Historic Family Reunion planned

Descendants of some of the “founding families” in Pickens, Oconee and Anderson counties will gather at Clemson University this weekend to explore their roots. More than 100 people related to the Calhoun, Clemson, Pickens and Ravenel families are expected to attend the Friday-Sunday reunion, where they will tour three historic homes, examine artifacts and documents and learn about their genealogy. The families represented at the reunion all have connections to Clemson’s three historic properties: Fort Hill, the historic home of John C. Calhoun and Clemson founders Thomas Green and Anna Calhoun Clemson; Hanover House, an 18^th-century French Huguenot House now located in the South Carolina Botanical Garden; and Hopewell Plantation, the historic home of Gen. Andrew Pickens. Attendees will represent more than 20 states, and one group from the Colhoun Society in Scotland will also be in attendance. Also invited are some families who are descendants of slaves from Fort Hill. A highlight of the reunion will be an “Orange Glove” event where attendees will be able to examine historic documents related to their ancestors. In addition to the Calhoun and Clemson family documents that will be on display, a recent acquisition of papers will have their first public viewing. The Orange Glove event, co-hosted by Clemson libraries and historic properties, will be at 6pm Friday at Fort Hill.