August 18, 2025

The Coastal Discovery Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate, marks its 40th anniversary with Legends & Luminaries, a speaker series featuring entrepreneurs, artists, and community leaders who have been deeply involved in Hilton Head’s evolution since 1985, when the museum was founded.

The series runs on select Tuesdays and Thursdays through December 11. Individual lectures are $10 per person and include wine, conversation, and Q&A. The lead sponsor of the series is Lori and David Wellinghoff. The series takes place in the Sea Island Room at the Coastal Discovery Museum, 70 Honey Horn Drive, Hilton Head Island.

"For the museum’s 40th anniversary, we invite the community to hear directly from people whose lives and stories reveal what life was like on Hilton Head at that time,” said Rex Garniewicz, Museum President & CEO. “These conversations will be both entertaining and enlightening, and we hope they will inspire people to support our mission to care for the Lowcountry and preserve this remarkable barrier island for generations to come.”

For more information and to register, visit Legends & Luminaries or call 843-689-6767 ext. 223.

Speakers & Schedule

Tuesday, September 30, 5 pm – Gregg Russell
Music & Memories: If This Old Tree Could Talk
Since 1977, Gregg Russell has entertained audiences under Harbour Town’s iconic oak tree, performed nationally, appeared in films, and collaborated with renowned artists. He will recount his early days on Hilton Head, his friendship with Charles Fraser, and his lifelong dedication to bringing music and laughter to generations of families.

Tuesday, October 7, 5 pm – David Lauderdale
From Headlines to History: A Lowcountry Reporter’s Tales For four decades, David Lauderdale chronicled Hilton Head’s milestones, influential figures, and everyday people. The award-winning reporter and former senior editor of The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette retired in 2020 but continues to reflect on the stories that shape the island’s history and community.

Thursday, October 23, 3 pm – Thomas Barnwell Jr., Dr. Emory Campbell, and Dr. Louise Cohen
Gullah Days: Stories From the Heart of Hilton Head
On this distinguished panel, Thomas Barnwell Jr., Emory Campbell, and Louise Cohen bring to life Hilton Head's Gullah heritage and enduring spirit, recalling how the community has navigated the island's transformation over four decades.

Thursday, October 30, 5 pm – Ruthie Edwards
The Greenery: From Humble Nursery to Island Landmark
Ruthie Edwards reminisces about how a small nursery she and her husband bought in 1973 grew into The Greenery — now 100% employee-owned, and one of the region’s most respected landscaping companies.

Thursday, November 6, 5 pm – Margaret Golson Pearman
Growing Up with Charlie’s Bistro
Certified sommelier Margaret Golson Pearman uncorks tales of her father, Charlie Golson, and the early days of Charlie’s L’Etoile Verte, his family-run, French bistro. On the menu: what it was like to launch a restaurant on Hilton Head in the 1980s, and how she and her brother, Palmer, are carrying forward her father’s approach to food, hospitality, and community.

Thursday, November 20, 5 pm – Wyman Fraser-Davis
Reflections on Charles Fraser and the Making of Sea Pines
Wyman Fraser-Davis, daughter of Sea Pines founder Charles Fraser, recollects stories and shares insights into her father’s vision and legacy, including his deep love of the land, delight in learning, and dedication to protecting Hilton Head Island.

Thursday, December 4, 5 pm – Louanne LaRoche
Artist and Former Owner of The Red Piano Gallery
Louanne LaRoche, former owner of The Red Piano Gallery, played a key role in Hilton Head’s Round Table, a group of artists who met weekly at the gallery to share ideas. She reminisces about the gallery and the artists, and discusses the museum’s exhibition, It’s Thursday! Artist of the Round Table (opening November 12), which highlights the 15 artists who were instrumental in building and nurturing the island’s artist community.

Thursday, December 11, 5 pm – JR Richardson, Marc Puntereri, Chuck Scarminach
Hilton Head Island from Heel to Toe: Tales of Community, Planning & What’s Next
Three longtime island leaders come together on this panel to delve into Hilton Head’s growth and planning from its earliest days, and the challenges and opportunities for the future. JR Richardson developed Coligny Plaza, Windmill Harbour, and the South Carolina Yacht Club, while serving in civic leadership roles. Marc Puntereri helped guide Sea Pines through pivotal transitions and co-founded the Cypress Group retirement communities. Chuck Scarminach, former General Counsel of the Sea Pines Company and co-founder of Novit & Scarminach law firm, shaped land-use policy and community association law.

History of the Coastal Discovery Museum

The Coastal Discovery Museum, originally known as The Environmental and Historical Museum of Hilton Head Island, was founded in 1985 to educate the public about the natural and cultural resources of Hilton Head Island and the surrounding Lowcountry. Its founding board was chaired by Helen Cork and included many of the island’s community leaders, such as Billie Hack, Charles Fraser, Robert Peeples, Elizabeth Chisolm, and Michael Taylor, the musician who co-wrote “Rocky Mountain High” and “Sunshine on My Shoulders,” and later became a historian, archaeologist, and preservationist.

In 1988, Taylor became museum director, overseeing the launch of the museum’s first beach, nature, and history walks, lectures, archaeological digs at Fish Haul Creek and Mitchelville, management of the prehistoric Green’s Shell Enclosure, and operations such as a bird hospital and Project Turtle Watch.

The museum steadily grew from its early years located in a mid-island storefront to its first building near today’s Crazy Crab restaurant. In 2007, the museum moved to its permanent home at Honey Horn, a 70-acre historic property dating back more than 300 years. With the support of the Town of Hilton Head Island and then Mayor Tom Peeples, the museum expanded its programs and reach, offering visitors access to trails, marshes, gardens, and historic buildings.

Today, the museum welcomes more than 130,000 visitors annually. As a Smithsonian Affiliate, it continues to fulfill the vision of its founders: to educate and inspire the community and visitors to care for the Lowcountry’s unique cultural and natural heritage. Its guiding principle, established at its founding, emphasizes presenting Hilton Head’s resources in an educational context to foster understanding and appreciation for the island’s delicate balance of nature and culture.

For more information, visit our website.