Blackville used to be the overnight stop to Charleston on the South Carolina Railroad line in the early 19th century.

Similar to the overnight stop the trains used to make, the Blackville Area Historical Society is taking small steps to build a new museum to display the history of the area.

"We know this won't be a few weeks or a few months - it's going to take some time and it's long range project," said Myrtle Quattlebaum, the president of the Blackville Area Historical Society.

"But you have to have some plans and somewhere to begin," she said.

The target date to open the doors of the new Blackville Heritage Museum is June 2012.

The idea for the new museum started about two years ago, said Quattlebaum.

The old museum had closed its doors because the building, Market Hall, on Lartigue Street, was in poor condition, she said.

Realizing that the town's historical heritage was at stake, the society investigated sites around Blackville for a new place to showcase the area's history.

The group settled on four lots at the corner of Walker and Main Street across from the old Shamrock Hotel, she said.

The lot, which is about three-quarters of an acre in size, was bought for $20,000, raised by solicitations and word of mouth, said Quattlebaum.

"It will give us ample room for a building and parking lot," said Quattlebaum.

Quattlebaum would like to work together with Barnwell County Museum, the Discovery Center and the Williston Museum to create a tourist hub for visitors who are interested in history.

The museum plans to show historical items of interest and display the heritage of people who call Blackville and the surrounding area home.

Some of the exhibits would include Healing Springs; a collection of family geologies; Blackville resident Buck Guess' Model A and Model-T cars; and the development of the railroad.

"Blackville probably would even be here if it wasn't for the railroad," said Quattlebaum.

The town was well-known known for its watermelons, cantaloupes and cucumbers from the early 1900s to mid-1900s, she said.

"It was the cucumber capital of the world because we shipped so many cucumbers out of here," said Quattlebaum.

The Blackville Area Historical Society will be fundraising down the road, but for now it is waiting on a Heritage Corridor grant of $7,800 the group has to match, said Quattlebaum.

The society got about $30,000 from a state grant in October 2008 that will go toward the museum, she said.

The group is currently applying for a $223,500 USDA grant, she said.

"We are looking for old photographs or any thing else that is historically related to the town or community," said Quattlebaum.

For donations or information on the Blackville Heritage Museum call(803)284-2525 or go to www.bcvm.org or write P.O. Box 277, Blackville, S.C. 29817.