Jason Barnette
At the time of the American Revolution, modern-day Rock Hill was a part of the New Acquisition District. It was an area far removed from the government in Charleston where frontier settlers provided—and fended—for themselves. When the Revolutionary War came to South Carolina, settlers chose to side with the Patriots or Loyalists.
Rock Hill is an excellent place to spend the weekend while exploring the historic sites in the area. Here are some Revolutionary War sites you shouldn’t miss and where to get fantastic local foo along the way.
Accommodations
Rock Hill offers a mix of accommodations to suit any type of traveler, from cozy B&Bs to upscale hotels and family-friendly suites.
Enjoy authentic Southern hospitality at the East Main Guest House, a charming bed-and-breakfast offering a cozy retreat in Rock Hill’s Historic District.
For convenience and comfort, Hilton Garden Inn Rock Hill offers modern, pet-friendly accommodations. With an outdoor pool, fitness center and on-site restaurant, this hotel has everything needed for a relaxing, hassle-free stay.
The Cambria Hotel Rock Hill near Winthrop University provides a stylish stay with upscale guest rooms, modern amenities and an on-site restaurant featuring Southern cuisine and local craft beers. Unwind in their rooftop bar with panoramic views of the city, perfect for relaxing after a day of sightseeing.
Spend a Day Exploring Fort Mill
Before heading to Fort Mill for the day, fuel up with a hearty breakfast. Grab some bagels at Rock Hill Bagels & Deli or, if you’d prefer breakfast in Fort Mill, try the hash brown bowls or banana walnut pancakes at The Flipside Cafe. For classic options like omelets, eggs benedict or shrimp and grits, Eggs Up Grill is another great choice.
After breakfast, make your way to Anne Springs Close Greenway to hike a preserved, unpaved portion of the Great Wagon Road. In the mid-1700s, Scots-Irish immigrants began a great migration south. Tens of thousands traveled along the Great Wagon Road from Philadelphia, through Virginia and the Carolinas, as far as Augusta, Georgia. It was a vital route for supplies and troop movements during the Revolutionary War. In late 1780 and early 1781, British General Lord Cornwallis marched along the Great Wagon Road from Camden through Charlotte to Salem.
Park at the Nature Center and go for a 0.8-mile hike on the Nation Ford Road Trail to the Dairy Barn. Walk across the 125-foot suspension bridge over Steel Creek—the same creek forded by American and British soldiers. Afterward, refuel with a snack at the Greenway Canteen and relax in the peaceful outdoor seating area.
Fort Mill’s historic downtown blends old and new for a fun collection of restaurants and shops—plus the world’s hottest pepper. The town’s vibrant food scene ranges from cozy downtown bistros to lively new-town restaurants and bars, perfect for any craving. Emmet’s Social Table is an excellent place to spend an evening with a fire pit on the patio surrounded by comfortable furniture—their menu includes flatbreads, tacos and craft cocktails. The Improper Pig serves up the best barbecue and homemade sauces in the region in a comfortable dining space with cushioned aluminum chairs lit by Edison bulbs. The appropriately named Hobo’s is located beside the railroad tracks and is a great place to enjoy burgers, tacos and spiked milkshakes on their outdoor patio. Towne Tavern is the ultimate sports bar with outstanding chicken wings and beer-battered fish, but if you visit on a game day, you’ll have to pretend to be a Buffalo Bills fan.
Finish your day in Fort Mill with drinks at Amor Artis Brewing. Opened by Fort Mill brothers Travis and Steve Tolson, you’ll likely find at least one of the dynamic trio working behind the bar serving their savory craft beer. Travis discovered a passion for brewing beer in his garage in Upstate New York before moving to Alaska with his Coast Guard wife, Khara. After moving to Asheville, Travis gained his first experience as a head brewer and manager before moving home to Fort Mill. At the same time, Steve earned a chemistry degree from Davidson College and a master’s in biology from The Citadel.
Enjoy a cold craft beer in their rustic brewery with dark wood tables and exposed brick walls. On the weekends, live music fills the air and entertains into the night.
Walk Through History at Historic Brattonsville
Rock Hill and its surrounding areas offer the perfect blend of history, culture and culinary delights. Start with brunch at The Flipside Restaurant. On Saturdays and Sundays, The Flipside Restaurant serves one of the best brunch menus in South Carolina. Arrive early because the locals love it at this cozy restaurant. Try their buttermilk biscuits and gravy, chicken and waffles, or their savory Flipside Burger topped with pimento cheese and bacon jam.
Before you head out of town, make your way to Knowledge Perk Coffee Company for a perfectly brewed pick-me-up. When you walk into the 4,500-square-foot building, you’re greeted with the scent of freshly roasted coffee. Owner Ryan Sanderson opened shop in 2019, and traveled the world in search of direct connections with organic growers, forging relationships for fair trade coffee beans. Roasted in-house, the beans are ground fresh for every cup of coffee served. Grab a cold brew, drip coffee or espresso drink as you continue exploring the Revolutionary War.
After a satisfying breakfast and coffee to go, hit the road toward Historic Brattonsville. The 800-acre site preserves over 30 historic structures and interprets the South Carolina backcountry history from the Revolutionary War until the Civil War. Start at the visitor center and gift shop, then take a self-guided walk throughout the property to explore the buildings, farms and structures.
The Colonel William Bratton House is the oldest structure on the property, built by Bratton in 1766. Bratton was part of a mass migration of Scots-Irish from Pennsylvania into the Carolinas along the Great Wagon Road throughout the 1700s. Settling on 200 acres in the South Carolina backcountry, Bratton established a plantation that passed through generations of his family.
During the Revolutionary War, Bratton served as a captain—and later colonel—in the local militia. On July 11, 1780, British Captain Christian Huck arrived at Bratton’s house with nearly 300 men on an expedition to quash rebels in the backcountry. After a confrontation with Martha Bratton, Huck moved his detachment half a mile away to the Williamson’s Plantation to spend the night.
Immediately, Martha sent the family enslaved person, Watt, to find her husband. Bratton, along with Colonels Andrew Neel, John McClure and Captain Edward Lacey, raced through the night to reach the plantation by dawn. Without sentries or patrols, the Americans could sneak within yards of the awakening British before opening fire. Huck dashed out of the plantation house, mounted his horse and was killed in the first volley of gunfire. By the end of the battle, nearly two-thirds of the British detachment were dead, wounded or captured.
Historic Brattonsville hosts a reenactment of the Battle of Huck’s Defeat every year in July. The reenactment features living history demonstrations, live fire exercises and a re-creation of the battle on a large field.
After immersing yourself in the history of Historic Brattonsville, it's time to head back to Rock Hill for an evening exploring the vibrant downtown scene. With its wide sidewalks, shady trees and plenty of comfortable spots to sit, Rock Hill’s downtown is perfect for a leisurely stroll. Just off Main Street in Rock Hill, duck into the alleyway known as Freedom Walkway—a commemorative space honoring social justice activists—where you’ll find panels about civil rights history, plus mosaics and paintings.
At Friends Books on Main, browse an enormous selection of used books in a store operated by the Friends of the York County Library. If you’re looking for antiques, head to Shoppes at River’s Edge near the Riverwalk community, or explore an eclectic collection of wares in small shops along the historic Main Street corridor.
The Main Street Bottle Company is a great place to discover the vibrant local craft beer—browse the coolers for bottles or cans from breweries around Rock Hill and the Charlotte area. Browse galleries of local artwork at the Center for the Arts and then visit the Gettys Art Center next door.
When it’s time for dinner, you'll find plenty of delicious choices to wrap up your day. At Kounter Dining, owner and chef Rob Masone wants you to sit at the historic counter—the site of the Friendship Nine’s famous sit-in— and watch him prepare savory meals as you learn about the history of the building.
Millstone Pizza & Taphouse features New York-style Neapolitan pizzas baked in wood-fired brick ovens paired with an assortment of craft beers brewed on-site. Each of the five floors at The Pump House offers a unique dining room with incredible views of the Catawba River. With a selection of handcrafted cocktails, award-winning wines and Southern-inspired dishes with a chophouse flair, this is one dining experience you won’t forget.
Every third Friday from May through October, Fountain Park hosts Food Truck Friday. Dozens of food trucks line the streets surrounding the park, which are closed to vehicles for the event, as live music echoes through the air from the stage.
Revolutionary History and Natural Beauty at Two State Parks
For breakfast this morning, indulge on brioche cinnamon French toast or quiche du jour at Amelie’s French Bakery & Café. Founded in 2008 in Charlotte’s NoDA neighborhood, Amelie’s serves French inspired pastries, soups, salads and sandwiches. The Rock Hill location is the only one in South Carolina and is perfectly located on Main Street downtown.
There aren’t many places to eat near Landsford Canal State Park, so consider ordering something to go from Amelie’s or picking up sandwiches at Grouchos Deli, where you’ll find a large variety of subs and salads.
The land encompassing the park was granted to Thomas Land in 1754. Running parallel to the majestic Catawba River, the area abuts a ford, or a section of river shallow enough to cross on foot or horse, lending to the name Land’s Ford, which eventually became Landsford. British General Lord Cornwallis, Patriot General Thomas Sumter and dozens of other detachments throughout the Revolutionary War used Land’s Ford to cross the Catawba.
Landsford Canal State Park is one of the most idyllic and peaceful state parks in South Carolina. The 1.25-mile Canal Trail retraces the route of the 1800s canals, where remnants can be seen in the lush forest. Parallel to that trail, the 0.75-mile Nature Trail follows the course of the Catawba River. Every year in mid-May, thousands of Rocky Shoals Spider Lilies bloom in the river creating a sea of vibrant green and white among the rushing water of the ford.
Have lunch in the park before heading to Andrew Jackson State Park.
In the 1760s, Scots-Irish immigrants Andrew and Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson traveled along the Great Wagon Road from Philadelphia to the Carolinas. The family settled on 200 acres along Twelve Mile Creek in the Waxhaws region. While clearing the land for farming, Jackson was gravely injured. He died just days before the birth of his son and future president, Andrew Jackson.
Jackson was only eight years old when the Revolutionary War began. His older brother, Hugh, was old enough to travel to Charleston and join a Patriot militia. He died of heat exhaustion during the Battle of Stono Ferry in 1779. Jackson saw the turmoil of war first-hand after the Battle of the Waxhaws when the wounded were transported to the Old Waxhaw Presbyterian Church for treatment. After that experience, Andrew and his next oldest brother Robert joined their uncle’s militia.
Shortly after joining the militia as scouts and couriers, the British captured the brothers. The detachment commander ordered young Andrew to clean his boots, to which an exasperated Jackson replied that he was a prisoner and should be treated as such. In response, the commander slashed Jackson’s face and hand with his sword, leaving him permanently scarred.
The brothers were marched to Camden to be imprisoned. While held in jail, they both caught smallpox. After the Battle of Hobkirk’s Hill, British General Lord Rawdon retreated from the inland town. He released the boys to their mother. Robert rode on horseback while Elizabeth and Andrew walked 50 miles to their home. Robert died a few days after returning home. Elizabeth, determined to do what she could for prisoners of war, traveled to Charleston to tend to Patriots held on prison ships. During her service, she contracted “ship fever” and died.
The debate continues over whether Andrew Jackson was born in North Carolina or South Carolina. Andrew Jackson State Park preserves property believed to be his birth site. Explore the small museum to learn about Jackson’s Revolutionary War experience, his exploits later in life, and the infamous story of his scarring.
If you have the time, between state parks you can take a side trip to Lancaster for lunch. Try the authentic dishes at Adela’s Mexican Kitchen or try the classic eats of burgers, cheesesteaks and fries at Hwy 55.
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