American Battlefield Trust Mourns the Passing of Palmetto State Preservation Legend Douglas Bostick

(Washington, D.C.) — The American Battlefield Trust joins the outpouring of grief following the passing of Douglas W. Bostick, an iconic figure in the South Carolina history and preservation community and longtime leader of the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust (SCBPT). In remembering a beloved collaborator and colleague, Trust President David Duncan made the following statement:

“It is impossible to overstate the impact that Doug Bostick made on South Carolina history over the course of decades — or the impact that history had upon him. A native of the Palmetto State — descendant of her Sons of Liberty in the tumultuous days before the Revolution — he made safeguarding its legacy and imparting it to new generations his life’s work. 

Doug’s vibrant leadership at SCBPT propelled forward our joint work to create The Liberty Trail, an initiative that seeks to protect the state’s Revolutionary War battlefields and unite those disparate sites from the low country to the back country thru innovative digital interpretation. This work will continue, honoring his memory and building upon his legacy. As we soon mark the 250th anniversary of America’s independence, a commemoration for which he served on the state commission, millions of people will have a deeper understanding of that past because of Doug’s contributions to the field as author, interpreter and storyteller extraordinaire.”  

An eighth generation South Carolinian, Bostick earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of Charleston and master’s degree from the University of South Carolina. In his long career, he served on the faculty of the University of South Carolina and the University of Maryland and authored some 26 books of nonfiction, covering topics as diverse as Revolutionary War history, South Carolina horse racing and low country foodways. Before his dozen years at the helm of SCBPT, Bostick impacted many other leading Charleston institutions through staff work, including Patriot’s Point Naval & Maritime Museum and Save the Light, Inc., as well as numerous others for which he volunteered and served in an advisory capacity.  

The American Battlefield Trust is dedicated to preserving America’s hallowed battlegrounds and educating the public about what happened there and why it matters today. The nonprofit, nonpartisan organization has protected more than 57,000 acres associated with the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and Civil War across 155 sites in 25 states. Learn more at www.battlefields.org. 

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