In 1766, William and Martha Bratton purchased 200 acres in present-day York County, South Carolina which is now known as Brattonsville Historic District. The area includes three homes that were built between 1776 and 1855. In July 1780, during the American Revolution, the war came to the Bratton doorstep when members of the British Legion were looking for Colonel William Bratton who was a Patriot militia officer. This resulted in the Battle of Huck’s defeat. Over the next century, the Bratton plantation grew to more than 4000 acres. Historic Brattonsville made it through three significant periods that contain important milestones of the American South. These include the Revolutionary Era, the Antebellum Era, and the Reconstruction Era.
Photo Credit: Discover South Carolina
A lot has happened on the property over the last few decades. The Historic Brattonsville District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. Scenes from the movie, “The Patriot” starring Mel Gibson, were filmed in the Colonel Bratton House and other locations on the property. Today, the buildings, structures and landscapes of Brattonsville reflect the lives of three generations of the Bratton family. Brattonsville recreates the past by having re-enactors engage in daily activities that were common in the 18th and 19th century. What began as a plantation has evolved into a living history museum. The Culture & Heritage Museums are currently working to restore some of the buildings in Historic Brattonsville.
Photo Credit: Culture & Heritage Museums
As part of the historic restoration, we were asked to complete structural repairs on two of the buildings in the Brattonsville Historic District. We worked on the Colonel William Bratton House (built circa 1776) and the Homestead House (built in 1826). While we were working in the Colonel William Bratton House, a member of our team found a hand-blown glass bottle inside one of the walls. It was lost between the wainscoting and weatherboards. It was covered in scratch coat and based on its condition, it is likely from the early days of the home.
Photo Credit: Culture & Heritage Museums
To follow up on the progress of the restoration, take a look at The Culture & Heritage Museums Historic Brattonsville Instagram page.
