HWE worked with staff to plan exhibits for a new visitor center at Boone Hall Plantation. The visitor center will be in the newly restored cotton barn built on the property in the early 19th century. The exhibits will explore the cultural development of the property, the products produced here historically (cotton, bricks, and pecans), the plantation’s present role as both a tourist destination and working farm, and the important contribution the present owners have made to the Town of Mount Pleasant by protecting and preserving Boone Hall through a conservation easement. 

Our plan for the space was inspired by the natural beauty and feeling of the plantation, the aesthetics of the historic cotton gin building, and the limitations and restrictions dictated by the building’s historic fabric. The building is linear and narrow which created concerns about story flow and accessibility. In addition, the gallery space has been restored so that the original brickwork is visible including modern beams and rafters added to secure the building. It was decided that nothing should be attached to the original brick work. As a result, we proposed to install narrow platforms that run down each side of the space. Our proposed suite of banners, graphic panels, and interactive readers were all attached to the platform and modern rafters. Our inspiration for the color palette and font package was taken from existing branding and the plantation’s beautiful landscape.