Historic Brattonsville celebrates 250th anniversary with ‘Deed Day’

When 12-year-old Emma Anne Mobley walked around Historic Brattonsville wearing a 1700s full-length dress at high noon and high humidity, the pre-teen was more than imagining what life was like in 1766.

“It’s hot, very hot,” said the sixth-grade home-school student, who was wearing a linen dress made by her great grandmother. “I’ve had on a lot cooler things before.”

Mobley was among the living historians and visitors Thursday for “Deed Day,” marking the 250th anniversary of the day Col. William Bratton signed the deed and obtained 200 acres in what was then part of Mecklenburg County, N.C.

Bratton and his pregnant wife were likely living at the site, which has 30 historic structures, when they signed the deed on August 11, 1766, historian Mike Scoggins said.

“We believe that he probably had access to that property prior to, built the house and then was to make it official and claiming this is now home,” said Historic Brattonsville school programs manager Karen Cox. Col. Bratton likely would not recognize his house if he returned because of the changes his descendents made, Cox said.

For the past 45 years, the Col. William Bratton House and the Homestead House have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In addition to touring the historic structures and viewing Bratton family documents, visitors learned about surveying and archeology. They were treated to music in the evening.

This story was originally published August 11, 2016 at 6:46 PM with the headline "Historic Brattonsville celebrates 250th anniversary with ‘Deed Day’."