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Historic Sites

History lives and breathes in Lake Hartwell Country. Come explore some incredible and significant pieces of history that have shaped our region and our nation. Discover antebellum homes, historic churches, and even a working grist mill.

Revolutionary War Sites

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Fort Rutledge

Website

GPS Coordinates:

34.669173, -82.850841

Fort Rutledge is the site of the Battle of Seneca Old Town, which took place in 1776. In the present day, Clemson's Tillman Hall stands on the site of Fort Rutledge. Photo courtesy of Clemson University

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Hanover House

Website

150 Garden Trail OR, 530 Garden Trail, Clemson, SC 29634

Built in 1716, the Hanover House is a French Huguenot House that was originally constructed in present day Berkeley County in the South Carolina Lowcountry. It was moved to its current location in the 1940's.​ Photo courtesy of the Hanover House

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Hopewell Plantation

Website

GPS Coordinates:

34.654279, -82.836720

The Hopewell Plantation was built prior to 1776 and was home to Andrew Pickens Jr., the son of Captain Andrew Pickens. Photo courtesy of Clemson University

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Old Stone Church

Website

101 Stone Cir

Clemson, SC 29631

Built in 1802, Old Stone Church is the final resting place of Captain Andrew Pickens, who was crucial to the Revolutionary War. Photo courtesy of Old Stone Church

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Oconee Station

Website

500 Oconee Station Rd

Walhalla, SC 29691

Oconee Station State Historic Site is managed by South Carolina State Parks. There were Revolutionary War fights that took place in the area around Oconee Station. Photo courtesy of South Carolina State Parks

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Tamassee Town (Ring Fight) Historical Marker

Website

GPS Coordinates:

34° 52.98′ N, 83° 2.91′ W

This marks the site of the "Ring Fight" on August 12th, 1776, which was fought by the Cherokee and the South Carolina Militia under Andrew Pickens. Photo courtesy of Historical Marker Database

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Benjamin Cleveland Marker

Website

GPS Coordinates:

34° 36.783′ N, 83° 11.617′ W

Colonel Benjamin Cleveland was a Revolutionary War hero, helping to lead the Overmountain Men to victory in the battle of King's Mountain. Photo courtesy of Historical Marker Database

Historic Homes

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Ashtabula Plantation

Website

2725 Old Greenville Hwy 

Central, SC 29630

Ashtabula was built in the late 1820's and was home to the Gibbes family. It traded hands many times before it was acquired by the Pendleton Historic Foundation in the 1960's. It is open for public tours on Saturdays. Photo courtesy of the Pendleton Historic Foundation

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Woodburn Plantation

Website

130 History Ln

Pendleton, SC 29670

Woodburn was build in 1830 and was originally the home of Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, a former Lt. Governor of South Carolina.​ Photo courtesy of the Pendleton Historic Foundation

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Hagood-Mauldin House

Website

104 N Lewis St

Pickens, SC 29671

Before being rebuilt in its current location, the Hagood-Mauldin House was first constructed in 1856 in the town of Pickens Courthouse, before Pickens and Oconee split into two separate counties. Photo courtesy of the Pickens County Historical Society

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Fort Hill Plantation

Website

102 Fort Hill St

Clemson, SC 29634

Fort Hill Plantation was the home of John C. Calhoun and is located in the heart of Clemson University's campus. Photo courtesy of Clemson University

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Historic Ballenger House

Website

212 E South 3rd St

Seneca, SC 29678

The Ballenger Family was prominent in the town of Seneca and gifted the home to the Seneca Women's Club for use of all citizens.​ Photo courtesy of the Seneca Women's Club

Historic Sites

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Hagood Mill

Website

138 Hagood Mill Rd

Pickens, SC 29671

Hagood Mill is a working grist mill that was built in 1845 by James Hagood and remained in the family until 1966. Every third Saturday of the month, there is a festival held on the mill grounds with traditional Appalachian folk arts, demonstrations, and you can see the mill in action!

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Rosewood School 

Website

Rosewood St

Liberty, SC 29657

The Rosewood Center, formerly Liberty Colored High School, was built in 1937​ and served African American students in Liberty, Central, Clemson, and Norris. The school was consolidated in1955 with another African American school to create Clearview Colored High School in Easley. The schools were desegregated in 1970. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Historic Churches

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Old Pickens Presbyterian Church 

Website

149 SC-183

Seneca, SC 29672

This old church stands on the site of the old town Pickens Court House, which was established in 1828. The church and its cemetery are the only original structures still standing from the old town.

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St.Paul's Episcopal Church

Website

 328 E Queen St

Pendleton, SC 29670

Saint Paul's was completed in 1822 after many Charleston residents began building plantation homes in the Pendleton area. Many of these residents were Episcopalians. Photo courtesy of St. Paul's Episcopal Church 

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Soapstone Church

Website

296 Liberia Road
Pickens, SC  29671

Although the building itself is not very old, the community that Soapstone Baptist Church represents has been around since the 1800's. This is the site of a colony of freed slaves. The church also has a fish fry on the third Saturday of each month.  

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