MSHP Brown Bag Lunch Lecture Series: Historic Preservation Partners

Sarah Stroud Clarke

Hutchinson House Director, Edisto Island Open Land Trust

Sarah Stroud Clarke has over 25 years of experience working in historical museum settings including the original 1607 James Fort, Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, and Drayton Hall. In September 2023 Sarah became the first Hutchinson House Director for the Edisto Island Open Land Trust and has spent the past two years overseeing the final phase of construction and preservation of the c.1885 home. She is leading the interpretive and site planning process as the Hutchinson House prepares to open to the public in the summer of 2026. Prior to her current position, Sarah was the Director of Museum Affairs at Drayton Hall Preservation Trust where she worked for 16 years. Her work at Drayton Hall included working to change and improve the interpretation of the individuals enslaved on the Drayton Hall plantation and overseeing the creation and installation of the Gates Gallery and Caretakers House interpretation. Sarah is a historical archaeologist and began her work at Drayton Hall as an archaeologist and oversaw all archaeological work on the property from 2007-2021. Sarah participates in a working group for the Mellon Foundation’s Humanities in Place Grant Program and previously was an active participant in working groups focused on re-imagining enslaved history and interpretation with both the International National Trust Organization (INTO) and the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP). Through that work she was awarded an Interpretation and Education Fund Training grant in 2022 to travel to Bermuda to study the interpretation of descendant communities. She participated in the Attingham Summer School program in 2022. Sarah holds a degree in American History from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, an MA in Anthropology from San Diego State University, and completed her PhD coursework in Anthropology at Syracuse University.

Elizabeth Chew, PhD

CEO, South Carolina Historical Society

Elizabeth Chew became CEO of the South Carolina Historical Society in January 2024. A historian, curator, and educator, she has worked at museums and historic sites since 1985.

Prior to arriving in Charleston, she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Curator at James Madison’s Montpelier in Virginia. During her 8 1/2 years at Montpelier, Dr. Chew led teams of curators, historians, educators, interpreters, public program creators, archaeologists, and historic preservation experts in researching and interpreting James Madison and his family, his essential roles in framing the U.S. Constitution and leading the nation, and the community of enslaved people on the plantation.

Prior to joining Montpelier, Dr. Chew led the curatorial and education division at Reynolda House Museum of American Art in Winston-Salem, NC. Earlier in her career, she served as Curator at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Charlottesville, VA. During her thirteen-year tenure there, she was responsible for ongoing research and interpretation initiatives that wove together the Monticello house, its collections, the Jefferson family, and the enslaved community. Dr. Chew also worked in curatorial positions in art museums in Washington, D.C., at The Phillips Collection, the National Gallery of Art, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Raised in Augusta, Georgia, Elizabeth received a BA in art history from Yale University, an MA from the University of London, and PhD from UNC- Chapel Hill.

Al Heston

Historic State Coordinator, SC Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism

Al Hester began his career in public history as a seasonal park ranger with the National Park Service at parks including Lowell National Historical Park and Isle Royale National Park. After receiving an MA in public history from the University of South Carolina, he began work for the South Carolina State Park Service, serving as Historic Sites Coordinator for the past 24 years. In this capacity Al provides technical support for interpretation, historic preservation, museum collections management, and historical research in the State Park System, which includes 8 State Historic Sites and 48 State Parks.

• Please park in the remote lot - located between Cooper and Grace Bridge Streets
• Please sign in at the front desk
• Feel free to bring your brown bag lunch!

Host or Publisher Clemson Design Center Charleston