The Horry County Museum presents a lecture by David Hodges, on June 3^rd at 1 PM, on his book: Sunset Lodge in Georgetown: The Story of a Madam.

Hazel Weisse owned a brothel in Florence, South Carolina before she moved to Georgetown in 1936 where she successfully ran a brothel 33 years, despite it being illegal, until she retired in 1969. She is considered one of the most powerful and richest women in the state during that era, entertaining legislators and judges, business owners and law enforcement. Hazel’s brothel, the Sunset Lodge, was a destination for men from everywhere, arriving by car, train, boat and plane. She was generous, sometimes referred to as a “local United Way.” The stories about the Sunset Lodge are legendary and Author David Gregg Hodges’ book reveals the history and stories behind the Sunset Lodge. Books will be available for purchase after the talk.

David Hodges is from Columbia. He has been married 48 years and has four children and nine grandchildren. David has been in the life insurance business 45 years with MassMutual. He has served on local and statewide boards including as Chair of the State Museum Foundation, Chair of the Board of Visitors of Columbia College, Chair of the University of South Carolina Arts and Science Partnership Board, and currently is the Chair of South Carolina Humanities. David is a major collector of books about South Carolina with 4,500 titles in his collection. He regularly writes articles for Columbia Metropolitan Magazine and occasionally for the Coastal Observer in Pawleys Island. He published a book in 2019 about the Sunset Lodge, a famous brothel in Georgetown County that was owned and operated by the same madam 33 years. He gathered stories for the book from many places in South Carolina, including Horry County.

The program will begin at 1:00 pm in the McCown Auditorium located at 805 Main Street, Conway SC. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 843-915-5320 or email hcgmuseum@horrycounty.org. To view a full list of programs, visit our website at www.horrycountymuseum.org.