Weekend Getaway Exploring the Revolutionary War in South Carolina’s Upcountry

Before the American Revolution, this area was a boundary between the Cherokees and colonists. It was a place where traders formed connections and facilitated gunpowder in exchange for deer skins. But when the Revolutionary War began, it became a region of skirmishes, divided loyalties and epic battles that determined the war’s outcome.

Learn where you can explore the Revolutionary War in South Carolina’s Upcountry, where to find food and a few other things to do with a weekend getaway.

Friday

5 p.m. – Take a Walk Through Falls Park on the Reedy

Falls Park on the Reedy is downtown Greenville's heart of urban nature. Completed in the early 2000s, the park’s main attraction is the 355-foot-long, curved Liberty Bridge. The concrete and steel bridge, supported by a single suspension cable, offers a stunning overhead view of the cascading Reedy River Falls.

In 1768, Richard Pearis was the first European settler in the region. He built a trading post and grist mill at a waterfall on a 50,000-acre tract. He operated as an Indian trader and built strong relationships with the natives. But when the Revolutionary War began, he was accused of helping Loyalist Patrick Cunningham steal a shipment of gunpowder—that incident led to the Battle of Ninety Six.

Take a walk through the park, crossing the Liberty Bridge, and enjoy the spectacular view of the waterfall. The park features plenty of places to relax and enjoy the spot of nature in the middle of the bustling city.

601 S Main St, Greenville, SC | 864-467-4350 

7 p.m. – Dinner on South Main Street

After a walk through the park, enjoy dinner nearby, with plenty of offerings along South Main Street. Passerelle Bistro is the only restaurant with outdoor seating overlooking the waterfall—their French-inspired menu includes herb-crusted trout and creme brulee. Jianna is an Italian restaurant with a twist—they also serve freshly shucked oysters in a gorgeous, modern dining space. Experience Persian cuisine with dinner at Pomegranate on Main or stay closer to home at Smoke on the Water, a “saucy southern tavern” with American-style foods.

9 p.m. – Get Drinks at The Whale Collective

After opening their first location in Asheville, North Carolina, a second location was opened on South Main Street in Greenville in 2019. The Whale Collective is a craft beer tap room where you can experience craft beers on tap from around the world. Their tap menu includes almost two dozen beers at any time, many of them from across the United States. Grab a cozy seat at the bar or slide into one of the lightweight aluminum chairs at the high-top tables and enjoy some great craft beer.

1108 S Main St Suite #116, Greenville, SC | 864-263-7529

Saturday

10 a.m. – Explore the Upcountry History Museum

Start your day with a trip to the Upcountry History Museum for an immersive experience. Rather than creating static interpretive displays on unadorned walls, this museum built a life-size historical set, allowing you to step into history. Learn about the history of the Upcountry at the interactive tabletop map, discover how the Revolutionary War and the birth of a country affected the region, and continue through modern times.

540 Buncombe St, Greenville, SC | 864-467-3100 

12 p.m. – Visit Downtown Greer

In the 1750s, James Manning Greer joined a growing number of immigrants who settled on frontier lands bordering the Cherokees. But the town of Greer would not be founded until 1876 when the Richmond and Danville Air Line Railway was built between Atlanta and Charlotte. In recent years, Greer has developed into a destination town for shopping and dining in their gorgeous downtown area.

Start at the Greer Heritage Museum to learn about the area's history and get some insight into where you should spend a couple of hours exploring. Take a walk down Trade Street, the main street downtown lined with shops. Get a coffee and pastry at Barista Alley, or wait until later when you pass. Plunder is a large antique store chock-full of every kind of collectible and tarnished decor.

1 p.m. – Lunch at Wild Ace Pizza & Pub

Wild Ace Pizza & Pub looks like an airplane hangar. An “airplane control tower” looms over the restaurant. Inside, chairs scrape across a concrete floor. Airplane models—some nearly ten feet long—hang from the black metal ceiling. The theme is all part of family history for owners Chris and Denise VandenBerghe, whose grandfather was a World War II pilot. The menu includes New York-style pizza by the slice or whole pie. The thin crust is loaded with toppings—choose from a ready-to-go recipe or build your own from scratch.

103 Depot St, Greer, SC | 864-879-6900

3 p.m. – Take a Guided Tour at Walnut Grove Plantation

In 1765, Irish immigrants Charles and Mary Moore built a one-story home on a land grant near present-day Spartanburg. Shortly after moving to South Carolina, their daughter Margaret Catherine Moore—more commonly known as Kate—married Andrew Barry. During the Revolutionary War, her brother Thomas Moore volunteered in the local militia, and her husband served as a captain.

But Kate Barry would also play a role in the war for independence. Like many women in the South Carolina backcountry, she operated as a scout and spy. During the lead-up to the Battle of Cowpens, she helped muster Patriot militia at the family plantation.

In 1967, the Spartanburg County Historical Association opened Walnut Grove Plantation to the public for the first time. Take a guided tour of the original home—subsequently expanded into a two-story frame house—and a dozen additional buildings like a one-room schoolhouse, office and barn. Go for a short walk to the family cemetery where Charles and Mary Moore are buried alongside Kate and Andrew Barry.

1200 Otts Shoals Rd, Roebuck, SC | 864-576-6546

5 p.m. – Visit Morgan Square

A Virginia wagoner and planter, Morgan saw his first action of the Revolutionary War in 1775 during the ill-fated Battle of Quebec. After six months of imprisonment, Morgan returned to duty at the Battle of Saratoga, a resounding British defeat. After a brief retirement, Morgan was again called to duty after the disastrous Battle of Camden to assist General Nathanael Greene’s Southern campaign.

In early January 1781, Greene detached Morgan with 600 Continental soldiers and 300 militia and ordered him into the South Carolina backcountry toward the British army. Alarmed at the movement, British General Lord Cornwallis ordered Banastre Tarleton to stop Morgan. On January 17, the two opposing forces met at the Battle of Cowpens. Using a brilliant strategy, aided by Andrew Pickens and William Washington, Morgan crushed Tarleton and forced the British to retreat.

On the west end of Morgan Square, a bronze statue stands atop a 21’ tall granite column. Erected in 1881 on the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Cowpens, the statue is dedicated to Colonel Daniel Morgan. All thirteen original states and Tennessee funded the granite column.

7 p.m. – Dinner at Morgan Square

No need to move the car—there are plenty of fantastic foods at restaurants across the street from Morgan Square.

Delaney’s Irish Pub is a delightfully authentic experience with Irish-style beers on tap and a menu replete with Irish foods. Sophia’s is an Italian restaurant featuring homemade meatballs and sauces in various pasta plates. Peddler Steak House has been serving Spartanburg since 1970 with steaks aged at least 28 days for a tender and flavorful diner. Burgär—and that’s not a typo—just might offer the best burgers in the city with half-pound handcrafted beef patties on brioche buns and topped with all sorts of goodness.

Sunday

10 a.m. – Stop at the Strawberry Hill USA Produce Shed

When Perry Cooley started a farm in the South Carolina Upcountry in the early 1900s, he exclusively grew cotton. But in 1946, Perry transferred some of the land to his son, WWII veteran Gene, who began planting peach trees. Then, in 1995, Gene’s son, James, planted six acres of strawberries.

Today, Strawberry Hill USA is the largest strawberry farm in South Carolina, covering nearly 115 acres. But they still have 1,000 acres of peach trees along with blackberries, squash, cucumbers, cantaloupes and beans. The produce stand on the side of SC Highway 11—locally called the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway—is open seven days a week. During the spring months, you’ll find gallon buckets of freshly picked strawberries sitting on tables in the covered shed—the perfect road trip food.

3097 SC-11, Chesnee, SC | 864-461-4000

11 a.m. – Explore Cowpens National Battlefield

\After the Fall of Charleston in May 1780 and the disastrous Battle of Camden in August that year, the British were almost in total control of South Carolina. But the Battle of Kings Mountain that October turned the tide. The culmination of months of militia activities from Francis Marion, Thomas Sumter and Andrew Pickens pinned General Lord Cornwallis in South Carolina.

When Cornwallis set his eyes on North Carolina, General Nathanael Greene—the new commander of the Southern Department—dispatched Colonel Daniel Morgan to stop his advance. On January 17, 1781, Morgan faced Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton at the Battle of Cowpens.

Morgan developed a plan for using the militia to defeat a trained British force. Setting up three lines of defense, he instructed Andrew Pickens’ militia to fire three shots—precisely three shots—and then retreat. The British, seeing militia yet again retreat in the face of battle, quickly moved into the trap. Dragoons under the command of Lieutenant Colonel William Washington rode onto the battlefield and crushed the British. It was the only successful double envelopment of the Revolutionary War.

Banastre Tarleton personally led a charge to retake the field but failed. Morgan lost only a dozen men. Tarleton, however, faced his worst defeat of the Revolutionary War, with 100 dead, 200 wounded and nearly 600 captured.

Start your exploration of Cowpens National Battlefield at the visitor center. The 18-minute Cowpens: A Battle Remembered is an excellent film retelling the pivotal battle. Walk through the small museum, then grab a map before heading outside. Go for a walk on the 1.3-mile Battlefield Trail to retrace the action during the battle. Or you could drive the 3.8-mile Auto Loop Road to see the battlefield from the comfort of your car.

4001 Chesnee Hwy, Gaffney, SC | 864-461-2828 

2 p.m. – Visit the James Williams Gravesite

James Williams migrated to South Carolina in 1773 and became a prominent leader in his community. He was elected to the First and Second Provincial Congresses. At the onset of the Revolutionary War, he was appointed to the rank of lieutenant colonel of a local militia. However, his first military action in the war was on the frontier, commanding a detachment in Andrew Williamson’s expeditionary force in the Cherokee War of 1776.

Returning to his plantation in present-day Laurens County, Williams commanded a detachment at the Battle of Musgrove’s Mill in August 1781. Less than two months later, Williams commanded a unit at the Battle of Kings Mountain. He was killed during the final charge against Ferguson’s loyalists.

Arriving in Gaffney on SC Highway 11, continue to the James Williams Gravesite across from city hall in downtown. Initially, Williams was buried near the battlefield. In 1915, he was reinterred in front of the Carnegie Library beneath a monument—interestingly flanked by Civil War-era canons.