WILLIAM HILL’S HOMEPLACE

AND IRONWORKS

TODAY

JOHN T. MISSKELLEY

DIGITAL PHOTOS BY DAVID CHAMBERS

 

 

 

            For many years, I have been a member of a committee called the “Historic Preservation Committee” which is chaired by a board member of the Cultural & Heritage Commission, which oversees Historic Brattonsville.  Of the many items that have come to us over the years, Hill’s Ironworks are by far the most important.  It is the most significant unprotected historical site that I’ve been associated with since I’ve lived here.  Back in the early 1920’s a dam was built downstream to provide a source of energy to supply York County and most especially Rock Hill with electricity.  As the river backed up, the water flooded back up into the creeks from whence it came.

            As a result of this progress many historical sites were lost.  Colonel Hill’s forges were down the hill from his house on Allison’s Creek, over a mile from the mouth of the Catawba River .  When they went under water in 1925 they were in a “good” state of preservation.  A granite marker on the south side of Allison’s Creek on hwy 274 recorded the condition of the forges.   Under the granite block dedicated to Hill’s Ironworks, and acting, as a footing for the monument is a grist stone that supposedly was used at one of Colonel Hill’s Gristmills.

            Though it bothers me to lose a historical site, I never paid that much attention to a site that had been gone for so long.  After so many years under water, there was little that I could do about it.  Then came the news in the local papers that hwy 274 was to be widened which, of course meant that the present bridge over Allison creek would have to be enlarged.  The County informed the contractor that archaeologist’s would have to inspect the area where the pilons would be driven into the mud of Allison’s Creek, to make sure that the concrete piers would not damage existing evidence of Hill’s forges.

            I was proud of the County for making the contractor go thru due process.  I thought there was hope that we, as amateur historians had friends in government that were conscious of historical sites, and would do their up most to preserve our endangered sites.

Figure 1 - The site of Col. Hill’s home

  Up to this point, I was blissfully unaware that the homesite of Col. Hill still existed.  Then a County employee asked if I wanted to see where Col. Hill lived.  I, and a friend of yours and mine went with the employee one Saturday afternoon and drove to Allison’s Creek at hwy 274.  A dirt road turnoff north of the bridge afforded a place to get our vehicles off the road.  After parking, we had to walk some distance where there was an old chain link fence that was knocked down in various places.  After exiting the woods we soon stood in a clearing on top of a hill.

            The employee said here it is, waving his arm in a half circular motion from one side of his body to the other.  From the top of the hill, you could see the waters of Lake Wylie , and even though it was warm,

Figure 2 - From Hill’s home looking at the new road

 a cool breeze blew across my face.  I thought to myself that if I had to build a house it would be on top of a hill to catch the summer breeze.  The employee then started to show us around.  Headed in a southerly direction, we headed down the slope towards the water.  In several different areas on the slope, level areas would appear and flat ground would run for ten yards or so, then the slope would re-appear.  The employee theorized that these were terracing in which to utilize every area of space for the planting of crops.  The terracing circled the entire hill.  This area now is heavily wooded all the way to the river.  If you were back in 1780 you would be very lucky if you saw a tree between the house and Nanny’s mountain. 

Figure 3 - Looking towards the river.

The reason being that to run a forge, charcoal was needed and charcoal came from trees.  Trees were also used to make houses for 90 slaves, gristmills, sawmills and various other buildings, and the Colonel’s home.  The area would have been de-forested for a mile around.  We wandered around for some time looking over the place that Capt. Christian Huck destroyed in June of 1780.  It was at this place that Mr. Calhoun was hung for being loyal to Col. Hill and where he was rescued by one of Hill’s slaves.  It is also the burial place for several patriot soldiers who gave their life defending the ironworks.  We soon left, secure in the fact that this site would be preserved.

            In the middle of June 2002, David Chambers and myself went back to Hill’s

Figure 4 - Misskelley looking at possible foundation of a spring house.

 home site to take pictures.  We were appalled at what we found.  A road was put in for a housing development that will soon cover a good part of Col. Hill’s home site.  The road has destroyed the terracing on the north side of the hill, and

Figure 5 - Misskelley standing on one of the terraces.

we are unsure if the actual site of Hill’s home will become a new home.  It is a shame that after so many years of being safe in the woods, that urban sprawl has finally caught up with this very important historic site.  At the very least we have pictures that show the area before it is gone forever.  I hope the new homeowner understands the significance of their new yard, but they won’t.