For Immediate Release:
June 23, 2026
Contact:
Olivia Mitchell
Marketing Manager
Culture & Heritage Museums
www.chmuseums.org
803.909.7244
Historic Brattonsville to Host Smithsonian’s Making History, Making Change Program
Lynn Heidelbaugh Will Speak on Lines of Communication in Revolutionary America
McCONNELLS, S.C. –Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum curator, Lynn Heidelbaugh, will present “Lines of Communication in Revolutionary America” at Historic Brattonsville on July 11 and 12 at noon each day during The Battle of Huck’s Defeat battle reenactment weekend.
Her keynote presentation brings postal history to life through the letters, newspapers, and word-of-mouth messages that helped win America’s independence as we celebrate 250 years of American freedom. In the years leading up to the war, Patriots, Loyalists, and the British authorities clashed over control of communication networks, post offices, and postal routes. Recognizing the strategic importance of the mail, the Continental Congress established a postal system on July 26, 1775—almost a year before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Join curator Lynn Heidelbaugh of the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum for her talk and explore replicas of early American postal materials that provide insight into the experiences and communications of those who lived through the Revolution. She will also be available before and after her talks for meet and greets and questions.
The annual Battle of Huck’s Defeat portrays the Patriot victory over British soldiers commanded by Capt. Christian Huck. This battle became known as an early turning point in the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution and helped revive Patriot morale during one of the darkest periods of the war.
In addition to the Smithsonian lecture, there will be a variety of activities and demonstrations going on throughout the weekend for all ages, plus a different battle reenactment at 2 p.m. each day. The Battle of Eutaw Springs will be portrayed on Sat. July 11 and The Battle of Huck’s Defeat, on Sun. July 12. Visitors can also experience an augmented reality tour, live cavalry and artillery, military camps, quill pen writing, guided tours, and 18th century cooking and blacksmithing! Sunday will also have an 18th century church service. Admission allows entrance to all activities, the Smithsonian lectures, and augmented reality experience. Tickets can be purchased in advance at chmuseums.org/event/hucks/ or as walk-ups. Additional activity details and times are also listed.
Speaker Lynn Heidelbaugh is part of the Making History, Making Change Lecture Series. Organized by Smithsonian Affiliations as part of the Smithsonian’s Our Shared Future: 250, the series is a national collaboration between the Smithsonian and 25 Smithsonian Affiliate organizations, featuring expert-led talks that explore the people, moments, and ideals that have shaped—and continue to shape—the American experience.
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About Historic Brattonsville:
Historic Brattonsville is a living history site that presents the agricultural and social history of the Carolina Piedmont from the American Revolution through the Reconstruction Era. The site features over 30 historic structures, including family houses, that provide the setting for the story of the Brattons, those enslaved on the plantation, and the Enslaved Ancestral Burial Ground, the final resting place of 481 people of African descent. The site spreads over 800-acres and comprises farmed land with heritage breed animals, a Revolutionary War battlefield, and a nature preserve with miles of walking trails. Seasonal events, reenactments, and living history programs interpret life in the 18th and 19th centuries. Historic Brattonsville is included in The Green Book of South Carolina – a travel guide to African American cultural sites.
About Smithsonian Affiliations:
Smithsonian Affiliations establishes and maintains the Smithsonian’s long-term relationships with museums, educational organizations, and cultural institutions in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Panama. Affiliates are collaborators on many of the Smithsonian’s strategic priorities, adding content and expertise to national initiatives to amplify the power of the stories we tell and reach broader and more diverse audiences. More information is available at www.affiliations.si.edu.
Smithsonian Speaker:
Lynn Heidelbaugh is a curator at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum, where she specializes in research for exhibitions, publications, and collection acquisitions on the history of the U.S. Postal Service, military mail, and the material culture of letter writing. Ms. Heidelbaugh was awarded the Smithsonian Secretary’s Research Prize for an exhibition in 2018 and a book in 2023. Her co-authored publication Routes to a Nation: The Post Office in the Colonies and the Early United States, which features the National Postal Museum’s collections, will be released in October 2026.
Making History, Making Change:
The Making History, Making Change Lecture Series is organized by Smithsonian Affiliations as part of the Smithsonian’s Our Shared Future: 250. It is supported in part by the Dreier Family, Johanna and Ken Kim Family, Vaishali Shah Chadha and Family, and Michael Vu & Meridel Bulle-Vu.