death in 1780 at the age of 71, the locality of the trading post was known as Galphinton. The community had vanished by the twentieth century.

Reflections on Silver Bluff Audubon Center and Sanctuary


Contributor Larry Gleason writes: “Many people have heard of Silver Bluff on the South Carolina side of the Savannah River and certainly know all the namesakes like Silver Bluff Road and Silver Buff High School, but not many have actually seen the Silver Bluffs. The foundation of the old trading post is nearby in the woods to the right. The location got its name Silver Bluff because early travelers on the Savannah River routinely saw the bluffs when sunlight reflected off the mica in the sand at an angle which gave the bluffs a silver appearance.”

Add your own reflections here.

Plan Your Trip: Silver Bluff Audubon Center and Sanctuary

Where is Silver Bluff Audubon Center and Sanctuary located?
Address: 4542 Silver Bluff Road, Jackson, SC 29831
GPS Coordinates: 33.310316,-81.851705
Website: http://sc.audubon.org/silver-bluff-audubon-center-and-sanctuary
What else should I see?
Silver Bluff Slave Cemetery 0 mile
Susan Union Church 4.8 miles
The Cedars 11.3 miles
Zubly Cemetery 11.5 miles
Show me more like this!
  • See other South Carolina Military
  • See other South Carolina National Register
  • See other South Carolina Parks
    Silver Bluff Audubon Center and Sanctuary Map

    Please Help Us Stay Online

    We’d like thank everyone who generously supports the South Carolina Picture Project. You provide us with the inspiration and financial support we need to keep doing what we do. Every reader’s contribution, larger or small, is valuable. If you have enjoyed this website or found it helpful, please pitch in. Each donation helps – and it only takes a minute. Thank you!

    Support the SC Picture Project!

    $ 50.00
    Select Payment Method
    Personal Info

    Credit Card Info
    This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.

    Donation Total: $50.00

    You may also like

    You may also like

    Eutaw Springs SignEutaw Springs Battlefield Park Redcliffe Plantation HouseRedcliffe Plantation Scott's Lake Fort WatsonSantee Indian Mound Kershaw-Cornwallis CamdenHistoric Camden Crawfrod LakeKings Mountain State Park

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. David Ingle says

      February 4, 2021 at 11:06 AM

      Is the site of the black church ministered by David George known? I’ve seen it referred to as the first black church in America. Thank you.

      Reply
    2. Karen Prytula says

      June 25, 2017 at 8:47 AM

      I understand the Galphin house was still standing in 1870. Whatever happened to it? Was it torn down by a subsequent owner? Was it left to fall in on itself? I am curious because I have a family connection to the Galphins.

      Reply
      • SCIWAY says

        June 25, 2017 at 3:52 PM

        Hello Karen, we have looked into this and can find no specific mention of what happened to the house at Silver Bluff. Typically when this happens we have noticed that the house more than likely fell into disrepair and eventually ceased to exist. We do see that Redcliffe Plantation was a part of Silver Bluff used by the Galphin family some. Perhaps there will be some connection there? Have you looked over the history at our sister site South Carolina Plantations? It will shine some more insight into the situation. Personally, we feel the answer lies within Redcliffe. We recommend trying to contact the interpreter there and inquire about looking over their historical files if they have some to reference.

        Here is our site on Redcliffe: http://south-carolina-plantations.com/aiken/redcliffe.html
        Silver Bluff: http://south-carolina-plantations.com/aiken/silver-bluff.html

        and here is the official page for Redcliffe including contact information: http://southcarolinaparks.com/redcliffe/introduction.aspx

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    FIND A LANDMARK

    Why This Site Matters

    Help Keep This Site Online

    We depend on the support of today’s readers to document South Carolina’s landmarks for future readers. Please help us continue this important work by making a donation below.

    $ 50.00
    Select Payment Method
    Personal Info

    Credit Card Info
    This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.

    Donation Total: $50.00

    Recent Posts

    • H.L. Hunley
    • Strand Theater
    • Camden Depot
    • Charleston City Marina
    • Secession Hill

    ABOUT US

    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

    Footer

    ABOUT US

    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

    CONTACT US

    We’d love to hear from you! Send us a quick email at share@scpictureproject.org.

    If you are looking for permission to use a photo, please reach out directly to the photographer listed in the image’s credit.

    JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

    The South Carolina Picture Project has two Facebook groups. One is dedicated to SC Historic Landmarks and Iconic Landscapes, and the other is dedicated to SC Nature and Wildlife.

    South Carolina Picture Project © 2022 · All Rights Reserved