George H. McDaniel joins Magnolia as Director of Interpretation

 Magnolia Plantation & Gardens has hired George H. McDaniel as the director of interpretation. In this new capacity, McDaniel will be responsible for helping create interpretive programs across the site, collaborate with community partners, and communicate Magnolia’s history, vision, and mission to visitors, staff, and the general public.

Immediately prior to joining Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, McDaniel served as an historian for the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust, where he was involved in numerous projects focused on 18th-century Charleston history, including researching and developing interpretation for the Charleston Liberty Trail. Before that, he was the lead historian for Audubon South Carolina’s successful application designating Francis Beidler Forest as a site for the National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program. 

“It is a great honor and responsibility to join the team as Director of Interpretation” said McDaniel. “In this role I am excited to continue telling the stories of all the people who have lived and worked at this amazing site on the banks of the Ashley River. These stories include the Drayton family, African Americans both enslaved and free, and the Indigenous who were here before all others. In doing such important work, I look forward to finding creative ways to engage both the local community and tourists alike.”

George H. McDaniel, Director of Interpretation at Magnolia Plantation & Gardens.

He received his bachelor’s degree in history from Davidson College in North Carolina. After spending nearly a decade as a professional musician, he returned to school. He earned his master’s degree at the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi.

His graduate work focused on African American and public history, emphasizing interpretation at historic sites. While in Oxford, McDaniel managed two museums: the L.Q.C. Lamar House, the home of the 19th-century Mississippi politician and Supreme Court justice, and the Burns-Belfry Museum and Multicultural Center, which was housed in the first African American church established in Oxford after the Civil War.

McDaniel also served on the University of Mississippi’s Slavery Working Group, which researched and interpreted the history of slavery at the university, and he was a founding member of L.O.C.A.L. (Lafayette Oxford Community Archive Library), which worked to bring university resources to bear to preserve the local history of the African American community.

“George’s experience with historic site management and interpretation, fluency in African American and Southern history, and experience in discussing American slavery and its legacy with various audiences and constituencies make him a vital and welcome asset to the Magnolia Plantation & Gardens team,” said CEO Susan Shallo. “We are excited to welcome him on board.”

“The Director of Interpretation role is vital as we envision Magnolia’s role as a leader in telling important stories about Lowcountry history, horticulture, and preservation,” said Magnolia Plantation & Gardens Board Member Winslow Hastie, CEO and president of the Historic Charleston Foundation. “It is a step in the right direction to bring a full-time team member with George’s experience and local connections on board.”