Memory Sites

Preserving Gullah Geechee Heritage Through Immersive Access

Memory Sites are digital gateways into sacred places on Daufuskie Island—spaces rooted in the spiritual, cultural, and communal life of the Gullah Geechee people. As privatization reshapes the Lowcountry, this project offers a new form of access: immersive preservation.

Daufuskie’s past and future are entangled in contested land. At Haig Point, a gated golf community now sits atop what was once the largest domestic tabby structure in coastal South Carolina, along with a North Slave Settlement that holds three of the region’s best-preserved tabby dwellings. Though their cultural significance is profound, these spaces remain inaccessible to the public—closed off to the very descendants of those who built them.

This digital quilt—stitched together with 3D scans, 360° panoramas, and photographs—offers a symbolic pathway back. Drawing inspiration from Underground Railroad quilts, each thumbnail featured here is a symbol historically interpreted as a message for freedom seekers.

As such, this page acts as a coded map, a message system that honors not only where Gullah people come from, but where they are going.

All sites featured align with the public Rob Kennedy Trail and were selected for their enduring significance to local Gullah residents. Visitors can explore:

• Interactive 3D environments
• Immersive video
• Contextual histories, oral narratives, and cultural insight

This project is only a starting point. Future phases will deepen collaboration with community members to digitize lesser-known, sacred, or vulnerable spaces. Some Memory Sites may be password protected to preserve their sanctity. For access, please contact Ms. Sallie Ann Robinson, mygullah@yahoo.com.