Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce

GOLDEN DAMIVERSITY CELEBRATION

LAKE HARTWELL MARKETING ALLIANCE

CONTACT:  Larry Torrence, 706-436-0166

                  

Lake Hartwell’s 50^th Anniversary Traveling History Exhibit to Open April 27

Hartwell, Ga. - Stunning images, historical photos and a remarkable look at Lake Hartwell’s last 50 years will be on display at the history exhibit – “Once Upon A Dam: A Golden Retrospective.”  The one-of-a-kind exhibit will open April 27 and run through May 28 at the Hart County Arts Center.

The traveling exhibit will visit all six counties that border Lake Hartwell (Anderson, Oconee, Pickens Counties in South Carolina and Franklin, Hart, Stephens Counties in Georgia).  Each county will stage and the historical exhibit for four to five weeks.

The organizing group known as the Hartwell 50^th Anniversary Lake Hartwell Marketing Alliance Traveling Exhibit Committee has been working for months with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and local area residents to select images of high quality that tell a complete story of Lake Hartwell’s dynamic growth, impact and emotion.  Committee organizer James Payne, the supervisory power project manager for the corps at the Hartwell Project power plant said, “There were so many we like; we had to stop somewhere. The traveling tour will be a remarkable history lesson for many and an emotional memory experience for others.  There’s never been anything quite like this in the six county Lake Hartwell area.”

All exhibits will be at sites that are open to the public and each county will also add local images to the already large display.  All exhibits are free admission.

Larry Torrence, executive director of the Lake Hartwell Marketing Alliance, said that this series of exhibits is an outstanding example of a multi-county community outreach program.  “This event is a product of hard work by so many helpful volunteers.  It represents a powerful visual of Lake Hartwell’s impact on all of us.”

Hart Electric Membership Cooperative donated $8,600 to develop the exhibit and other private supporters include Hartwell-based Docks South.

“Once Upon A Dam: A Golden Retrospective” is a part of a series of special Lake Hartwell 50^th Anniversary celebration events called “The Golden Damiversity” and is presented in association with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Lake Hartwell Marketing Alliance.

“Once Upon A Dam: A Golden Retrospective” traveling history tour will include the following dates and locations:

            April 27 – May 28       Hart County Arts Center        Hartwell, GA.

            June 7 – July 4            Anderson County Museum     Anderson, SC

            July 5 – August 6        Pickens Courthouse                Pickens, SC

August 10 – September 8       Bowers House             Cannon, GA

October 1 – November 5        The Cornerstone Restaurant Toccoa, GA      

November 6 – December 7     Oconee County (Location TBD)

NOTE:  Lake Hartwell outdoor adventure visitor destination is marketed by the non-profit Lake Hartwell Marketing Alliance (LHMA).  LHMA consists of 200 board members that represent all surrounding counties, an executive committee and an executive director sharing a common mission:  Create economic development by uniting, marketing and promoting Lake Hartwell as a premier tourism destination.  LHMA will generate responsible marketing communications through the assistance of public and private funding.