About Our Collections

The Culture & Heritage Museums' (CHM) collection is very broad and diverse.  Once three separate institutions, the museums that make up the CHM followed distinct collecting goals, and there was very little overlap in collections when the institutions merged.

Native American & African Artifacts

The anthropology collection, consisting of African and Native American ceramics, textiles, wood carvings, masks, musical instruments and weapons, illustrates many aspects of material culture in Native American and West African cultures. A local university historian considers this the best collection of African artifacts in the Carolinas.

Archaeological Artifacts

The CHM cares for an archaeology collection that has developed from both formal, scholarly digs on CHC property and “surface finds” by staff and visitors. These range from bottles and nails to textile fragments, buttons, and ceramic marbles.

The curator of archaeology is planning future digs to study the people who once lived on the Brattonsville and McColl properties.  This will be particularly useful in studying the lives of enslaved African Americans on the Brattonsville site, and Native Americans on the McColl site.

Records & Research

The Archives and Library holds a large collection of original documents including court records and family papers, as well as scholarly publications on topics related to the CHM mission and genealogical reference material. This facility serves an increasing number of visitors every year, as more researchers learn about the quality of its resources. See Historical Center>>

Visual Arts

CHM has developed a collection of regional visual art, focusing on the work of contemporary artists and “outsider” artists working in the Carolinas. The collection includes oil and watercolor paintings, drawings, photographs, and sculpture. CHM also owns an extensive collection of the work of Vernon Grant, a mid-twentieth century illustrator who lived in Rock Hill.

Historical Artifacts

The history collection is especially broad, encompassing historic structures, decorative arts, fine arts and agricultural and industrial equipment from the Carolina Piedmont from settlement through the mid-twentieth century. A small but growing collection of regionally-made furniture is one of the strong points, along with a local quilt collection and a broad selection of early-twentieth century clothing. Over 30 historic structures form the living history museum at Historic Brattonsville.  This complex includes four homes built by the same family over a period of 100 years, an original brick slave cabin, and a wide variety of outbuildings including barns, sheds and a cotton gin. These buildings and the landscape they inhabit tell a compelling story of life in the Carolina Backcountry.

Natural History Collection

The Museum of York County was originally established as a natural history museum, and CHM has continued collecting examples of North American and African fauna.  The fully mounted specimens, wall mounted specimens, and study collections present a wide range of opportunities for scholarly research and for exhibits and programs related to wildlife, the natural world, and biodiversity.

Click here for frequently asked questions about our collections. 

If you have other questions about our collections, please contact Danielle Failor at 803.684.3948 ext. 34 or email her at dfailor@chmuseums.org.
 

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