How Volunteer Barry Russell Is Preserving History and Investing in Students

Inside the restoration of a historic steam engine and the community helping bring it back to life at the South Carolina Govenor's School for Agriculture at John de la Howe.

On a warm May morning at the South Carolina Governor’s School for Agriculture at John de la Howe (SCGSA), the sounds of grinders, tools, and conversation echoed through the Agricultural Mechanics shop as students spent the final weeks of the school year restoring a rare Frick Eclipse steam engine.

Inside the shop, Christopher Warren-Page (junior, Mechanics pathway) and Stafford Chew (junior, Ag Mechanics pathway) worked steadily alongside long-time volunteer Barry Russell, sanding, priming, and rebuilding a machine that once powered farms generations ago.

As the morning continued, Eli Waystack (senior, Agricultural Mechanics pathway) joined the group inside the shop, adding to the steady work already underway on the restoration project.

But this story is about far more than restoring a steam engine.

It is about what becomes possible when students are surrounded by people willing to invest their time, knowledge, craftsmanship, and encouragement into the next generation.

A Project Rooted in Community

Students in the Agricultural Mechanics pathway are currently leading the in-house restoration of the Frick Eclipse steam engine, one of the earliest forms of portable farm power available during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The steam engine was donated to the school by Senator Dan Verdin, who has also served as the project’s primary supporter throughout the effort.

For nearly two years, Barry has spent countless hours alongside students helping guide the project from the ground up.

“I’m really just the project manager,” he said with a smile. “The students have done a tremendous amount of the work.”

For the John de la Howe School Foundation, projects like this represent the kind of transformational learning experiences made possible when donors and volunteers invest beyond the classroom.

That shared investment, donors providing resources, volunteers sharing expertise, and students contributing the work itself, is what makes projects like this possible at John de la Howe.

Meet the Volunteer Behind the Restoration

A former Navy boilerman familiar with steam propulsion systems, Barry brings decades of mechanical knowledge to the restoration effort.

His career later expanded into telecommunications engineering, where he helped transition major systems from analog to digital technology for companies including AT&T, Verizon, Bell Atlantic, and New York Telephone.

Originally from Long Island, New York, Barry has become a familiar and encouraging presence around campus over the last 19 years. Whether mentoring students inside the Agricultural Mechanics shop, stopping by the Foundation office, or sharing stories from decades of experience, he represents the kind of generosity that continues shaping student experiences long after the school day ends.

For the Foundation, support often looks like more than financial giving alone.

Sometimes support looks like a volunteer sharing a lifetime of knowledge, mentorship, and craftsmanship with the next generation.

• In addition to volunteering on campus, Barry currently serves as chairman of the board for Willington on the Way, a nonprofit bookstore and community gathering space located just up the road from campus.

  
  

• Beyond engineering and restoration work, Barry is also an accomplished artist whose work includes painting, sculpture, woodworking, and digital art.

  
  

• Now living in Savannah Lakes, Barry continues investing his time, creativity, and expertise into students at John de la Howe.

He even keeps a miniature steam engine at home.

You can explore more of Barry’s artwork and creative work through Russell’s Gallery.

Why the Steam Engine Matters

“Back in the 1840s and 1850s, this was the first temporary power supply that could really go anywhere you wanted it to,” Barry explained. “It had all kinds of applications before things eventually developed further into modern steam engines.”

Manufactured during a time when wood and coal were plentiful, portable steam engines transformed agriculture by allowing power to move directly into the field rather than relying solely on stationary systems.

The Frick Eclipse steam engine students are restoring:

• was manufactured around 1930

• still has replacement parts available through the original company

• represents one of the earliest forms of portable farm power available to farmers

  
  

Once completed, the restored steam engine will become part of the school’s museum collection, helping preserve an important piece of agricultural history for future students and visitors to experience firsthand.

Barry estimates the project will likely be completed sometime next semester as students continue work inside the Agricultural Mechanics shop.

Students Building Skills Through Restoration

For students in the Agricultural Mechanics pathway at SCGSA, the Frick Eclipse project represents far more than restoring a historic machine.

Together, Christopher, Stafford, and Eli have contributed to:

• sandblasting components

• restoration preparation

• priming

• restoring brass fittings

• preparing the engine’s signature black, red, and yellow finish

  
  

Projects like the Frick Eclipse restoration allow students to apply classroom instruction in real-world settings while working alongside experienced mentors and volunteers.

• Christopher plans to continue pursuing agricultural equipment and diesel mechanics through the John Deere program with Dobbs Equipment after graduation.

  
  

• Stafford has spent the last two years developing mechanical and fabrication skills through the Agricultural Mechanics pathway while contributing to projects inside the shop alongside fellow students and volunteers.

  
  

• Eli will begin the John Deere Technician Program at South Georgia Technical College this August while also beginning work with a John Deere dealership in St. Matthews, South Carolina, while continuing to work alongside his family at Long Leaf Family Farms.

  • Eli also independently restored a 1940s John Deere Model A tractor during his time at SCGSA, with the completed restoration set to be displayed in the school’s museum collection.

More Than a Restoration Project

For the John de la Howe School Foundation, projects like the Frick Eclipse restoration serve as a reminder that education is strengthened when communities come together.

Donors, volunteers, mentors, and industry partners each help create opportunities students could never experience through textbooks alone.

As grinders continue humming inside the Agricultural Mechanics shop, the Frick Eclipse steam engine steadily moves closer to being restored once again, not only by tools and technical skill, but by a community that continues showing up for students year after year.

Want to get involved?

Whether through your time, talent, mentorship, or financial support, there are meaningful ways to help invest in the next generation of agricultural leaders at the South Carolina Governor’s School for Agriculture.

Connect With the Foundation Team →