Lancaster County battlefield named one of the most endangered historic sites in US
Hanging Rock Battlefield, a Lancaster County site key to the Southern campaign of the Revolutionary War, has been named one of the nation’s most endangered historic sites.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation released its annual list of 11 Most Endangered Historic Places Wednesday. The Heath Springs battlefield is the only site in the Carolinas on the list.
It joins other places like The President’s House Site in Philadelphia, Angel Island Immigration Station in California and both the Women’s Rights National Historical Park and Stonewall National Monument in New York.
This spring, American Battlefield Trust acquired 160 acres in the Hanging Rock area as part of preservation efforts to create a battlefield park. There are 330 acres under preservation for the park, about half of the acreage where combat occurred.
“Every acre of hallowed ground that we preserve is an opportunity for us and for future generations to have a better understanding of the formative conflicts that have shaped our nation,” American Battlefield Trust President David Duncan said this spring.
American Battlefield Trust is a nonprofit that preserves historic battle sites, having worked to maintain more than 60,000 acres in 25 states.
The endangered site listing recognizes the rapid growth happening in Lancaster County, particularly in unincorporated areas.
“Being included on this nationally recognized list will help elevate awareness and build momentum for preserving this important Revolutionary War site,” Duncan said.
About Hanging Rock Battlefield
The Lancaster County battlefield has deep ties to early American history.
Hundreds of Patriot troops under Gen. Thomas Sumter, along with Native American Catawba fighters, attacked British and Loyalist troops camped near Hanging Rock in 1780.
The battle is known for weakening British control in the area, and for providing the first battle experience of 13-year-old Andrew Jackson, a Lancaster County native who would go on to serve as president.
Today, there’s a three-quarter-mile walking loop with eight signs detailing the battle. The battleground park at Flat Rock and Beecher Horton roads is about 12 miles south of Lancaster and about 60 miles south of Charlotte.
