Liberation Day at Fort Thicketty

LIBERATION DAY AT THICKETTY FORT
184 Goucher Creek Road • Gaffney, SC 29340

Step back to the summer of 1780 and witness the dramatic moment when liberty returned to the Backcountry.

Join us at historic Fort Thicketty, a pivotal site in the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution. Originally built by early Scotch-Irish settlers as protection against frontier threats, the fort later became a Loyalist stronghold under Captain Patrick Moore. From behind its abatis and stockade, Tory raiders struck Whig families throughout the Greater Grindal Shoals community.

Then came the turning point.

In July 1780, Patriot forces under Colonels Isaac Shelby, Elijah Clarke, and William Hampton surrounded the fort. Outnumbered and faced with the determined resolve of the Overmountain Men and Spartan Regiment militia, the Loyalists surrendered without a shot. Ninety-three prisoners and hundreds of weapons were taken, striking an early blow for independence in what would become Cherokee County.

Liberation Day commemorates that bold stand for freedom. Experience living history demonstrations, engaging interpretation, and the powerful story of neighbor against neighbor in a Revolutionary War civil conflict that shaped our region.

Bring your family and rediscover the courage, conviction, and community spirit that helped turn the tide in the South Carolina Backcountry.

For further information, call the Cherokee County Museum at 864-489-3988.

Come stand where liberty prevailed!