Barnwell County, SC Historic Markers
Winton County Court House
Site
Winton County Court House
Site
(arrow pointing to site 1.4
miles away)
About 5 miles south of
Barnwell on Highway 3
Originally Barnwell County
was part of Granville County, later a part of Orangeburg District.
Winton County was created by an act of the legislature on March 12, 1785. Justices William Robertson, John Parkinson, Thomas Knight,
Richard Treadway, Daniel Green, William Buford, and James Fair were directed to
erect a court house, gaol, pillory, whipping post, and stocks.
These were built of pine logs.
Winton County became Barnwell District in 1798 and Barnwell County in 1868.
Erected by Gen. John Barnwell Chapter, D.A.R.
Location: Barnwell at west
edge of town on SC 64
(front)
Established March 24, 1894,
this agricultural club was organized to promote the welfare and interests of
the Ellenton farmers and to improve conditions generally. The first clubhouse, built in 1904, was
moved here in 1953 after the town of Ellenton was abandoned to make way for the
Savannah River Plant.
(Reverse)
Town of Ellenton
By 1873, a post office named
Ellentown was located on the Port Royal Railroad, about 20 miles W. of
here. In 1880, the town of Ellenton was
incorporated. According to local tradition,
the town was named for Ellen Dunbar, a local resident. Ellenton was abandoned in the early 1950s to
make way for the Savannah River Plant. Erected
by Ellenton Agricultural Club – 1980.
Morris Ford Earthworks, 1780 & 1865
SC Secondary Rd. 70 (Old
Allendale Hwy.) just north of the
Salkehatchie River Bridge
(front)
Nearby earthworks at Morris
Ford, on the Salkehatchie River, built in the spring 1780 by Loyalists under
Ben John. In May, soon after Charleston
fell to the British, Capt. John Mumford of the South Carolina militia was
killed in action in a clash with John’s Loyalists; he is buried at the
site. In early 1865 Confederate cavalry
under Maj. Joseph Wheeler rebuilt the old earthworks.
(Reverse)
Wheeler delayed the
advancing Federal cavalry under Brig. Gen. Judson Kilpatrick. On February 6th a sharp skirmish
occurred at the works. Elements of
Kilpatrick’s crossed downstream, outflanked the Confederate cavalry and forced
it to withdraw, then advanced to Barnwell while Wheeler’s cavalry withdrew
toward Aiken. Kilpatrick’s Federals
burned most of Barnwell later that night. Erected by the Barnwell County
Museum and Historical Board – 1997
God’s Acre Healing Springs
(front)
By tradition, Healing
Springs got its name during the Revolutionary War. In 1781 after a bloody battle at nearby Windy Hill Creek, four
wounded Tories sent inland from Charleston by General Banastre (the Butcher) Tarleton
were left in the care of two comrades who had orders to bury them when they
died. Luckily, Native Americans found
them and took them to their secret, sacred healing springs. Six months later the Charleston garrison was
astonished by the reappearance of the six men.
All were strong and healthy.
(reverse)
Ownership of the springs passed from the native “Indian” tribes who revered them to Nathaniel Walker, who bought them with corn. The site passed through several hands until it was acquired by L. P. Boyleston. On July 21, 1944 he deeded the land and springs to GOD. The waters, by analysis are exceptionally pure and contain healthful minerals. People today, as in the past, believe they truly are Healing Springs. Erected in 19?? By the Frank and Lucy Hartzog Foundation and the Blackville Area Historical Society.
Barnwell
County Courthouse
(just outside downtown Blackville on Hwy 3 heading north)
The county courthouse was on this site from 1871 to 1874. In 1869 Republican state senator Charles P. Leslie, a native of New York, sponsored an act to move the county seat from Barnwell to Blackville. Court was held in a church until a two-story brick courthouse was built at a cost of $8000. After the county seat returned to Barnwell the courthouse housed Blackville Academy, later a public school. (Erected by the Barnwell County Council, 2001)