For Immediate Release:
August 13, 2024
Contact:
Marie Cheek
Community Relations Coordinator
Culture & Heritage Museums
www.chmuseums.org
803.909.7312 mcheek@chmuseums.org
“By the Sweat of Our Brows – A Living Legacy” honors the descendants of Brattonsville’s enslaved community
Black and white Bratton descendants come together at Historic Brattonsville to continue the conversation of their shared history and lineage
McCONNELLS, S.C. – Every September, descendants of Brattonsville’s enslaved community gather to honor their ancestral legacy during “By the Sweat of Our Brows.” Dedicated to telling an authentic narrative, the descendant community has helped to organized the annual event since 2005. Visitors have the opportunity to meet the Black and white Bratton descendants and hear their stories of shared history and lineage that continue through the 21st century.
“We, the descendants, have the opportunity to honor the sacrifices of our enslaved ancestors. Plus, we are able to gather with our relatives, black and white, to learn more about our connections.” — Angelia Green, resident of York, S.C., whose great-great grandparents, Green and Malinda Bratton, were enslaved at Brattonsville.
Historic Brattonsville’s “By the Sweat of Our Brows – A Living Legacy” commences on Sept. 14 at 10:30 a.m. with the traditional ‘Calling of the Names’ read from Harriet Bratton’s 1865 Freedmen’s List. Panel presentations by descendants are scheduled at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Throughout the day, period-dressed living history interpreters will demonstrate traditional African American foodways and trades such as blacksmithing and hand-sewing, focusing on the clothing of enslaved people. Interpretation also delves into the Reconstruction Era story within the Brick House’s recreated Brattonsville Store alongside the award-winning exhibit “Liberty & Resistance: Reconstruction and the African American Community at Brattonsville 1865-1877.” The family-friendly event features ongoing hands-on activities with make-and-take toys and old-fashioned games on the lawn. The historic cotton gin will be in operation on the hour starting at 11 a.m. with a final run at 3 p.m. Guided site tours are offered at noon and 3 p.m. A presentation on Brattonsville’s historic preservation of spaces that were occupied by enslaved people is scheduled at 1 p.m. Concessions provided by Long Dawgs LLC will be available for purchase.
WHAT: “By the Sweat of Our Brows – A Living Legacy”
WHERE: Historic Brattonsville, 1444 Brattonsville Rd., McConnells, S.C. 29726
Brattonsville Road will be closed for public safety from 9:30 – 4:30; please follow the detour.
WHEN: Sept. 14 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
GENERAL ADMISSION: Adults $8; Seniors $7; Youth $5; Free for CHM Members & under 3.
Tickets available for online purchasing. As part of the Museums for All initiative, all Culture & Heritage Museums sites offer year-round access with reduced rates for low-income families; visit museums4all.org for more information or call Visitors Services – 803.684.2327
WEBSITE: chmuseums.org
VISITORS SERVICES: 803.684.2327
IMAGE: Black and white descendants of the Bratton community from across the United States gather at Historic Brattonsville’s Hightower Hall on the eve of 2023’s By the Sweat of Our Brows. In addition to the annual event, the Descendant Community, continually growing and expanding, meets virtually throughout the year. Image taken on Sept. 15, 2023 by Culture & Heritage Museums.
Historic Brattonsville’s story of African American culture and history is ongoing:
Historic Brattonsville was accepted to the National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program. — May 12, 2021
Historic Brattonsville is included in the National Park Service’s Reconstruction Era National Historic Network. — April 5, 2022
Historic Brattonsville receives 2023 Award of Excellence winner by the American Association for State and Local History for exhibit “Liberty and Resistance: Reconstruction and the African American Community at Brattonsville 1865-1877.” Expanding Historic Brattonsville’s interpretation beyond the Revolutionary and Antebellum Eras, the exhibit details the Reconstruction Era and the fight for the newly recognized rights of African Americans. The Award of Excellence is part of the AASLH Leadership in History Awards, the nation’s most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation of state and local history. – June 20, 2023
Historic Brattonsville is included in “The Green Book of South Carolina – A Travel Guide to S.C. African American Cultural Sites.”
South Carolina African American Heritage Commission recognizes “By the Sweat of Our Brows” as a project that significantly and dramatically influences in a permanent way the preservation and interpretation of African American history and culture in S.C. The Commission’s Project Award was presented to York County’s Culture and Heritage Museums on behalf of “By the Sweat of Our Brows” at the South Carolina Archives & History Center in Columbia on March 28, 2014.
Virtual Archives: Watch virtual programs documenting the Bratton descendants and their stories. An archive of educational virtual programs that preserve and communicate the cultural and natural history of the Carolina Piedmont is available for ongoing viewing on Culture & Heritage Museums YouTube Channel .
About Historic Brattonsville:
Historic Brattonsville features historic houses and structures built over the course of three generations of the Bratton family and the enslaved community. Award-winning exhibits and programs tell York County’s unique history from the American Revolution to the Reconstruction Era. The site spreads over 800 acres and includes farmed land with heritage breed animals, a Revolutionary War battlefield with interpretive trail, and a nature preserve with miles of walking trails. Seasonal events, reenactments, and living history programs interpret what life was like in the Carolina Piedmont during the 18th and 19th centuries.
About Culture & Heritage Museums:
Culture & Heritage Museums is a family of museums in York County: Historic Brattonsville in McConnells, the McCelvey Center, which includes the Historical Center, in York, and the Museum of York County and Main Street Children’s Museum in Rock Hill. CHM is a Smithsonian Affiliate and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. According to AAM, accreditation is “the ultimate mark of distinction in the museum field” and “signifies excellence and credibility to the entire museum community, to governments and outside agencies and to the museum-going public.” In South Carolina, there are only twelve museums or museum systems that have achieved this distinction.
Want to support Culture & Heritage Museums? – Become a CHM member and enjoy an entire year of exclusive benefits and free general admission to all CHM sites, which includes Historic Brattonsville, Museum of York County, and Main Street Children’s Museum.
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