George H. McDaniel grew up in Summerville and has spent most of his life here in the Lowcountry. He received his B.A. in history from Davidson College and, after a decade playing and performing as a professional musician, he returned to school and earned his M.A. at the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi.

His graduate work focused on African American history and public history, particularly interpreting that history at historic sites. While in Oxford, George managed two museums—the L.Q.C. Lamar House, the home of the 19th century Mississippi politician and Supreme Court Justice; and the Burns-Belfry Museum and Multicultural Center, which was housed in the first African American church established in Oxford after the Civil War in 1867.

He also served on the University of Mississippi’s Slavery Working Group which researched and interpreted the history of slavery at the university; and he was a founding member of L.O.C.A.L (Lafayette Oxford Community Archive Library) which worked to bring university resources to bear to preserve the local history of the African American community.

He was the lead historian for Audubon South Carolina’s successful project to have Francis Beidler Forest designated as a site in the National Park Service’s “National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom” program. Following his time at Audubon, he worked as an historian for South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust. In that capacity, he was involved in numerous projects dealing with 18th century and Revolutionary Era Charleston.

As director of interpretation at Magnolia Plantation & Gardens, George is excited to bring his years of experience working at historic sites and museums to the table in order to interpret the whole history of this storied site along the banks of the Ashley River.