Marion Square Rev War History Comes to Life In New Installation

February 2, 2024

Governor McMaster, state and local leaders celebrate newest addition to The Liberty Trail

Charleston, S.C. – February 1, 2024 – The Liberty Trail today unveiled a series of interpretive markers outlining the historic footprint of an archaeological and historical treasure in Charleston’s popular Marion Square. The 32 bronze plates follow the path of the Revolutionary War Horn Work, each marker sharing a part of the story of this large fortification built in 1758 to defend the state’s oldest port city.

“Today’s celebration honors the craftsmen who constructed this intimidating fortification and the Patriots who defended Charleston from the British,” commented Rick Wise, interim executive director and CEO, South Carolina Battleground Trust. “Just as we are grateful for those stalwart hearts of nearly 250 years ago, we are immensely thankful for the many partners who helped document this incredible historic resource and contributed to its interpretation.”

Constructed of tabby, a mixture of shells, sand and lime, the Horn Work was a massive fortification spanning almost three city blocks. The structure and its surrounding ditch, or moat, occupied a space measuring approximately six to eight acres. The tabby walls, which extended to the east and west of the city gate that entered on King Street, measured between six and seven hundred feet across. The elevation of the front (north) wall was about 24-feet high. A small remnant of the Horn Work has long remained visible in Marion Square, intriguing generations of visitors, but the exact location of the underground foundation traces was only discovered by the project using ground-penetrating radar in 2020.

Speaking at today’s ceremony Governor Henry McMaster reflected on the state’s Revolutionary War history and the significance of this site. “Through the Liberty Trail and other historic preservation initiatives throughout the state, we better tell the history of South Carolina and give those who bravely fought for our freedom the recognition they deserve," said Governor Henry McMaster. "As we approach our nation's 250th anniversary, let us continue to tell our story and take pride in being a South Carolinian.”

Pinpointing and interpreting the Horn Work location took the combined effort of many experts and the cooperation of many entities. Nic Butler with the Charleston County Public Library and author and Charleston County Museum Director Carl Borick provided ample research. The Board of Field Officers of Fourth Brigade, which owns Marion Square, Clemson University, College of Charleston, the City of Charleston, Charleston County Public Library, Charleston Museum, and the South Carolina Institute of Archeology and Anthropology were all invaluable with their assistance.

“I believe that it speaks volumes about the rich and complex history of Charleston that as we enter what I intend to be a new era of smart growth for this city, we continue to make historical discoveries that inform our past and thus our future,” said Charleston Mayor William Cogswell. “It is important to honor history, to learn from history so that we can continue to prosper in ways the brave soldiers who died here never could have dreamed. That is their legacy. This is how we honor them. And this is how we serve the citizens of this fine city.”

The Marion Square markers are the most recent addition to The Liberty Trail, an innovative driving route and heritage tourism initiative designed to connect key Revolutionary War battlefields throughout South Carolina. David Duncan, president of the American Battlefield Trust, noted that ultimately this work will yield a gateway experience for The Liberty Trail. “Visitors to Charleston are steeped in the city’s historic fabric,” he said. “When they experience this piece of the Liberty Trail, we invite them to continue their journey through time by venturing out to the South Carolina battlefields on which the question of American

independence was decided.”

The Liberty Trail will expand the interpretive experience in Marion Square later this year through the use of augmented reality (AR). Visitors will be able to see a digital recreation of the Horn Work and events that took place there nearly 250 years ago.

For more information on The Liberty Trail initiative, including historic background and a list of those sites that are part of the Initial Phase of the project, visit www.thelibertytrail.org or download The Liberty Trail Mobile Tour app from the Apple Store or Google Play. As The Liberty Trail takes shape, partners, friends and history enthusiasts are invited to follow its progress on social media using the hashtag #TheLibertyTrail.

###

About The Liberty Trail
The Liberty Trail—developed through a partnership between the American Battlefield Trust and the South Carolina Battleground Trust—connects battlefields across South Carolina and tells the captivating and inspiring stories of this transformative chapter of American history. For more information on The Liberty Trail, visit www.thelibertytrail.org.

Media Contact

Jennifer Howard

jen@stewardterra.com

843.709.4192

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Drew Cheatham, Phil Gaines, Buddy Jennings, Catherine Noyes, Molly Fortune, Mike Tyler, Rick Wise

Out and About on The Liberty Trail

March 25, 2025

Get outside this Spring to enjoy enhancements that your gifts make possible on The Liberty Trail!

Behind the Scenes of the Marion Papers

March 13, 2025

Family ties and beach vacations colored with Disney’s Swamp Fox, not just the makings of a memorable childhood for historian David Neilan, but also the backdrop of a lifelong obsession with General Francis Marion. Retirement opened a window for David to pour his energy into an ambitious project to gather all the known letters and material related to Francis Marion, with a vision of creating a comprehensive manuscript. His compilation of those resources, combined with Marion’s Orderly Book entries, created a very accurate chronological view and insights into Marion’s actions during the Revolutionary War. While an unfortunate medical setback paused the publishing of his work, the late Charles Baxley, Commissioner of the SC 250 th , and a friend of Dave Neilan, acquired the rights for the SC 250 th to publish the manuscript, ensuring Neilan’s work would be shared, not shelved. Further, Baxley’s desire was for the work to be put into context with other events going on other places during the war, have biographical references, and also be available to the public at no cost. He then called upon his personal friend and author, the late Doug Bostick, Executive Director of the SCBPT to form a team who would ready the work for publication. Rick Wise and Ben Rubin were tasked as editors to review the manuscript, add military history- based analysis and context, incorporate the biographies, and generally get the manuscript ready for peer review for publication. The first work was done by August 2023, and then with Charles Baxley’s input, further revisions were done to provide even more detail to the over 600 letters and other documents involved. Dr. Jim Piecuch and Dr. Steve Smith conducted the peer review and greatly helped with ensuring the citations and other important aspects of the work were correct. The manuscript was then placed into the very capable hands of Vally M. Sharpe of United Writers Press in Asheville, North Carolina that did an outstanding job in arranging the work into a configuration that the reader will enjoy.