Emmala Reed Miller Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy

Hopewell Plantation, Hopewell Treaty Site, The Silk House, and the Old Stone Church & Cemetery Field Trip

9 June 2012, Emmala Reed Miller Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy took a field trip to Hopewell Plantation, Hopewell Treaty Site, The Silk House, and Old Stone Church along with other Piedmont District UDC Chapters, and SCV camps.

Built about 1785 initially as a log structure, Hopewell Plantation is representative of a rural house type, which was common in the late 18th and early 19th century in the South Carolina backcountry. Beginning with a small log structure as a frontier pioneer home for Gen. Andrew Pickens (ca. 1785), Hopewell was substantially enlarged by General Pickens and was his plantation home for about 20 years, (ca. 1785-1815). The general retired to Tomassee Red House and his son Andrew owned Hopewell.

The historical significance of Hopewell rests on the national stature of General Pickens, who will be remembered in American history for his significant contributions as a Revolutionary War General and later as a Native-American negotiator. While General Pickens’ heroics at the Battle of Cowpens are well known, his decades of negations with the Cherokees, Choctaws, Chickasaws, Creeks and Chickamauga’s were monumental in peaceful treaties and cohabitation with Native-Americans following the Revolution. Most notably, the Treaty of Hopewell with the Cherokees, Choctaws and Chickasaws still today provides civil liberties to First Peoples.

Our Guides

Left:

Tim Drake

Right:

Will Hiott, director of Clemson University Historic Properties.

View of the rear

What a great group!

Emmala Reed Miller Chapter: Tina Scott, Helen Moore, Regina Power, Janice King, Mendy Fuller, Teresa Reed, and Julia Barnes, Piedmont District Director