Weekend Getaway Exploring the Revolutionary War in Sumter, South Carolina

Thomas Sumter was in trouble. After failing to pay debts for an elaborate trip with Cherokee leaders to England, he was imprisoned in Virginia. Once freed, he fled the state for South Carolina, where he began a new career as a planter and trader. But when the American Revolution began, he found a different path—Revolutionary War hero.

Learn where you can learn Sumter’s history, visit his gravesite in a beautiful park and then discover a few other things to do in the town named in his honor.

Friday

4 p.m. – Sumter County Museum

Built in the 1900s, the three-story brick house with a gorgeous veranda wrapping around the corner is now the Sumter County Museum. The museum interprets the county's history in former bedrooms and parlors turned into exhibit halls. On the first floor, a room dedicated to Thomas Sumter details his Revolutionary War battles, family tree and exploits during his fight for American independence. It’s a great starting point to learn more about the Gamecock and other places to visit to experience the American Revolution.

122 N Washington St Suite A, Sumter, SC | 803-775-0908

6 p.m. – Dinner at J. O’Grady’s

O’Grady’s looks like any other sports bar. The long, narrow building has a bar facing a row of television screens. Sports jerseys and memorabilia adorn the walls. A vibrant red tin metal ceiling counters a dull concrete floor. But make no mistake—J. O’Grady’s is one of the best restaurants in town. The portions of the appetizers are so large each could serve as a meal. But you don’t want to miss out on the burgers and sandwiches. You’re given the option of a salt & pepper bun or Texas toast, but it’s best to let the waitress decide what goes best with the type of burger you want. Either way, you’ll eat this meal with a fork and knife.

5 S Main St, Sumter, SC | 803-938-5699

Insider Tip: It sounds awful, but their Bacon & Beer Ice Cream is one of the most delicious delicacies in South Carolina.

8 p.m. – Drinks at the Sumter Original Brewery

After 12 years of working in the beer industry, Gray Shuler added to Sumter’s downtown revitalization when he opened Sumter Original Brewery, the town’s first brewery. And Shuler spared no expense with his first foray into the craft beer scene. The 35,000-square-foot, three-story facility has a 15-barrel brewing system, a full bar with a game room and the city’s only rooftop bar. After dinner, saunter across the street to the taproom, explore the dozen or so craft beers typically on tap and enjoy the view of the starry sky from the roof.

2 S Main St, Sumter, SC | 803-774-4425

Saturday

10 a.m. – Visit Thomas Sumter’s Gravesite

Thomas Sumter was born near Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1734. After running afoul of unpaid debts, he fled to South Carolina, established a thriving plantation and opened a trading store. In 1776, he was appointed a lieutenant colonel in the 2nd Regiment of South Carolina. But after years of inactivity, he resigned and returned to his plantation.

When Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton burned Sumter’s plantation in 1780, he returned to active duty as a brigadier general of the South Carolina militia. After British victories in Charleston and Camden, Sumter had the only organized resistance left in South Carolina. For the next two years, he kept the British on guard through a series of raids and engagements, earning the nickname “Gamecock” because of his fierce fighting tactics.

When Sumter died in 1832 at 97, he was the oldest living Revolutionary War general. He is buried at General Thomas Sumter Family Park and Cemetery, an interesting amalgamation of public park and gravesite. The route is well-marked with road signs, leading to a gated entrance to the wooded park. Sumter’s wife, son, and daughter-in-law are buried in the cemetery with him.

7120 Acton Rd, Dalzell, SC

Did you know? Sumter’s tomb remained unmarked for 71 years. In 1907, the South Carolina legislature passed a bill authorizing the construction of a monument in the cemetery.

11 a.m. – High Hills Baptist Church

Organized in 1770, High Hills Baptist Church is the second oldest Baptist congregation in South Carolina and a rare example of a non-Presbyterian denomination at the time. The current Greek Revival church was built on land donated by Thomas Sumter.

In 1774, Richard Furman was ordained as the pastor of the church. Although he volunteered to join the South Carolina regiment at the beginning of the Revolutionary War, he was convinced instead to use his public speaking talents to gain support for independence from the public. After capturing Charleston in 1780, British General Lord Cornwallis placed a sizable bounty on Furman, forcing him to flee to Virginia.

After the war, Furman returned to South Carolina and helped organize the South Carolina State Baptist Convention. When the south’s first Baptist college was founded in 1826, it was named Furman University in his honor.

6840 Meeting House Rd, Dalzell, SC

2 p.m. – Swan Lake Iris Gardens

The Swan Lake Iris Gardens is the only public park in the country where visitors can see all eight species of swans. But the 150-acre park didn’t happen overnight. In fact, it started because of an accident in 1927. When Hamilton Carr Bland couldn’t grow Japanese iris bulbs, he told his gardener to chuck them into a swamp. The next year, colorful irises sprang from the swamp, surprising Bland. From 1938–1949, Bland and A.T. Heath Sr. donated the swamp land and a lake along Liberty Street to the city to develop a public park and botanical garden.

The park is free to visit. Walk around the lake on a gravel path moderately suitable for wheelchairs. Find an available bench and enjoy the view of dozens of swans swimming, feeding, bathing and honking loudly whenever someone gets too close. Use the McDuffie Crosswalk over Liberty Street to visit the Cypress Boardwalk—a more peaceful park area with a wooden boardwalk winding through a swamp.

Don’t Miss: In 2010, sculptor Grainger McKoy unveiled Recovery, a 14-foot-tall metal sculpture depicting a duck’s wing in flight. The sculpture is in a secluded setting along the lake’s edge, a few minutes from the parking lot.

822 W Liberty St, Sumter, SC | 803-436-2640 

6 p.m. – Get Dinner on Main Street

Finding Main Street in downtown Sumter is easy. Finding parking is easy. Deciding where to eat dinner—that’s the part that requires some decision-making skills. St. Louis chef Kyle Rhodes opened Sidebar in 2015, where he smokes Texas-style meats, offering a bourbon, barbecue and beer menu. At Jeffrey Lampkin’s Country Boy Kitchen, you’re served soul food with large portions and fresh ingredients. Enjoy a fine dining experience at Hamptons with white upholstered high-back chairs in a dining room featuring hardwood floors and gorgeous chandeliers.

Sunday

11 a.m. – Swamp Fox Murals

Start the day with a half-hour drive along US Highway 521 to Manning, a small town neighboring Clarendon County. Almost as soon as you roll into downtown, you’re sure to spot one of the Swamp Fox Murals. Over 30 murals painted on buildings depict Francis Marion’s exploits during the Revolutionary War. Ranging in size from just ten feet wide to nearly one hundred feet across the side of a grocery store, you’ll need to find a place to park and study the incredible detail in the stories.

19 N Brooks St, Manning, SC | 803-478-2645 

1 p.m. – Fort Watson at Santee National Wildlife Refuge

After the Fall of Charleston in May 1780 and the Battle of Camden a few months later, the British secured South Carolina. They built a series of outposts between Charleston and Camden for communications and supplies. Colonel John Watson supervised the construction of a fort atop the 1,000-year-old Santee Indian Mound overlooking the Santee River.

In February 1781, General Thomas Sumter unsuccessfully tried to capture Fort Watson. The 40-foot elevation of the mound and clear line of sight made it difficult to surprise the British. Then, in April, Francis Marion laid siege to the fort. Major Hezekiah Maham developed a novel idea to build a wooden tower near the fort, affording his soldiers a higher elevation to target the British inside the elevated fort. It was the first important British garrison captured in South Carolina.

The site of Fort Watson at the Santee Indian Mound is located in the Santee National Wildlife Refuge. It’s only a 10-minute drive from I-95 to the peaceful site. Read about the battle at the interpretive displays and climb the tall wooden staircase to the top of the mound for a sweeping view of Lake Marion.

2125 Fort Watson Rd, Summerton, SC | 803-478-2217

Did you know? The Maham Tower was built again a few months later at the Battle of Ninety-Six. A smaller replica of the tower stands near the extant Star Fort at Ninety Six National Historic Site.