Located at 1444 Brattonsville Road in McConnells, South Carolina, Historic Brattonsville is a member of Culture & Heritage Museums. At Historic Brattonsville, visitors can experience living history on a Revolutionary War site that is 775 acres.
Historic Brattonsville is open from 10:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Saturday. Regular Sunday hours are 1:00pm-5:00pm. General admission is $6 for adults (ages 18-59), $5 for seniors (age 60+), and $3 for youths (ages 4-17). Children age 3 and under receive free admission. Groups are welcome with reservations. Group reservation can be made by calling 803-684-2327. Brattonsville is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.
Historic Brattonsville is home to the Bratton Plantation, which was owned and housed three generations of the Bratton family. One of the first buildings most visitors see, Hightower Hall was built in 1856 for John Simpson Bratton Jr. and Harriet Rainey Bratton, his wife. Their daughter, Sophia, continued to live in there with her husband after her parents died. Throughout this time period, the building was called Forrest Hall and was the seat of the plantation. In 1958, the Drapers purchased the house. The Drapers sold the house to the York County Historical Commission, and it then became part of Historical Brattonsville. In the early 1960s, the house became known as Hightower Hall.
Hightower Hall underwent an extensive restoration that began in 2007 in order to restore some of the antebellum architecture. The house has hosted parties, weddings, and receptions. Civil War re-enactments have also taken place here. Hightower Hall was also a film location for Mel Gibson's movie The Patriot.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Historic Brattonsville offers the visitors access to over 30 historic structures. Visitors can see the development of the Carolina Piedmont area from the 1750s through the 1840s by visiting house museums that chronicle the development of the area during this era. Historic Brattonsville also features African-American interpretation of this historic time.
Visitors can watch a reenactment of the Battle of Huck's Defeat. This battle took place on July 12, 1780. Captain Christian Huck, a Loyalist, was sent to apprehend Williams Bratton and John McClure at their homes. At the time, British forces were attempting to break up groups of American Patriots. Bratton, along with other Patriots, wound up taking the Loyalists by surprise and defeated Huck's men. This battle served as a rallying point that helped revive Patriot morale and led to future Patriot victories.
Home to a Heritage Farm Program that has won awards, Historic Brattonsville is also used to raise and care for some of the same rare breeds of farm animals that were housed here during Revolutionary War times. Devon cattle, Gulf Coast sheep, and Ossabaw Island hogs can be found on the premises. On the plantation grounds, costumed interpreters demonstrate historical farming techniques and show visitors some of the daily activities that were part of historical plantation life.
The Homestead House features a permanent exhibit that introduces guests to the medical practices used in the area during the 18th and 19th centuries. The exhibit also highlights some of the prominent medical practitioners of that time period. Some of these practitioners were even members of the Bratton family.
A gift shop is available on-site and offers shoppers a selection of books on regional history and colonial cooking. In addition, the shop features reproductions of children's toys from the 18th and 19th centuries. Shoppers can also purchase tea sets, special soaps, handmade ragdolls, local foods, ornaments, and many other items. Shoppers can access the shop without needing to pay admission.
Any additional information about Historic Brattonsville can be obtained by calling 803-684-2327.
