Middleton to get 2 rare hogs

Middleton Place plantation recently restored a nearly bygone species to its stable yards.

Two 3-month-old Guinea hogs, a rare and nearly extinct breed of pig not to be confused with the small terrarium-dwelling pet, arrived at the plantation off Ashley River Road a little more than a week ago.

Ancestors of these two likely roamed the same space in the 19th century, according to Middleton Place marketing vice president Pat Kennedy.

Once the Southeast's most common pig, Guinea hogs now number fewer than 200. They arrived from West Africa and the Canary Islands during the slave trade and produced meat but became less popular than larger, less fatty breeds.

Carolina Heritage Farms in Pamlico, working to preserve the breed and create herds, donated the pair to Middleton. Kennedy said the plantation plans to breed its new residents, which will grow to weigh about 150 pounds.

Middleton Place will hold a Plantation Days event Nov. 14 and 15 with half-price admission for South Carolina residents and free admission for active-duty military personnel.

Historic floors

Curatorial staffers at the Aiken-Rhett House plan to preserve floor coverings that felt footsteps of residents nearly 200 years ago.

The collection includes several carpets and about 50 sections of 19th-century grass mats that slaves once tacked to the floor to prepare for the summer heat. The Elizabeth Street house's original heart-pine floors still bear tack marks from the coverings.

Curatorial staff and interns with the Historic Charleston Foundation, which owns the museum, will clean the coverings with conservation-safe vacuum cleaners, roll them into tubes, cover them and place them on storage racks.

The work complements efforts at the Aiken-Rhett House to preserve its historic wallpapers. Staffers stabilized the paper throughout the house and hope to find funding for a long-term conservation project.

Reach Allyson Bird at 937-5594 or abird@postandcourier.com.