Scholar working to dress up S.C.'s park in D.C.

COLUMBIA — In one small spot of Washington, D.C., carved out for South Carolinians, not much has changed since 1887.

But after three years' worth of effort by Columbia financial adviser and history scholar John F. McCabe, that's about to change.

President Bush has authorized the creation of a memorial to Gen. Francis Marion, better known as the Swamp Fox.

"One hundred and twenty years ago, this plot of land was placed on South Carolina Avenue and named after one our favorite sons, and it's been 120 years since anyone has thought about it," McCabe said. "We're finishing what should have been done a long, long time ago."

McCabe made a special stop in June 2005 to Marion Park, an acre and a half about four blocks from Capitol Hill, and was surprised to see there wasn't much of anything there.

He has worked since then to turn the spot into a destination that honors Marion, a Revolutionary War hero known for his guerrilla warfare tactics. Marion is buried in a granite tomb at Belle Isle Plantation in rural Berkeley County.

Last week, the president solidified the groundwork for McCabe's efforts when he signed the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008, which includes 57 bills.

Authorization needed to come through Congress, which must approve all memorial requests according to historical significance.

In all, the act approves the largest collection of measures dealing with national parks, public lands, water and territorial issues since 1996, according to the House Natural Resources Committee.

"In addition to giving national recognition to Francis Marion, the Francis Marion memorial will provide South Carolinians with a unique 'home base' in our nation's capital," said U.S. Rep. Henry Brown, R-S.C.

Another Brown-sponsored bill, the South Carolina National Heritage Corridor addition, was included in the act. The addition will expand the corridor to add Saluda, Berkeley and all of Georgetown counties into either the South Carolina Heritage Corridor or the Gullah-Geechee National Heritage Corridor, ensuring a more complete preservation of South Carolina's legacy, Brown's office said.

Ultimately, McCabe would like Marion Park to be reminiscent of colonial South Carolina. He originally envisioned brick-lined pathways and crushed oyster shells. The main attraction would be a larger-than-life bronze statue of Marion and a fountain with images from the Palmetto State.

The final design, though, must be approved the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and likely will be tailored to blend with the surrounding neighborhood, McCabe said.

The next step in the five-part process is to get the OK from the National Capital Planning Commission to actually build the Marion Park memorial Congress approved. That step, which involves environmental and traffic studies, will cost $50,000, McCabe said.

McCabe is trying to raise private funds with the help and oversight of the Palmetto Conservation Foundation. In all, the improvements to the park are estimated to cost roughly $500,000 to $750,000.

Ken Driggers, executive director of the Palmetto Conservation Foundation, said the president's signature was an important first step. Among its other preservation efforts, the foundation has saved 10 Revolutionary War sites, including Snow's Island, Marion's famed hideout in Florence County.

Reach Yvonne Wenger at 803-799-9051 or ywenger@postandcourier.com.