“When Charles Baxley asked you to do something, you did it.”
Those who knew him well understood why. Charles Baxley was the respected editor and publisher of Southern Campaigns of the American Revolution, an online historical journal, and the founding chairman of the South Carolina American Revolution Sestercentennial Commission (SC250). His passion for preserving Revolutionary War history inspired many volunteers across the state, including his long-time friend Bill Segars, who would soon take on a project far larger than either of them imagined.
The work that Bill leads is part of a statewide effort supported by SC250. The South Carolina American Revolution Trust, the nonprofit partner of SC250, helps to ensure that the stories of the Revolution are preserved, shared, and accessible to all. Together, these organizations provide the structure and resources that make the Markers Project a reality.
The effort began with a list from the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. They had a database of 185 state roadside historical markers related to the American Revolution. Once Bill began searching the database, walking sites, and photographing markers, he quickly realized that the story was larger. Many markers referenced nearby graves, churches, or battle locations that could also be visited. Others mentioned names or events strongly tied to the Revolutionary era. As Bill expanded the criteria to include any readable public sign with Revolutionary War relevance, the list grew dramatically.
Today the project includes 291 state roadside historical markers and 378 additional signs, monuments, or associated sites, each with verified GPS coordinates, photographs, condition assessments, and historical context. “Anything that a person can walk up to and read is worth including,” Bill explained. “These are already out there. We just need to direct people to them.”
Bill’s work eventually led to the creation of the South Carolina American Revolution Trust’s interactive SC250 Marker Map, a digital tool that allows visitors to pinpoint markers and receive turn-by-turn directions directly to them. For many Revolutionary War enthusiasts, it has become an essential resource.
On the roads, Bill worked with the South Carolina Department of Transportation to install new brown “Revolutionary War Marker Ahead” signs featuring Sergeant William Jasper, known for heroically raising the South Carolina flag during the Battle of Sullivan’s Island. The DOT originally had advance notification signs installed at 39 markers statewide. With Bill’s research and mapping, that number will surpass 220 markers. “DOT has been wonderful to work with,” he said. “I determine where the markers are and where signs should go, and they install them.”
The next phase of Bill’s work focused on restoration. Each marker is photographed and graded on a scale of one to five. Those in the worst condition are flagged for professional repair. Some markers have disappeared entirely. “We found about 30 markers that were gone,” he said.
Because SCDAH markers are sponsored by local groups such as DAR or SAR chapters, the responsibility for restoration or replacement often falls to the original sponsors. But if a sponsor is defunct or unable to restore the marker, SC250 steps in to ensure the work is completed.
Professional restoration is painstaking. Bill works with a craftsman named Tom Stelling from Florida who travels to South Carolina each fall and spring. He strips each 3×3 marker to bare metal, primes it, repaints the base silver, hand-paints the black lettering and trim, and finishes with multiple coats of clear sealant. It takes seven hours to restore a single marker, and he completes one per day.
Bill tells us he has put over 50,000 miles on two pick-up trucks over the course of five years. He does not get paid and says he is “happy to give the time to do this worthwhile project.” As busy as Bill is, he is not working alone.
Dedicated volunteers including Jim Dunlap in the Upstate, Fritz Hamer in the Midlands, Brett Bennett in the Lowcountry, Paige Sawyer in the Georgetown area, and Guy Wallace in Chester, Lancaster, York, and Chesterfield Counties have all contributed thousands of photographs and research notes. Bill has organized this massive body of information while continuing to cover the Pee Dee region and assist wherever he is needed. “It has been a world of fun,” he said. “Other people realized the value of this project and have been eager to help.”
Their combined efforts have created the most complete and accurate accounting of American Revolution–related roadside historical markers and associated signage in South Carolina.
We asked Bill to share a moment that stands out. He recalled taking a photograph of a marker in Fairfield County when a car pulled up behind him. A woman stepped out and said she was a DAR member who had come from Florida specifically to find South Carolina’s Revolutionary War markers. She had never heard of the SC250 Marker Map.
“You would have thought I gave her one hundred thousand dollars,” Bill said. “She was thrilled.”
Moments like that remind him why the work matters. “The biggest thrill of this project is knowing that so many people will benefit from it.”
Bill’s appreciation for history began long before this project. He still lives on land in Kelleytown, just outside Hartsville, where his great-great-great grandfather first settled in 1820. His family has a long history of farming and building. Bill spent forty-six years in construction and became deeply involved in historical restoration work. He has photographed hundreds of historic churches and co-authored Churches in South Carolina Burned During the American Revolution: A Pictorial Guide.
He met Charles Baxley in the late 1990s through the Francis Marion Symposium in Manning, and the two became friends and collaborators for decades. Bill speaks of Charles with great respect. “Heck of a nice guy and admired by all,” he said. “He instilled the value of volunteer work.”
Today Bill continues that legacy. Although retired, he spends his days driving the state, researching new markers, coordinating restoration projects, and updating the map. “I do something on this every day,” he said. “I expect this to continue until 2033.”
New roadside historical markers and interpretive signs are being added across South Carolina, and each one must be mapped and documented. County 250 committees are becoming increasingly active, ensuring that future generations will not need to start this process from scratch fifty years from now. Bill plans to keep going as long as he is able.
“History did not happen in books. It happened across the state,” he said. “These markers do not tell the entire story, but they whet the appetite. They make people want to learn more.”
For Bill Segars, that is reason enough to keep driving the two-lane blacktop roads of South Carolina with camera, charts, and notebook in hand, preserving the stories that shaped our state and our nation.