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As the most significant eighteenth-century estate assembled in the British American colonies still in existence, Drayton Hall is an icon of American history, design and preservation.

Its story is told through archaeological artifacts, architectural research and documentary investigations, with a focus on the inhabitants and their connections to the wider Atlantic world. A multitude of scholars contributed to our understanding of Drayton Hall as the first complete example of Palladian architecture in North America, its placement at the intersection of the European Enlightenment and America's slave society and as a family home where extraordinary events became landmark historic moments. Today, Drayton Hall is valued as the most authentic pre-Revolutionary southern plantation that helps examine the creation of American identity.

Few locations in South Carolina have figured as prominently in the early history of the state as the old town of Ninety Six. As a witness to two Revolutionary War battles, two Cherokee War battles, a trading post, three forts and two towns, the site is perhaps one of the richest archaeological sites in the South. In recognition of its rich history the Ninety Six National Historic Site became part of the National Park Service in 1976.

The unusual name that was given to the site is believed to have taken root in the early 1700s. English traders estimated the distance to the Cherokee village of Keowee in the upper South Carolina foothills to be ninety-six miles. By the 1770s, Fort Ninety Six and the adjoining village--located at the crossroads of twelve roads--reached its peak as an important backcountry outpost, boasting a growing population, a newly constructed courthouse and jail. However, the onset of the American Revolutionary War would end this progress and the first land battle south of New England was fought at Ninety Six in 1775. The fort and town would change hands many times between those fighting for independence and those still loyal to England, leaving the town in shambles by the close of the war.

Old Ninety Six: A History and Guide, by Robert Dunkerly and Eric Williams, is a well-researched and highly accessible work, which underscores the important contribution of Ninety Six to the early history of South Carolina and guides the reader through the well-preserved fort that stills stands at the site today.

Standing on the banks of the Black River, Mansfield Plantation is a living testament to antebellum rice plantations. In 1718, it started as a five-hundred-acre land grant near the upstart village of Georgetown. The main house was built around 1800, and the plantation soon grew to nearly one thousand acres. John and Sallie Middleton Parker returned the property to the Man-Taylor-Lance-Parker family, a line of ownership dating back 150 years. Ongoing preservation projects ensure that future generations can explore and appreciate one of the most well-preserved rice plantations in America. Plantation historian Christopher C. Boyle captures the spirit of Mansfield Plantation and unravels the many mysteries of its past.