Historic Brattonsville [SC]

Description

Historic Brattonsville consists of the Bratton farm, which has been carefully restored and now serves as a historic house musum and living history center. Historic Brattonsville preserves the history of the farm from its role in the revolutionary war through its days as a large, rural farm run by slave labor. The museum also has a special focus on African American history.

Historic Brattonsville offers exhibits, guided tours, field trip activities, children's activities, and occasional special events such as family days and presentations. The website offers visitor information, a history of the farm, an events calendar, and information regarding the programs offered by the farm.

Historic Charleston Foundation, Nathaniel Russell House, and Aiken-Rhett House [SC]

Description

The Foundation maintains two historic houses, the Nathaniel Russell House and the Aiken-Rhett House. Set amid spacious formal gardens, the 1808 Nathaniel Russell House is widely recognized as one of America's most important neoclassical dwellings. The house is furnished with period antiques and works of art that evoke the gracious lifestyle of the city's merchant elite. Today the Nathaniel Russell House interprets the lives of the Russell family, as well as the African-American slaves and artisans who were responsible for maintaining one of the South's grandest antebellum townhouses. The Aiken-Rhett House stands alone as the most intact townhouse complex showcasing urban life in antebellum Charleston. Built in 1818 and greatly expanded by Governor and Mrs. William Aiken, Jr. in the 1830s and 1850s, the house has survived virtually unaltered since 1858.

The foundation offers occasional recreational and educational events; the Nathaniel Russell House offers tours; the Aiken-Rhett House offers tours.

Slave Relic Museum [SC]

Description

The Slave Relic Museum presents the history of the U.S. African American population via artifacts made and used by slaves between 1750 and the mid-19th century.

The museum offers exhibits. The website offers audio interviews; a video tour of slave dwelling ruins in the Bahamas; and several primary source documents, including 63 pages of documents relating to the Amistad and William E. Channing's "The Duty of the Free States."

Oconee Station State Historic Site [SC]

Description

Oconee Station State Historic Site is located on the western frontier of South Carolina and served as a military post against attack by the Cherokee Indians and later became a trading post.

Currently, the historic site offers a 1.5 mile nature trail, a .5 mile trail which takes visitors to the base of the Station Cove Falls waterfall, one of the prettiest waterfalls in South Carolina. The site also offers tours on the weekends. The website offers basic visitor information.

Charleston Museum and Historic Houses [SC]

Description

The Charleston Museum has the distinction of being America's first museum. The museum focuses on the history of Charleston and the South Carolina Lowcountry. In addition to the museum, the organization also maintains two historic houses, the 1803 Joseph Manigault House and the 1772 Heyward-Washington House.

The museum offers educational programs for elementary, middle, and high school students, as well as presentations tailored specifically to home-schooled children. The museum also offers a variety of exhibits, including traveling exhibits, and guided tours; the two historic house museums are also open for tours. The website offers online lesson plans, visitor information, an events calendar, information regarding the museum's educational programs, and histories of the two historic house museums.

Chicora Foundation, Inc. [SC]

Description

Founded in 1983, Chicora is a heritage preservation organization located in Columbia, South Carolina. Chicora focuses on archaeological and historical research throughout the Southeastern United States, public education in South Carolina, and work in conservation and preservation with museums, libraries, historic organizations, historic libraries, and private citizens. Chicora also creates a wide variety of publications, including publications of archaeological research, and preservation guides.

The site offers purchasing information for all Chicora publications, information on current Chicora projects, links to other preservation resources, and information on the variety of Chicora programs, from educational programs to archaeological research.

Joseph Manigault House

Description

The Joseph Manigault House sits in downtown Charleston near the City Visitor Center. The house was designed by gentlemen architect Gabriel Manigault for his brother, Joseph. Joseph owned plantations, sat in the state legislature, and was a trustee of the College of Charleston. Gabriel, who owned plantations and commercial investments, is credited with designing Charleston’s City Hall and the South Carolina Society Hall. The house is an exceptional example of Adam-style, or Federal, architecture. The house has been restored and is furnished with American, English, and French pieces of furniture from the early 19th century. In addition, outside the house is a beautiful period garden.

The site offers general information about the Joseph Manigault House, but is part of the Museum of Charleston web site, which features an event calendar, general visitor information, general information on all current and past exhibits, a museum store, and resources for educators including programs for elementary, middle, and high school students.

Musgrove Mill State Historic Site

Description

Musgrove Mill was the site of a bloody battle waged in 1780 during the revolutionary war. American forces had ridden to the site to wage battle against what they thought was an equal number of loyalists. There they found that the loyalist forces had been bolstered by 300 British regulars from a local British outpost. After a fierce battle, the American forces prevailed in what almost turned into a rout.

The site offers general information about the park, its activities, and its programs.