Page 78 - Florence County, SC Florence County 2032: Connecting Our Past, Defining Our Future

Existing County | Cultural Resources

The Florence Museum of Art, Science, and History

Founded in 1924 and incorporated in 1936, The Florence Museum of Art, Science, and History “was established
to promote the arts and sciences: to collect, to preserve, and to exhibit objects of historic, artistic, and scientific
interest; as a cultural resource for the Pee Dee area”. In 2008, the Florence County Museum Board was established
and consists of 13 members that meet quarterly. They were given the mission to build a new museum facility. The
old museum was located at the Sanborn Chase Home on Spruce St. in Florence but was closed in 2013 to prepare
for the Museum’s new building location at 111 West Cheves St. in Florence. The facility opened October 11, 2014
and is almost 30,000 square feet of which approximately 11,000 square feet is exhibit space. The museum was
funded by the Drs. Bruce and Lee Foundation, the State of South Carolina and Florence County. The Florence
Museum Board of Trustees consists of 27 members who are appointed by the membership of the Florence
Museum at their annual meeting. Acquisitions and resource allocations are provided by this Board.

CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS, SPECIAL EVENTS, &

MARKERS

Florence County serves as a cultural center for the Pee Dee. There are a wide variety of arts organizations and
cultural offerings, which celebrate our diverse heritage. Several of these are highlighted below:
Ronald E. McNair Memorial Park

Born in Lake City on October 21, 1950, Dr. Ronald E. McNair was a mission specialist aboard the ill-fated Challenger
Space Shuttle in 1986. A graduate of Carver High School in Lake City, he later attended North Carolina A&T State
University and received a B.S. degree in physics in 1971. He went on to study physics at MIT, where he specialized
in quantum electronics and laser technology, completing his Ph.D. in 1977. After completing his Ph.D., he began
working as a physicist in California conducting research on electrooptic laser modulation for satellite-to-satellite
space communications. This research led McNair into close contact with the space program. When the
opportunity presented itself, he applied for astronaut training. In January 1978, Dr. McNair was selected by NASA
to enter the astronaut program. He was one of the first three African Americans selected. McNair became the
second African American in space in February 1984 by flying on the Challenger Shuttle mission STS-41-B. In 1986,
he was on his second Shuttle flight on the Challenger. A memorial to Ronald E. McNair can be viewed at 346 South
Church Street in Lake City.
Atomic Bomb Crater

On March 11, 1958, an aircraft in route to an overseas base accidentally dropped an unarmed nuclear weapon on
the property of Walter Gregg in Mars Bluff. While an atomic detonation did not occur with this accidental bomb
dropping, the bomb’s highly explosive material exploded on impact, harming Mr. Gregg and five members of his
family, and virtually destroyed his home. The bomb created a crater that was 50 to 70 feet in diameter and 25 to
30 feet deep. However, the crater can still be seen off of Highway 89 in the northeast part of Florence County, less
than a mile from Francis Marion University. This site is located on private property.

Florence County, SC | Comprehensive Plan pg. 77