The Homestead

The Homestead was built between 1823 and 1826 for Dr. John Simpson Bratton and his wife Harriet Rainey Bratton, the second generation of the Bratton family to live at Brattonsville. Bricks for the chimneys were made on the plantation. The two flanking wings of the house and the brick assembly hall attached to the rear of the house were added in 1840. The detached assembly hall was uncommon for the region and signaled status, serving as a place where the family held dinners, dances, and music recitals. After Dr. Bratton's death in 1843, Harriet took over the running of the plantation and, determined to make her home a showplace of the region, made several changes including the addition of a Greek Revival style double piazza, a narrow two-story porch, in 1854. The house is now interpreted as it was during the second quarter of the 19th century and features many unique examples of regional and York County decorative arts. Dr. Bratton's medical practice, as was typical during that period, was conducted in his home, where his medical study, the family dining room, and the old and new parlors complete the downstairs exhibits, while upstairs are John and Harriet's bedroom, Harriet's dressing room, and two children's bedrooms. Many scenes in the movie The Patriot, starring Mel Gibson, were filmed in this house in 1999.

South Carolina · United States