Tollison ’99, Garrison ’25 reflect on Bald Rock in TOWN Carolina

In TOWN Carolina, Furman University’s Courtney Tollison ’99, the Distinguished University Public Historian and Scholar, and accounting alumnus Bryant Garrison ’25, collaborated on an article about Bald Rock, a treeless expanse of granite accessible from Geer Highway, Route 276, and just 35 minutes from campus.

The two trace the history of the place from its Native American roots to ownership below its 1,575-foot elevation by an emancipated man and his family. It later became a tourist spot with cabins, a lookout tower and other forms of recreation. Bald Rock’s popularity grew and so did abuse of the natural landmark until efforts to preserve it gained momentum in the 1990s, culminating in South Carolina Department of Natural Resource’s purchase of the site in 2001, creating the Bald Rock Heritage Preserve.

Now, Friends of Bald Rock in partnership with SCDNR aim to restore its natural beauty, removing litter, scrubbing graffiti, reclaiming beds of soil and plants, and educating visitors on stewardship. In 2023, with support from the South Carolina Humanities Council, Tollison and Garrison partnered with the Friends of Bald Rock to conduct research and contextualize the site.

“The next time you visit, take a moment to appreciate more than the view,” they write. “You are standing on a place that has inspired awe for generations. It holds stories worth remembering and is a place worth preserving.”