2026 Annual Meeting
April 12-13, 2025

Sunday, April 12, 6:30pm – 9:00pm
Bessenger’s Barbecue
1602 Savannah Highway
Charleston, SC 29407

Monday, April 13, 9:45am – 2:00pm
New First Missionary Baptist Church
1644 SC-174
Edisto Island, SC 29438

We’re trying a different schedule this year to better coordinate with the Huguenot Society with which we share a lot of members. We’re meeting in Charleston on April 12 (a Sunday evening) and at Edisto Island on Monday, the 13.

Our Sunday evening meeting will be at Bessenger’s Barbecue on Savannah Highway – about 3 miles South of the Ashley River bridge.  Bessinger’s has a private room in the back of the restaurant.  The meeting room entrance is in the rear of the building.  Turn on White Oak Road and immediately left in the parking lot. We’ll use that time to renew our friendships and do some of our family business, including a report on the year’s activities.   

Our speaker this year is local historian Bill Davies.  Bill grew up in the Greenwood area.  He graduated from the Citadel and the USC Law School and had a long career with the Columbia law firm Nelson Mullins.  In addition, he’s been involved in many commemorative and historic preservation groups and trusts including the South Carolina American Revolution Sestercentennial Commission. Bill will be talking with us about Edisto’s (and the surrounding area’s) history from the beginning through the present with some interesting insights on the times that Captain William Lawton was a planter there.

Our Monday meeting is in the community room at the New First Missionary Baptist Church on Edisto Island.  It’s an hour’s drive south of Charleston on Highway 174 at Oak Island Road and about a mile past the turnoff to Steamboat Landing Road.  The meeting begins at 9:45 AM.  We’ll have some coffee and snacks available. 

I explored group reservations at hotels in the Charleston area.  The proposals/prices I got back were really no better than using one of the online reservation services (Expedia, Hotels.com, etc) and they required rooms to be booked 30 days in advance.  So, I’m recommending that you use one of the online services to reserve your room.  To my knowledge the Huguenot Society is the only big event this weekend, so rooms should be fairly available. Carol and I have chosen the Hampton Inn on Savannah Highway near Citadel Mall. 

Please register online, or, if you prefer to send a check, please mail it to the address below. Register today!

Neale Hightower
Lawton and Allied Families Association
135 Lamont Drive
Decatur, GA 30030

I look forward to seeing all of you again.  Let’s meet, catch up, plan and learn!

Your cousin and friend,
Neale Hightower
President

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Schedule

Sunday evening (6:00 pm)

  • Registration
  • Supper ($30)
  • Family Meeting

Monday morning (10:00am)

  • Registration and introductions
  • Family meeting and report
  • Program – Bill Davies
  • Lunch ($35)

Saturday afternoon

  • Visit the Huguenot Society Grand Finale at Hampton Plantation