Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site is a national historic district and open-air museum located in Camden,

Kershaw County, South Carolina Kershaw County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 65,403. The county seat and largest city is Camden. The county was created in 1791 from parts of Claremont, Lancaster, Fairfie ...

, United States. Roughly 40 minutes away from Columbia, the state capitol, it is one of the state's largest tourist attractions. The 107-acre site is also known as Historic Camden Revolutionary War Restoration, and as the British Revolutionary War Fortifications. Camden contains preserved structures and grounds that are representative of the

Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War The Southern theater of the American Revolutionary War was the central theater of military operations in the second half of the American Revolutionary War, 1778–1781. It encompassed engagements primarily in Virginia, Georgia and South Carolina. ...

. The site is managed by a consortium of private donors and local governments. The area is also an affiliated unit of the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propert ...

History

Following the loss of Charleston, Camden was captured and served as the main British supply post from the spring of 1780 to the spring of 1781 during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, and served as their garrison for two major engagements, the Battle of Camden and

Battle of Hobkirk's Hill The Battle of Hobkirk's Hill (sometimes referred to as the Second Battle of Camden) was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought on April 25, 1781, near Camden, South Carolina. A small American force under Nathanael Greene occupying Hobkir ...

. Camden was also strategic in maintaining Britain's control of South Carolina's back country. At the time, Camden consisted of two city blocks of period homes and military barracks surrounded by a palisade log fence, and further protected by five

redoubt A redoubt (historically redout) is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, although some are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldi ...

and three other fortified features (a house, a jail, and a powder magazine) which were placed strategically from 100 to 1000 feet outside the town itself. The desire to control this territory was great for the British, as Camden was located on a crossroads of the routes to the largest Southern cities of Charleston, South Carolina and

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the British colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later t ...

. The location of the principal Battle of Camden is nine miles (14 km) north of the site, while several other skirmishes occurred within of the town. Between the summers of 1780 and 1781, the British were able to claim victory in many of these assaults, but with high casualty rates. These costly struggles both weakened the Redcoats as a unit and spurred the momentum of an anti-war movement in the British Isles. The site was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1969. Camden is significant due to the role it played during the war. It was a direct result of England's attempt during late 1779 to attempt to gain control of all the southern colonies.

Museum

Included within the park are a variety of reconstructed and refurbished structures from the colonial-era town site. Many of the restored buildings contain Revolutionary War artifacts recovered from the site. The museum has a Facebook page that provides visitors with updates, announcements, historical facts about the site, and photos and video of reenactments. * Joseph Kershaw Mansion, a reconstructed and furnished house built in 1977, also known as the Kershaw-Cornwallis House. The original mansion was used as the British headquarters in the Carolinas by General

Charles Cornwallis Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805), styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as the Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army general and official. In the United S ...

, during an eleven-month Redcoat occupation of the town. * In 1785, John Craven House, restored and furnished * In 1830, Cunningham House, which houses the tour office and gift shop * Two log houses built around 1800 now house exhibits about the war and the Colonial era: Bradley house and Craven House. * A moat that had existed during the Revolution was also rebuilt on the grounds. * Throughout the park are reconstructed multiple military fortifications to represent what they would have looked like during the time of the Revolution. * A blacksmith exhibit provides live action tutorials on classic colonial forms of blacksmithing. Historic Camden Revolutionary War Restoration

Historic Camden Revolutionary War Restoration

Activities, events and reenactments

Each year during the first weekend in November, Camden hosts its most popular event, "Revolutionary War Field Days". The reenactments held throughout the weekend depict military operations of both British and American forces. They are widely popular, and hundreds of re-enactors gather from more than 20 states every year. The Camden reenactments are some of the oldest Revolutionary War reenactments in the United States. The events are historically accurate and accompanied by live commentary. Throughout the weekend the re-enactors remain in character, and visitors are encouraged to walk through the camps. The guests are greeted with a historically accurate depiction of the 18th-century battleground. They may experience blacksmithing, campfire cooking, and live dance demonstrations. The museum also offers various guided and unguided tours along with a .7-mile nature trail and picnic area. Historic Camden also allows people to volunteer at the site. Camden is mainly funded by charitable donations and small local government funding, so volunteers are key to maintaining it and its facilities.

References

External links

Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site

{{authority control Museums in Kershaw County, South Carolina Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Camden, South Carolina Buildings and structures in Kershaw County, South Carolina National Register of Historic Places in Kershaw County, South Carolina National Historic Sites in South Carolina National Historic Landmarks in South Carolina South Carolina in the American Revolution 1780 in the United States Protected areas of Kershaw County, South Carolina Open-air museums in South Carolina American Revolutionary War museums in South Carolina Parks in South Carolina American Revolution on the National Register of Historic Places