Meet Mr. Robert "Bobby" Middleton

Please allow us to introduce you to our committee member, Mr. Robert Middleton.  Mr. Middleton celebrated his 91st birthday April 2020.  He is a former Penn School student, US Army Veteran, local historian and storyteller as well as a docent at the York W. Bailey Museum on the Penn Center Campus.Mr. Middleton is a long-standing member of this committee who attends nearly all of our monthly meetings and contributes his time and resources toward the stewardship of the park and the community.

He is a devoted member who enjoys telling everyone the history of the park and how it was the primary location for events in the community, especially those put on by Penn Center.  But Mr. Middleton is also a docent at the York W. Bailey Museum on the Penn Center Campus.  Most visitors are greeted by him as they enter the museum.  It is there at the entrance he tells each person his introduction to the museum and what they are about to encounter.  He also shows them a copy of his book, With Open Arms: The Robert Middleton Story.   The book was narrated by Mr. Middleton and written by Ms. Rosalyn Browne.  It is "The story of a man whose search for his birth parents takes him to the City of Brotherly Love".  

      

Mr. Middleton leaves a lasting impression on visitors to the museum for his knowledge of the school, the island and the Gullah culture and tradition.  He has personal stories that 'go way back' and trace the lives of many people from this community.  At 91 years of age, Mr. Middleton  is very vibrant and has a clear memory of many important dates and events that took place on the island.  At the same time, his own life story is so interesting and captivating that one is instantly enthralled in the book and its twists and turns as Mr. Middleton searches for his birth parents.  The story will inform you of local culture and tradition and cause you to feel a close bond to young Robert Middleton and his quest.

Normally, the book is sold by Mr. Middleton himself wherever he makes presentations and at the museum with permission from the Penn Center.  Lately, with the Coronavirus pandemic and the two month closure of the museum, sales of this important book have slowed tremendously.  The park committee invites you to order your copy of  With Open Arms, here.   The book is on sale now for $12 plus shipping and handling ($2.50) for a total of $14.50. A small gift of $2 of the book cost will go to assist with the upkeep of the park, which is a historical landmark in our community.

You may contact Mr. Middleton through the postal service at his mailing address:
331 Seaside Road
Saint Helena Island, South Carolina 29920
He receives calls at: (843)838-1376

Mr. Middleton is quite the local celebrity as you can see from the articles about him in the links below.

A Life and Legacy Built On Love and Culture
story by JENNIFER BROWN-CARPENTER         photos by JOHN WOLLWERTH
http://beaufortlifestyle.com/2020/01/01/robert-middleton/

Reflection on Growing Up on St. Helena Island, SC
https://southwritlarge.com/articles/reflection-on-growing-up-on-st-helena-island-sc/

SC’s historic Penn Center, now part of national park, looks towards its future
By Chloe Johnson cjohnson@postandcourier.com  Mar 14, 2019
https://www.postandcourier.com/news/scs-historic-penn-center-now-part-of-national-park-looks-towards-its-future/article_a3b9dc0a-40e5-11e9-858c-7b0e7832df18.html