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Revolutionary-Era Sites and Southern Charm in Lake Hartwell Country
Jason Barnette
Jason Barnette began a career as a travel photographer in 2009 and added travel writing to his resume in 2018 with a focus on road trips with hints of history, coffee and local businesses.
When the American Revolution began in 1775, the northwestern corner of South Carolina was a scarcely settled, contentious frontier. But shortly after the war, the frontier opened as settlers were finally free to push westward across the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Revolutionary War history is scarce in South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell Country, but you’ll find plenty of early American history to explore.
No Revolutionary War battles happened in the region. The only connection to the revolution was the 1776 Cherokee Campaign, a brutal war between South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia against Cherokee war bands. In South Carolina, the campaign was commanded by Colonel Andrew Williamson—a person who would significantly impact the American Revolution in the south. When the Cherokee Campaign was finished several months later, the Cherokees were forced to the negotiating table, ceding all South Carolina lands.
After the American Revolution, trading posts were opened along the roads crossing the mountains westward into Georgia. Wealthy Charlestonians, who had already discovered a paradise to escape the brutal coastal summers, flooded into the region and shaped its future.
Find out where you can explore the regional history in charming small towns throughout South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell Country.
Woodburn House
Woodburn House is a grand, four-story Federal style house in Pendleton.
130 History Ln, Pendleton, SC 29670 | (864) 646-7249
In the late 1700s, wealthy Charlestonians discovered a paradise along the Savannah River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. It was the perfect place for escaping the brutal summer heat, so they established the town of Pendleton in 1790. On the heels of the town’s founding, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney came to the area.
During the Revolutionary War, Pinckney was a colonel in command of the 1st South Carolina Regiment and took part in battles surrounding Charleston. But when he was captured by the British in 1780, he took their offer of protection in exchange for his removal from the war. In 1830—almost fifty years later—he built a grand Federal-style house in Pendleton.
Woodburn House is an impressive four-story house on a small property five minutes from Pendleton’s town square. The Pendleton Historic Foundation offers guided tours. It’s an excellent opportunity to explore the house's rooms, from the basement kitchen to the bedrooms connected to the large balcony. You’ll hear stories about the builder and subsequent owners of the house, including the 44,000-gallon cistern hidden beneath the house.
Don’t Miss: Old Stone Church, just a few minutes from the Woodburn House. Built in 1789 for the Hopewell Presbyterian congregation, the church’s cemetery is the final resting place of Andrew Pickens. Pickens was a prominent militia colonel during the American Revolution and one of the few leaders to evade British capture throughout the war. Park at the church and walk less than two minutes to the Pickens family plot to visit the gravesite.
Ashtabula
Ashtabula’s history goes back to 1790 when the original two-story brick house was used as a traveler’s inn. A large clapboard house was built years later by the Gibbes family of Charleston.
2725 Old Greenville Hwy, Central, SC 29630 | (864) 646-7249
In the 1820s, Lewis Ladson Gibbes joined the exodus of Charlestonians to Pendleton. He began building a two-story plantation house, but he and his wife died before completing it. Since then, the house traded hands over a dozen times, eventually ending up in possession of the Mead Paper Company. In 1961, the company donated the house to the Pendleton Historic Foundation.
Visitors can book a guided tour of the plantation house to see authentic antebellum furniture, learn about the history of the various owners and explore the grand home that was one of the finest in Pendleton at the time.
The Bob Campbell Geology Museum is one of the best-hidden attractions in Clemson. The small geology museum features nearly 10,000 minerals, rocks and fossils from around the world. Step inside the Fluorescent Mineral Room and shut the lights off to see an impressive display of rocks and minerals that essentially glow in the dark.
The museum began as a small collection that grew with private donations. The largest donation came from Robert S. Campbell, the owner of several rock quarries across South Carolina. In 1996, he donated funds to build a dedicated space to house the geology museum.
Don’t Miss: The 295-acre South Carolina Botanical Garden is almost hidden on the sprawling urban campus of Clemson University near the geology museum. It started as a camelia garden in the 1950s but has grown to include dozens of themed gardens, a duck pond and miles of crisscrossing hiking trails.
Clemson Area African American Museum
The museum's exhibits include one on Briggs vs. Elliott, where Clarendon County residents sued over the lack of school buses for Black students while white students had access.
214 Butler St, Clemson, SC 29631 | 864-654-2944
When a 1940s segregated school was put up for sale, residents knew they had an opportunity. With help from block grants, volunteers and the city, the Clemson Area African American Museum was founded in 2007. The old school was renovated, and exhibits were created for the new museum.
The museum features exhibits on the local history of African Americans from their arrival in the 1700s. The museum explores the history, culture and traditions of the people who made the Upcountry their home for generations.
Fort Hill
Fort Hill is open for guided public tours.
520 Fort Hill St, Clemson, SC 29634 | 864-656-2475
After his father-in-law died in 1838, Thomas Green Clemson inherited the 1,100-acre Fort Hill Plantation spread across much of present-day Clemson. He was the first acting U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and believed his home state needed a school for teaching future farmers. In 1838, he willed 814 acres to create Clemson University as the state’s first agricultural school.
Remarkably, the original plantation house remains, although today, the farmland has been replaced by the sprawling university campus. The house is open for guided public tours. During the tour, you’ll learn about the founding of Clemson University, the connection to other prominent South Carolinians, and explore the fascinating collection of furniture and artifacts.
Don’t Miss: Drive about ten minutes to the site of Fort Rutledge near the Walker Golf Course. When the American Revolution began, a band of Cherokees took the opportunity to begin a war along the frontier. Colonel Andrew Williamson mustered a militia, built Fort Rutledge as a supply depot and garrison and marched into Cherokee land to burn every village. Learn about the history of the Cherokee Campaign at the site of the fort.
Bertha Lee Strickland Cultural Museum
The Bertha Lee Strickland Cultural Museum chronicles the history, culture and contributions of local African-Americans in the Upstate.
208 W South 2nd St, Seneca, SC 29678 | 864-885-2705
In 2008, an idea was formed to create a cultural museum in Seneca dedicated to the African American community. After a year of construction, renovation, and development, the Bertha Lee Strickland Cultural Museum opened in 2015. The museum is a pair of houses—one original and the other built for the museum.
Inside, exhibits tell the story of African Americans living in Seneca and life in South Carolina’s Upcountry. Exhibits feature local artifacts, the region's history and fully immersive experiences using virtual reality. It’s a great place to learn a different facet of life in the area.
Don’t Miss: Downtown Seneca is just five minutes from the museum. Park near the remnants of the train depot and walk along Ram Cat Alley to explore local shopping and food. Get something to eat at The Spot on the Alley, Bonaterra or Vangelis Bistro.
Museum of the Cherokee in South Carolina
The Museum of the Cherokee in South Carolina explores the history and culture of the Cherokee in the state.
70 Short St, Walhalla, SC 29691 | (864) 710-9210
Before European settlers reached North America's shores, the Cherokees spread throughout the region from modern-day Kentucky to South Carolina. But as the frontier pushed westward, the Cherokee pushed back. The tension peaked in 1776 when Dragging Canoe declared war against settlers in their territory and began a rampage across the frontier.
Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina mustered militias for the Cherokee Campaign. They marched into Cherokee territory and burned every village. In South Carolina, the villages were called the Lower Towns. Colonel Andrew Williamson torched the towns, then continued into North Carolina. After the campaign, Dragging Canoe retreated in defeat, and the remaining Cherokee ceded all land in South Carolina.
The Museum of the Cherokee in South Carolina explores the history and culture of the Cherokee in the state. Spread throughout two buildings, the museum features dozens of exhibits, detailed history and fantastic maps to help understand how the Cherokee land compared to today’s boundaries.
Oconee History Museum
Among the most popular displays in the Oconee History Museum is the Depression-era tenant farmer’s house.
The Oconee History Museum is a fascinating way to explore the county’s history. Life-size dioramas recreate life on the 1700s frontier, advancements in technology, the culture of Native Americans and the history of the region. Housed inside the cavernous Tobacco Factory Building built in 1892, it’s easy to spend an hour or two exploring the free museum.
Oconee Military Museum
The Oconee Military Museum features exhibits on every American conflict, from the Revolutionary War to modern wars.
13 Short St, Walhalla, SC 29691 | 864-638-5455
In 1933, the Old Rock Building was built with granite rock removed from the construction of the Stumphouse Tunnel. Today, the Oconee Military Museum makes the building—renamed Patriots Hall—their home.
The museum features exhibits on every American conflict, from the Revolutionary War to modern wars. The exhibits feature historical information, photos and artifacts. Thousands of artifacts adorn the walls and fill display cases throughout the two-story museum.
Don’t Miss: After exploring the museums in Walhalla, get something to eat along Main Street. Steph’s Steaks, Carolina Pizza Company, and Pete’s Drive-In feature fantastic local food. Stop by Mountain Mocha for cupcakes and coffee, or visit West & Co. Taproom for drinks and live music.
Jason Barnette began a career as a travel photographer in 2009 and added travel writing to his resume in 2018 with a focus on road trips with hints of history, coffee and local businesses.
