Historic Brattonsville is a 775-acre living history museum. It is the homestead of Dr. John Simpson Bratton and his family. The oldest structure here is from 1766, when part of the Col. William Bratton home was built. William was the father of John. But many of the structures here were built around the mid 1800s. Brattonsville is a historical homestead. The buildings here have either been restored as they were in their time period or have been reconstructed to original buildings found here at one time. Everything you see here is historically correct.

Around 1962, York county judge and former legislator Samuel Mendenhall purchased several buildings that had belonged to the Bratton family. He began an effort to have Brattonsville designated as a historic district and helped in establishing the York County Historical Commission. By 1963, the commission was established and they began to work towards obtaining all of the property. In 1971, the area was declared a historic district, and J.R. Rainey was its first director. Over the next two decades, the commission obtained control of the homestead either through donations or leases.

Today, most of the buildings here have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is designated as a historical landmark. They have won awards for their breeding program for their farm animals, including the preservation of many rare breeds of farm animals. The village is one of the most heavily visited culture attractions in South Carolina. It still continues to serve as both a museum and research center for Southern culture. There is also ongoing expansion plans and in-depth excavation into the slave houses and the lives of the slaves owned by the Bratton’s.

There are currently 29 structures open to the public, including Col. Bratton’s home, the slave quarters, the animal barns, out buildings, the family kitchen, and grounds. There is a visitor center on site offering souvenirs, local crafts, and books on the Bratton's and local history. Also, make sure you stop in the see the pictures taken during the filming of The Patriot.

Unless otherwise stated, programs also include admission to tour all of the buildings open to the public. There are costumed docents in the buildings to answer questions you might have. There are not typically guided group tours unless it is part of the program. You can tour the buildings at your leisure. You are allowed to take photos. Normal hours are 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and 1am to 5pm on Sunday. Some events have longer hours. They are open year-round except New Years, Thanksgiving, and Christmas and Christmas Eve. General admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, and $3 for children. For more information, go to www.yourkcounty.org.

This gorgeous Italianate mansion was built between 1854 and 1856 for Dr. John Bratton and his wife Harriet. He was the father of John Jr., who owned the Homestead House. At the time they occupied the house, it was known as Forest Hall.

The plans for this house came from a book by designer William Ranlett, The Architect Volume 2. Amazingly, this beauty was found under a chapter for cheap houses! Designed in the Italianate style, it was built to resemble an Italian villa featuring a promenade central tower and wide bracketed eves. It featured a three-story central tower and a nearly square 2-story floor plan with a wide central hall flanked by two rooms on each side. It was built upon a high brick foundation, providing a sub-ground floor. The exterior features deep eves, large vertical windows, bracket mounts, and a low- pitched hip roof.

After the death of Harriet in 1912, the homes passed on to their daughter Sophia and her husband Robert Witherspoon. After their deaths, their children rented it out to tenement farmers. In 1958, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Draper purchased the home and resided in the home. In 1995, it was donated to the Historical Society for continued use for Brattonsville.

Today, the home is not on the tour or open to the public. As you arrive at Brattonsville, you will see this grand lady on the left. You may pull over and photograph the building. It is currently planned for use as a reception hall. It will be restored and equipment with more modern facilities. Eventually it will be used for meeting space, wedding receptions, family reunions, conferences, workshops, and classrooms. Now, while it wasn’t mentioned in the information on the website, I did read a local article a while back that said they planned on also opening up a full- service restaurant since there wasn’t one on the premises. This would be very welcome since, for now, you have to drive back 15 miles into Rock Hill for a meal. During the filming of The Patriot , it performed its duty as Camden Hall.

The Homestead house, or the main house, was the home of Dr. Bratton and his family. Construction started in 1823 and ended in 1826. In addition to practicing medicine, Dr. Bratton was also a wealthy planter and merchant. He and his wife, Harriett, went on to have 14 children. Due to his tremendous wealth and standing in the community, his house was built to reflect that. Dr. Bratton and his family enjoyed entertaining in their new house, and Harriet had the house decorated in upscale decor for the time. By 1840, their plantation house was one of the largest in the South Carolina Piedmont. Sadly, Dr. Bratton died unexpectedly in 1843. Harriet continued to live in and run the plantation house.

The side wings were most likely added in 1828. In 1853, Harriet added the grand Greek-Revival porch. The reproduction porch now graces the front of this grand and beautiful home. Harriet remained in the home until her death in 1874. The family remained in the home until 1915. After that, it was turned over to a number of different tenants. Now, if you read my journals on Old Salem, you will remember that I reminded you of some of the less desirable remnants of the ‘70s, but I also praised the "groovy" decade for their commitment to preserve and restore our historical buildings. So, in 1971, the campaign to restore this former beauty queen to her crown was underway. Today, historic Brattonsville is run under the York County historical society.

Today, the Homestead house is one again opening her grand doors to visitors. The house is part of the open buildings on the Brattonsville tour. The home was restored and, in some places, reproduced to its original beauty. When you walk through the front doors, on your right is a display of the Bratton family and their involvement in the medical community. On the left is the formal sitting room that would have once been used for entertaining. It is decorated according to the style at the time. The antiques in the room are authentic to the time period. On the second floor, you will find several rooms open and decorated. Included is the master room and several of the children’s rooms. Once you come back down and go out the back, you cross a breezeway to another building. This grand room would have been used as the formal dining room and for entertaining. While we were here for this visit, it was displayed with a large dining table, and several china cabinets with china adorn the room. When I was here several years ago for the candlelight tour, it was being used for dancing.

The house featured prominently in The Patriot , being used for the home of Benjamin Martin’s sister-in- law, Charlotte. You will find costumed docents inside the house to answer any questions you might have. You are allowed to take photos inside the house.