Collins Park
This park was given to the City of Barnwell
by the Robert O. Collins Family in 2000.
It was once the site of the home of
William Gilmore Simms and his wife,
Emma Hertzog Simms. The property,
purchased by Joseph Allen Porter in 1919,
remained in the Porter family and was
ultimately purchased by Robert O. Collins.
During the first half of the 20th century, this
corner of Main Street and Marlboro Ave.
became a meeting place for neighborhood
nurses and their young charges. The nurses
sat on the walls surrounding two sides of the
property and exchanged household and
community news while the children played.
Many affectionately remember this location as
"Porter's Corner," which provides cherished
memories of a by-gone era. The Park,
designed by Robert Marvin and open to the
public, has been dedicated to the famous sons
and daughters of the City.
Marker is at the intersection of Marlboro (South Carolina Route 3) and Main Street (South Carolina Route 70), on the right when traveling south on Marlboro.
Courtesy hmdb.org
