The marker in front of this classic home reads, "The original part of this house was built by…read moreRobert W. Gill soon after he purchased the lot in 1828. About 30 years later, it was enlarged by Samuel B. Massey. Local textile manufacturer and banker Colonel Leroy Springs remodeled the house 1906-1907. Springs' son Elliott, noted author and World War I flying ace, was born here, 1896. The house became city hall after a 1957 lease-purchase agreement with the city of Lancaster." It is obviously no longer city hall but is used for municipal purposes. The façade features a two-tiered pedimented portico defined by fluted columns with Doric order-influenced capitals. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. Worth a stop to check out this beautiful structure. [Review 13094 overall, 411 of 2020.]

With Fishing Creek winding nearby as it feeds into Fishing Creek Lake, this marker points out a…read moresignificant Revolutionary War skirmish that took place. The marker is along US-21 and there is room to stop to read it. The marker reads, "At this site on August 18, 1780 General Thomas Sumter camped with captured booty and 800 men. He was surprised and defeated by Lt. Col. Tarleton and 160 soldiers. The disaster followed only two days General Gate's defeat by Lord Cornwallis at Camden. The patriots lost 150 men killed and many captured, but Sumter escaped and soon rallied another large force." It is marker number 12-3 and it was erected in 1974 by the Chester County Historical Society. Sumter's men had halted to rest after days of marching in brutal summer heat, unaware that Tarleton had crossed the Catawba River and was closing in on their position. Tarleton launched a surprise attack while the Americans were scattered, many bathing, sleeping, or tending to captured supplies, and the result was a swift and overwhelming British victory. More than half of Sumter's force was killed or captured, though Sumter himself narrowly escaped the chaos. The defeat temporarily halted his campaign against British outposts and further strengthened Tarleton's reputation as Cornwallis's most aggressive field commander. [Review 185 of 2026 - 1380 in South Carolina - 25374 overall]

Located in the center of downtown Kershaw and next to the train station, this marker is on two…read moresides and points out the history of this small town. On one side, "Welsh's Station, a depot on the Charleston, Cincinnati, & Chicago Railroad built in 1888, stood at or near this site. The town of Kershaw was first named for Capt. James V. Welsh, who donated 63 acres on which to establish a town and promised the railroad title to every other lot laid out in it. When it was incorporated in 1888 the town limits of Kershaw extended one-half mile in every direction from the depot." And on the other side, "Kershaw Depot. This depot, built in 1926 by the Southern Railway, replaced a late 19th -early 20th century passenger and freight depot/cotton platform which burned that year. It is typical of 20th-century depots built throughout the Southeast. Primarily a passenger station, it also handled cotton and textile products from nearby farms and textile or cotton oil mills. The Kershaw Depot was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. Erected by the Lancaster County History Commission, 2002" The current structure was built after the previous one was destroyed by fire. The railroad, which was now owned by Southern Railway company, transported passengers and cotton products from 1926 until the mid-1940s. There has not been passenger rail service here since then, though there is still various freight. The depot is a florist and craft shop today. [Review 13659 overall, 978 of 2020, number 615 in South Carolina.]

"The South will rise again!" or so say the Southeners. Confederate memorials across the South, like…read morethis one, memorialize the soldiers who fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. Or as some in the South might call it, "The War of Northern Aggression." I take no part in that, I'm just pointing out that memorials like this are still in place. Located in front of the Union Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Richburg, this tall granite memorial lists 91 names and a number of military ranks including Captains, Corporals, Lieutenants, Sergeants, and Chaplains. Entirely too many have the same last name, including a few with three. Did the Agnew family lose three of their sons in the Civil War? Sad. It is a seven foot tall granite marker with four granite corners that appear to have had chains around it but only one of those chains remains. At the bottom, it points out that it was erected by the Lafayette Strait Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy, May 9, 1939. (May 10 is when South Carolina set Confederate Memorial Day.) [Review 13645 overall, 964 of 2020, number 603 in South Carolina.]

Amazing to see all the history that happened so long ago. They have so much information displayed…read moretelling the story of the Buford Massacre of 1780. You can walk through the park to get the story, but they also have some walking trails that show certain routes of different historical figures involved in this event. We took one of the shorter trails as it had just started to rain, but we will be back to take the other trails. Trails were not mowed, but they were obvious walking trails. There are some markers to show trails as well. Great place to check out of you like history or nature!

Most of the markers in the South are to do with the Civil War aka "The War of Northern…read moreAggression.". So I was surprised to come across this marker that is all about a famous battle from the Revolutionary War. If you've seen the movie The Patriot, some of it is loosely based on this story. There is a tall granite marker that is now behind a fence because it has been damaged by vandals in the past. It reads, "Erected to the memory and in honor of the brave and patriotic American soldiers who fell in the battle which occurred at this place on the 29th of May, 1780 between Col. Abraham Buford who commanded a regiment of 350 Virginians and Col. Tarelton of the British Army with 350 cavalry and a like number of infantry. "Nearly the entire command of Col. Buford were either killed or wounded. Gallant soldiers are buried in this grave that left their homes for the relief of Charleston, hearing at Camden of the surrender of that city were returning. Here their lives were ended in the service of their country. "The cruelty and barbarous massacre committed on this occasion by Tarleton and his command after the surrender of Col. Buford and his regiment originated the war cry 'Remember Tarleton's Quarters' a British historian confesses at this battle the virtue of humanity was totally forgot." A terrible tragedy but there is now an appropriate monument to their sacrifice. The area is shaded and there are several captions that map the battlefield and the incident. There is also a picnic table and parking. [Review 13103 overall, 420 of 2020.]

I'm not sure if I have ever reviewed a jail or a prison before, having never been inside one. I did…read morenot do the Alcatraz tour when I was last in San Francisco and I did walk past the Reading Gaol (Reading, UK which once housed Oscar Wilde). Does "Jailbreak Brewing Company" in Laurel MD count? From the National Register, where the Jail was listed in 1971, "The 1823 Lancaster County Jail is a significant example of Robert Mills architecture and reflects his innovative ideas on the proper construction of penal institutions. The jail is a stuccoed brick building of three stories with Palladian style stone quions and stringcourses. It features a gable roof, iron grates, first floor windows and doors within recessed arches, and gable parapets with coping and a raised center section. Although Mills never signed his buildings and often failed to sign his plans, a number of building characteristics and facts substantiate the 1823 jail is his design. Some characteristics of Mills' work are the following: Mills advocated free circulation of air in jail construction, and this was achieved in the Lancaster County Jail by placing barred cages for prisoners in the middle of the room; the absence of a dungeon reflects a Mills innovation in penal reform; classifying prisoners according to their crime was a Mills recommendation, and this was achieved in the Lancaster County Jail by placing prison rooms for debtors on the first floor and other cells were on the second floor; Mills was a member of the Board of Public Works for the State of South Carolina from 1820-1830, and he was referred to in public documents of that period as the 'State Engineer and Architect.'" The nearby Lancaster County Courthouse https://www.yelp.com/biz/lancaster-county-courthouse-lancaster is also worth a visit as it was also designed by Mills who is most famous as the architect of the Washington Monument. [Review 13095 overall, 412 of 2020.]

This site has so much history - the battle of Camden was fought here and some very notable figures…read morein South Carolina and American history solidified their legacies here . Many lost their lives here and some even remain here in unmarked graves . Unfortunately, as of July 2022 there's really not a whole lot out here . There's some poorly maintained trails and markers . Minimal amenities : there's one questionable porta-potty but I would take my chances squatting versus using it because I could smell it as soon as I exited the vehicle . If you visit make sure you pack the bug spray, sunscreen, water , hat and something to protect yourself with just in case . I'm told the city of Camden has plans to revamp the trails and land here to be more visitor friendly. I hope they do because there's so much potential to honor the history here and be more educational and welcoming to visitors . I hope I can revisit and add more stars!

This marker at the intersection south of central Health Springs recalls two victories for the…read moreColonial Army during the American Revolution. There is not much else nearby except a closed fruit stand. The marker reads, "About 2.5 miles south is Hanging Rock, where Maj. Davie surprised a British force, Aug. 1, 1780, and killed or wounded most of them. There also, Aug. 6, 1780, Col. Hill, Col. Irwin, and Maj. Davie, all under Gen. Sumter, successfully attacked the Prince of Wales's American Regiment and detachments of the 63rd and of the 71st Infantries, under Maj. Carden. Erected by Lancaster County, 1941." [Review 13654 overall, 973 of 2020, number 610 in South Carolina.]