William Simmons House
This house, built in 1930, is typical in materials and methods of construction of those built on the S.C. Sea Islands from the end of the Civil War to the mid-20th century. It was built on land bought after 1865 by William Simmons (ca. 1835-1922). Simmons, born a slave, had served in the U.S. Army during the war, enlisting in the 21st U.S. Colored Infantry as Ira Sherman.
William Simmons’s granddaughter Georgianna Jones Bryan (1900-1989) built this house in 1930 for her brother, William “Duey” Simmons (1901-1966). It illustrates everyday life and the persistence of Gullah culture in an African-American farm community until after a bridge was built from the mainland in 1956. It was renovated in 2010-11 as the Gullah Museum of Hilton Head Island.
Where it stands. Gullah Museum of Hilton Head Island, 187 Gumtree Dr., Hilton Head Island, Hilton Head Island