The McConnells living history site was one of seven recipients honored for preserving and interpreting South Carolina’s cultural heritage.
Historic Brattonsville has been named a recipient of the 2026 Governor’s Award in the Humanities, according to York County. The award recognizes the McConnells site’s work preserving, interpreting and sharing South Carolina’s history and cultural heritage.
The 2026 Governor’s Awards were announced Aug. 11 at a press conference at the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia. Historic Brattonsville was among seven individuals and organizations recognized as part of the 35th Annual Humanities Awards, which honor contributions to South Carolina foodways, historic preservation, architecture, literature, arts and culture, education and community engagement.
A formal awards ceremony is scheduled for October at the South Carolina State Museum.
In its award letter to Historic Brattonsville, South Carolina Humanities said the honor “recognizes your exceptional contributions to the humanities and the lasting impact your work has made in communities throughout South Carolina.”
Jane Marion Wilson, who nominated Historic Brattonsville, pointed to the site’s role in telling the stories of the people who shaped the region, including colonists, revolutionaries, plantation owners, enslaved workers, tenant farmers and their descendants. Wilson also cited the restoration and interpretation of the site’s Enslaved Ancestral Burial Ground. “I have never seen a cemetery so thoughtfully and carefully presented to the public as both a sacred ground and important tool for teaching and advocacy,” Wilson said.
Micah Decker, executive director of the Olde English District Tourism Commission, called Historic Brattonsville “a vital community asset that preserves, teaches, and honors the human experience in South Carolina.” Decker said the site’s work with Black and white descendants sets it apart. “Their work transcends traditional museum interpretation; it serves as an act of historical truth-telling that isn’t pretty or polished,” Decker said. “It’s authentic, it’s human; it invites everyone to engage with the complex realities of our shared past.”
Dr. Melissa Walker, professor of history emerita at Converse University, said Historic Brattonsville has developed programs that drew 200 teachers from 45 states to learn about the American Revolution in the backcountry. Walker also noted the site’s interpretation of Reconstruction-era history, which she said is rarely covered at public history sites in the state.
Charles LeCount, deputy director of the North Carolina Division of State Historic Sites & Properties, said Historic Brattonsville has committed significant time, funding and expertise to accurately restore and interpret the original Bratton buildings, calling the effort “a herculean undertaking rarely matched by other historic sites of similar size anywhere in the country.”
Historic Brattonsville spans 800 acres and includes more than 30 historic structures, farmland with heritage breed animals, a Revolutionary War battlefield and a nature preserve with walking trails. The site’s Enslaved Ancestral Burial Ground is the final resting place of 481 people of African descent, according to York County. The awards ceremony recognizing this year’s recipients will be held in October at the South Carolina State Museum.
Source: York County original release.
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