In the new year, the city of Cayce plans to break ground on a visitor center at the 12,000 Year History Park using a $2,155,000 donation.

Mayor Elise Partin told the media Nov. 12 that the visitor center will be “unlike any other visitors center,” adding that it will be museum-like and somewhat comparable to the Revolutionary War Visitor Center at Camden. However, it will focus on Cayce and highlight what the history park offers not only to locals but to people worldwide.

The history park’s story began 12,000 years ago and continues today with school tours, nature walks, trail talks and insight into native species. The trail portion of the area was completed in 2015 and links to the rest of the Three Rivers Greenway, a 12.5-mile linear park in Columbia, West Columbia and Cayce.

One square mile of the area shows evidence of habitation from 12,000 years ago, Partin said.

The archaeological site, according to Cayce12000Years.com, tells stories of Indigenous peoples, mammoths, the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.

The announcement of the Boyd Foundation’s $2,155,000 gift to Cayce came in November, which is also Native American Heritage Month.

“South Carolina has a rich Native American history with at least 29 distinct groups of American Indians having lived here through the centuries,” according to discoversouthcarolina.com. “The many ancient American Indian names that denote our rivers, cities and places are a testament to the presence of various tribes: Pee Dee, Waccamaw, Ashepoo, Combahee, Edisto and Catawba - South Carolina's only federally recognized tribe. South Carolina was once home to the Cherokee and Waxhaw, as well.”

The 12,000 Year History Park includes a program that teaches locals, tourists and students about the Cherokees and the Catawbas.

“Walk the beautiful trails at the 12,000 Year History Park to learn more about their role here and how the historic resources of the park are relevant to the lives and culture of Native peoples today, including the Cherokees and Catawbas,” the history park website states.

The park’s significance has been confirmed by the National Park Service, Partin told the media.

The entire attraction, not just the upcoming visitor center, was made possible through a variety of funding and donations, including the contribution from the Boyd Foundation.

The 359 acres of land the visitor center will occupy were donated by Scana Resources Inc. Partin also said ongoing cooperation from Dominion Energy has made the project possible, along with about $2 million in state funding for site work secured by Rep. Micajah P. "Micah" Caskey IV and Sen. Nikki G. Setzler.

However, the idea for a history park at Congaree Creek is credited to Ozzie Naglar’s 1996 proposal.

George Bailey, president of the board for the Boyd Foundation, told the media the project fits the foundation’s mission to provide outdoor recreation to the local community.

Groundbreaking on the visitor center could begin in early 2025, with the project potentially completed 10 to 12 months later, Partin said.