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Florence, Marion and Bennettsville didn’t exist during the Revolutionary War. It was an area of Presbyterian settlers along the border between North Carolina and South Carolina. After the British captured Charleston in 1780, it was the area where Francis Marion and his partisan army expertly evaded capture in the swamps.
Learn about the museums, churches and monuments where you can explore the Revolutionary War in the Pee Dee Country.
4 p.m. – Marion County Museum
Years before the American Revolution, Francis Marion fought in the French and Indian War as a commissioned British officer. But when the Revolutionary War began, he chose to fight for independence. He was commissioned as a captain in the 2nd South Carolina Regiment. But when the British captured Charleston in 1780, Marion was left without a formal military command.
And that was the start of his infamous career as “The Swamp Fox.” Operating in the swamps along the Pee Dee and Santee Rivers, Brigadier General Francis Marion mustered militias, harassed the British and etched his name into history. After the war, he returned to his plantation that now sits at the bottom of a lake named in his honor.
The Marion County Museum is a gorgeous building to visit in the town and county named after the Revolutionary War hero. Built in 1886 for the Marion Academy Society, the building is an exhibit to be studied. Inside, you’ll find an entire room dedicated to Marion’s history, a re-creation of a one-room schoolhouse and a nice collection of military and police equipment used throughout different periods.
101 Wilcox Ave, Marion, SC | 843-423-8299
5 p.m. – Francis Marion University
In 1970, a decade of lobbying resulted in the creation of Francis Marion College, one of South Carolina’s 13 public universities. The college—university after 1992—was named after Francis Marion, the Revolutionary War hero who gained fame during the last half of 1780 for his guerrilla warfare against the British.
While celebrating the university’s 40th anniversary, a life-size bronze statue of Francis Marion was erected in a traffic circle along Heyward Drive. The statue stands just 5 feet, 3 inches tall—the actual height of the Revolutionary War general. The statue was sculpted by nationally acclaimed sculptor Garland Weeks and cast by House Bronze Inc. in Lubbock, Texas.
4822 E Palmetto St, Florence, SC | 843-661-1362
6 p.m. – Dinner at Town Hall
Town Hall opened in 2016 as part of a downtown revitalization to bring people back into town again—and it worked. Co-owned by Florence native Dale Barth, the casual, upscale restaurant features a seasonal farm-to-table menu. Portions are large at the southern-style restaurant, with foods cooked in an open kitchen near the dining area. Placemats, cloth napkins and Edison bulbs add a touch of elegance to the restaurant, but feel free to wear comfy clothes for dinner and maybe a stretchy belt.
101 W Evans St, Florence, SC | 843-472-5203
8 p.m. – Drinks at The Dispensary
The Dispensary is Florence’s only rooftop bar. The 3,500-square-foot deck is covered with large outdoor furniture, providing plenty of comfortable seating. The outdoor bar is part of Town Hall, so when dinner is over, you just need to walk up a flight of stairs to enjoy the evening outdoors with a drink.
101 W Evans St, Florence, SC | 843-472-5203
10 a.m. – Old St. David’s Church
Start the day with a one-hour drive through the countryside to the small town of Cheraw. European settlers first arrived in the 1730s, and by the 1750s, a town developed around trade on the Great Pee Dee River. Colonial life in the town was quiet until the British arrived. After capturing Charleston in May 1780, General Lord Cornwallis ordered two battalions of the 71st Fraser Highlanders to occupy Cheraw as a strategic backcountry outpost.
Major Archibald McArthur marched into the small frontier town in July and set up camp near the river. Plagued by illness, they took control of St. David’s Parish Church for use as a hospital. Built in 1768, it was the last Anglican Church built in South Carolina. Interestingly, the church was again used as a field hospital during the Civil War.
Although Old St. David’s Church is typically locked, you can peek through the windows and admire the gorgeous interior, restored to its 1826 appearance when the vestibule and steeple were added. Explore the cemetery filled with Revolutionary War graves, including one with a memorial dedicated to an “unknown soldier of the 71st Fraser Highlanders.”
420 Market St, Cheraw, SC | 843-253-5295
12 p.m. – Marlboro County Historical Museum
After a 20-minute drive, you’ll arrive in the small city of Bennettsville. Founded in 1819, the town was a center of commerce for cotton plantations and eventually the county seat. Broad Street ends at Main Street in front of the courthouse—built in 1884 and enlarged in the 1950s, it’s the most impressive structure in town.
Visit the Marlboro County Historical Museum to learn the town's history. No major engagements—and scarcely any skirmishes—occurred during the Revolutionary War. However, during the Civil War, the town became the unwilling host of General Sherman. While exploring the museum, take the time to enjoy a guided tour of the fascinating Medical Museum and Jennings-Brown House.
123 S Marlboro St, Bennettsville, SC | 843-479-5624
2 p.m. – Lunch at Dairy Dream Drive In
Dairy Dream Drive-In has served generations of locals and travelers with their famous foot-long hotdogs, fried chicken, and thick milkshakes. Step inside the red-shingled, beige stucco build, and you’ll find the menu hanging on the wall above the counter. It’s one of those places where sandwiches, seafood and barbecue happily coexist—and everything is satisfactorily savory.
400 Cheraw St, Bennettsville, SC | 843-479-9432
4 p.m. – Florence County Museum
From Native American tribes through the Revolutionary War, World Wars and modern times, a lot has happened in the region—and the Florence County Museum is the perfect place to learn about it. The museum features an impressive collection of artifacts and interpretive displays, dividing history into periods between wars. Learn about the history of Francis Marion and that time a nuclear bomb was accidentally dropped on a house, and explore local artwork at this fascinating museum.
111 W Cheves St, Florence, SC | 843-676-1200
6 p.m. – Dinner at Tubb’s Shrimp and Fish Co.
In 2014, Kyle Hardee followed in his grandfather’s footsteps and opened a seafood restaurant. But instead of an oceanside location like Sunset Beach, Hardee opened Tubb’s Shrimp and Fish Co. in a renovated gas station in Florence. “I get all the seafood from the best source possible, fresh and never frozen,” Hardee explains. Order the seafood platter to sample the best from the Eastern United States, but start your dinner with a bowl of the best she-crab soup outside of Charleston.
1500 2nd Loop Rd, Florence, SC | 843-799-5579
