We spent yesterday (beautiful, though too warm--70--for January) in Brattonsville, a "living history" site in upcountry South Carolina, just a 45 minute (or so) drive from Charlotte. Settled by the Brattons in the early 18th century, "Brattonsville" has a number of well-restored buildings, from a basic log cabin to a mid-19th century plantation house and complex. We didn’t expect there to be any living history interpreters there, but got lucky and found a few, one of whom persistently offered to inflict various folk remedies on me, another providing a lively account of perhaps the first defeat of British forces after the capture of Charleston in 1780 (as well as some unflattering contemporary commentary on a rather prominent former colleague from the West Georgia history department), and another telling us all about slave life on the plantation and showing us an original brick cabin that housed skilled slaves. All were knowledgeable and enthusiastic.

Excavation and restoration are on-going, and the site is worked in a 19th century manner, with horse-drawn plow, cotton, and ginning (all in season, of course).

Some of you might also recognize the buildings on the site from this movie.

All in all, worth a trip if you’re in the vicinity or a detour if you’re passing through (and not just for the political dirt that might be dished).