America250!
On July 4, 2026, our nation will commemorate and celebrate the 250th anniversary
of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The journey toward this historic milestone is an opportunity to pause and reflect on our nation’s past,
honor the contributions of all Americans,
and look ahead toward the future we want to create for the next generation and beyond.
A Brief History of American Revolutionary War Sites
in the Oakbrook corridor of Summerville, South Carolina
1. Archdale Hall Plantation: In 1680, Richard Baker, his second wife and their five children immigrated to the Carolinas from the island of Barbados. His second wife, Elizabeth Elliott, was the sister of Lt. Colonel Barnard Elliott. In 1681, Mr. Baker was given a land grant of 200 acres on the Ashley River in Dorchester County by King Charles. Archdale Hall Plantation was named after Richard’s mother, Sarah Archdale Baker.
The first house built on the property was a framed home with a brick courtyard. A larger brick house was built there by 1810. The property was passed down to Mr. Baker’s descendants for the next 300 years, and Archdale Hall Plantation gained another 3,000 acres. Indigo and rice were grown there, sold and sent down the Ashley River to Charleston.
By the beginning of the Revolutionary War in 1775, Richard Baker III owned the land. He could not serve in the army due to a medical condition (gout) so his son, Richard Baker IV, enlisted with the South Carolina Colonial Army. On April 7, 1776, he served under Major Barnard Elliott at Fort Moultrie in Charleston, was taken prisoner by the British, and detained for a year at Haddrell’s Point. He became Captain Richard Baker on April 25, 1778, and continued to fight for the Patriot cause. While serving as a leader in the Second South Carolina Brigade. He was subsequently released on parole and went back to his home. Rice, corn, pork and potatoes from Archdale Hall were supplied to the Patriot troops. There is a historic marker on the site as well as part of the brick foundation.
Address: 217 Mansfield Blvd, N. Charleston
2. Tranquil Hill: Richard and Ann Ball Waring acquired a 210-acre plantation called White Hall in 1773. They renamed the plantation Tranquil Hill to describe its beauty and peace. Before the Revolutionary War, the plantation had a large brick house with extensive gardens that sat on a hill overlooking Eagle Creek in Old Dorchester. Mr. Waring died in 1781, but Mrs. Waring continued to operate this large rice plantation until her death in 1820. John Rose, a Lowcountry artist, is thought to have painted Tranquil Hill, which is displayed at the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston.
Another noteworthy fact about Tranquil Hill is that there were many enslaved people who worked the rice fields. Some African American enslaved people of that period turned themselves over to the British forces and joined the British cause to fight against the Patriots. They formed a unit called the Black Dragoons that fought against the Patriot soldiers at Eagle Creek near Tranquil Hill.
One 16-year-old enslaved man named Boston King was born on this plantation and became a carpenter’s apprentice in Charleston. He gained his freedom and turned himself in to the British forces who had taken control of the city after the Siege of Charleston in 1780. He fought against the colonials and was captured. He escaped again, so the British sent him to Canada to serve in their army and prevent his return to slavery in the South. He later married and became a minister.
Address: 286 Old Fort Drive, N. Charleston
3. Hessian Redoubt: Hessians were German soldiers paid by the British to fight against the Patriot soldiers. They built a redoubt (hills or banks) of dirt with four sides that measured about 20 feet on each side. That way they could hide inside, fire their guns and be safe from enemy fire by ducking down. They also added an abatis, which are tree branches, sharpened to a point and facing outwards, to help protect them from incoming attacks. For a period, the South Carolina Royalists, led by Major Thomas Fraser, were assigned to this post.
Although British troops were pulling back towards Charles Town, the British still wanted to control Dorchester, as it was at the head of the Ashley River and an important site. It allowed control of the countryside south of the Edisto River.
This redoubt is no longer standing. The Dunkin’ Donuts and the Waffle House at the corner of Dorchester Road and Ladson Road now stand where this redoubt was located.
Address: 4720 Ladson Road (land behind Dunkin’ Donuts)
4. Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site: A couple named John and Mary Smith arrived in Carolina in 1675. The Earl of Shaftsbury granted 1,800 acres of land to the Smiths, and a portion of that land was located on Boshoe Creek and the Ashley River. Following John Smith’s death in 1682, his wife remarried. They had no children together. At that time, the law required that the land pass back to the state. The land was later granted to Reverend Joseph Lord. This new town, Colonial Dorchester, was settled in 1696 by Rev. Lord and his parishioners from Dorchester, Massachusetts. The village thrived and became the third-largest town in the colony of South Carolina. St. George’s Anglican Church was constructed in 1720. In 1751, a bell tower with four bells was built; the brick tower still stands. The British acquired the bells to repurpose their metal. Church bells and other metal objects were frequently melted down to produce cannons, gun parts or bullets.
In 1775, Patriot troops fortified Dorchester and its fort at the start of the Revolutionary War. Dorchester’s location allowed for a strategic military site. An existing powder magazine and the fort there were under the command of Colonel Francis Marion.
When Charleston fell to the British in May of 1780, Dorchester became a strategic outpost for the British. However, in December of 1781, Colonel Nathaniel Greene and Colonel Wade Hampton, along with their Patriot troops, overthrew the British soldiers. Sadly, following the Revolutionary War, the township of Dorchester never recovered. The remains of the church bell tower are still visible at Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site. The graves on the property formerly belonged to St. George’s Anglican Church. Seth Thomas Prior, a Revolutionary War Patriot from St. George’s Parish, was buried there. At the time of this writing, his tombstone is missing due to damage. You can see an excellent example of the old fort made with tabby (a mixture of lime, sand and oyster shells.) Archaeologists are still finding artifacts where the houses and other buildings stood. The site is on the National Register of Historic Places.
A free school for children whose families could not afford tutors was built in the area as the wealthy landowners wanted those children to learn to read, write and do basic mathematics. The school operated for many years.
Address: 300 State Park Road, Summerville
5. Bacons Bridge: After the Siege of Charleston in 1780, British forces pushed up the Ashley River to take control of Old Dorchester. From that time to the evacuation of Charleston in December 1782, British forces were near the old Dorchester town site. There were skirmishes, the Battle of Bacons Bridge and other fighting around that area. General William Moultrie, General Francis Marion, Colonel Henry Lee and Lt. Colonel John Laurens were at Bacons Bridge at times during the war to pursue efforts for the Patriot cause. A female patriot, Susannah Smith Elliott, lived nearby at a plantation and helped supply food and bandages for injured Patriots. Activities here included recruiting and training soldiers, and defending the site. Both sides secured possession of Bacons Bridge multiple times. One incident that showed the strength of the Patriots’ army happened when the British troops invaded Fair Springs Plantation which is adjacent to Bacons Bridge. They were trying to capture Ralph Izard, an aide-de-camp to Colonel Henry Lee. Mrs. Izard stayed very calm and hid her husband in a wardrobe closet to avoid his capture. After the British left the plantation, Mr. Izard hurried through the woods to Bacons Bridge to alert the soldiers of the British presence. The Colonial calvary hurried to Fair Springs to overtake, and chased the British away.
Address: 2824 Bacons Bridge Road, Summerville
6. Delemar Highway (Plantations): Delemar Highway, once known as Horse Savannah Road, even before the Revolutionary War, was notable for its many plantations. Plantations along the highway included The Hut, owned by the widow of Lt. Col. Barnard Elliott, Susannah Smith Elliott. She made two flags that she presented to Gen. William Moultrie after his troop’s victory at Sullivan’s Island in June 1776. The British later captured both flags in other battles. Other noteworthy plantations along this highway included Poplar Hill, Walnut Hill and The Villa. The Villa was where General Henry Lee’s army camped when they came to this area. Rather than camping outdoors like the enlisted men, some of the officers were permitted to stay in nearby plantation homes.
An earlier history of the area reports a trading post on the highway in the 1700s. Native Americans would come to the store to trade deerskins or other items for things they wanted. Known Native American tribe members of the time who lived or may have wandered along this area included the Cherokee, Catawba, Edisto and Kusso-Natchez. They hunted in the woods, fished and grew crops such as corn. They had lived like that for thousands of years. Some tribes captured people from other tribes and sold them to the white settlers. Knowing the land as they did, tribal members found it easier to escape from the plantations and hide from slave hunters. African American slaves who escaped wisely hid out in swamps and made small communities in the swamps and deep woods. They were known as “Maroons.” Few white people wanted to hunt for them in woods and swampy areas due to the possibility of encountering snakes and alligators. It was also dangerous for their horses to walk in these areas as no one wanted to endanger their horses or risk falling into the swamp! Sometimes the white people paid the Native Americans to go catch the Maroons. During the Revolutionary War, various Native American groups aligned themselves with either the British or the Patriots.
Address: Corner of Dorchester Road and Delemar Hwy. (165)
7. Middleton Place: Middleton Place is a historic national landmark. It was started in 1675 by Jacob Wayte (or Waight). It passed through several owners, including Richard Godfrey in 1699 and John Williams, who built a house there in 1705.
Henry Middleton acquired the plantation through his marriage to Mary Williams, John Williams’ daughter (the plantation was her dowry). He started a European-style garden, later expanded by subsequent owners. Henry Middleton also owned Oaks Plantation, his birthplace. He was a well-known person who served as Speaker of the Commons. Henry was both the Speaker of the Commons and the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. He was selected for the First Continental Congress.
Arthur Middleton, Henry’s son, replaced his father as one of South Carolina’s delegates to THE Continental Congress. He even signed the Declaration of Independence. Find a copy of that historic document and look for his name.
Address: 4300 Ashley River Road, Charleston
8. The Inn at Middleton Place: Ashley Hill is where the present-day Inn at Middleton Place is located. This was the location of General Nathaniel Greene’s headquarters during the Revolutionary War. The patriot troops were there from July 1782 to mid-December of 1782.
Greene was involved in numerous battles in South Carolina. There were more battles and skirmishes in the Revolutionary War in South Carolina (more than 200), than in any other colony.
In late November of 1781, Greene and his men were heading towards the Dorchester area. He said that the march was, “…one of the most disagreeable marches I ever made; the swamps being full, the rivers high and the face of the country almost all covered with water.”
Greene sent a letter to General Washington advising him that he had moved his headquarters to Ashley Hill. He wrote that the “ground was high, water good and (it) appears to be the most healthy place this country affords.”
The soldiers were hungry and poorly clothed. Some soldiers, unhappy, considered mutiny. Some soldiers deserted, and one soldier was executed for desertion.
Sickness was also a big problem. Mosquito bites could make people sick from different diseases. Many soldiers contracted malaria, a potentially deadly fever disease. Reports indicate that approximately two-thirds of the soldiers experienced illness, and more than 200 Pennsylvania Patriot troops who came to help died due to malaria. At that time, people did not understand that mosquitoes were the cause of the sickness.
Cedar Grove Plantation was located directly across the Ashley River from Middleton Place Plantation and belonged to Arthur Middleton’s wife’s family. Lt. Colonel John Laurens identified this plantation as an appropriate location for the exchange of prisoners of war.
Address: 4290 Ashley River Road, Charleston
References
- AmericanRevolution.org. “Women of the American Revolution, Susannah Smith Elliott.” 18 January 2025.
- Bostick, D. Principal Investigator. “Survey of American Revolution Sites & Events-Dorchester County, South Carolina.” Publication date unknown. Presented to Susan Elizabeth Pantone in 2024.
- Carolana.org. “The American Revolution in South Carolina: The U.S. Revolution in Present-Day Dorchester County.” 18 Jan 2022.
- Colonial Dorchester Webpage. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
- Dorchester County Historical Society, The History of Dorchester County South Carolina. Chelsea, MI: Sheridan, 2023.
- Fowler, K. “South Carolina History Newsletter,” November 2024.
- Lewis, J. “American Revolution in South Carolina-Dorchester County,” 2009.
- Norman Roots. “Izard Land Plat.” Norman.roots.com/wiki/lib/excel=media=transcriptions: land-records; plats; c3188.I1005.plat.
- Smith, H.A.M., “The Town of Dorchester in South Carolina.” The South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine, Vol. 6, No.2 (Apr 1905), p. 62-95.
- Smith, H.A.M, “South Carolina Plantations: Ashley Hall Plantation” North Charleston, Dorchester County.” The South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine January 1919, Vol.20 p.3-51.
- South Carolina Plantations.com, https://south-carolina-plantations.com/dorchester/middleton-place.html. Retrieved 16 Jul 2025.
- Trinkley, M., Hacker, D., et.al., Feb.2008, “Tranquil Hill Plantation: The Most Charming Inland Place,” Chicora Foundation, Series 66. Retrieved 6 Jul 2025.
- Waddell, G. “Indians of the Lowcountry, 1562-1751.” Spartanburg, SC, Reprint Company, 1980.
