History Comes Alive at Ardenwoods

     A rugged man dressed in a rustic hunting jacket and waistcoat confidently strides into the Ardenwoods dining room. He’s greeted with applause, but quickly waves it away, getting comfortable to face the audience and tell his story.

     He introduces himself: Captain Henry Felder. The year is 1780.

     It’s not every day that history comes to life, but that’s exactly what happened recently at Ardenwoods when Chautauqua’s History Comes Alive festival came to town. The audience sat transfixed during the interactive theater performance, learning about the Revolutionary War through the eyes of one influential South Carolinian.

     The private event on June 19 was well attended by Ardenwoods residents and guests interested in joining the community. From the moment actor Clarence Felder entered the room, the audience fell under his spell.

     If you’re wondering about the similar last name, you’d be correct: Clarence is a direct descendant of Captain Henry Felder — his sixth-great grandson, to be exact.

     Captain Felder is famous for penning a declaration of separation from the British monarchy months before Thomas Jefferson’s famous Declaration of Independence.

     Felder was an immigrant from Switzerland who settled in South Carolina, becoming a merchant and farmer before establishing a militia to fight the British loyalists, which included his seven sons. He later was killed in a skirmish with the loyalists.

     “My dream of freedom for myself died that day with me,” he said at the event. “But not for my family and not for my state and not for every one of you.”

     Clarence did a fantastic job staying in character — reading his declaration with pride and passion. After his performance, the interactive part of the event commenced. Audience members were able to ask questions of both Henry and the actor portraying him.

     Clarence is a career actor based in South Carolina, and this was part of the Greenville chapter of Chautauqua. After the Q&A, the audience was invited for a meal on the patio. Residents and guests enjoyed a delicious meal in the sunshine, chitchatting with each other and stopping to talk with Clarence more.

     One resident who made a point to speak with Clarence was Susan Bryson. She had previously researched her genealogy and found that Captain Felder was one of her ancestors but knew nothing else about him. So, it was a meaningful experience for her to hear his story and meet another descendant.

     “It’s incredible, absolutely incredible,” she said after the event.

     Many of the residents in attendance had attended previous Chautauqua events and were thrilled to have the opportunity to enjoy another.

     “I think it’s a fantastic way to learn history,” resident Joy Clark said. She’d attended the previous event hosted at Ardenwoods featuring an actor portraying Lucille Ball, as well as a Babe Ruth performance many residents attended together in Brevard.

     “If you can get in touch and listen closely and hear the past speaking to you, then that’s good enough right there,” Joy said.