Town of Ninety Six site - Ninety Six National Historic Site

The origins of the Town of Ninety Six can be traced back to a trading post run by Robert Gouedy sometime before 1730. Located at the crossroads of several Indian trails and paths, the town grew to become the center of commerce in the frontier region. Several of the trails were expanded into wagon roads which can still be seen today. In 1769, the town was declared the district (county) seat of the newly formed Ninety Six District which included most of what is now the Upstate region. A jail and courthouse were built and court was held twice each year. In 1775, there were twelve dwellings in the town.

On November 19, 1775, the first battle of the revolution south of New England was fought between 500 Patriot troops in a makeshift fort west of town commanded by Major Andrew Williamson and 2000 Loyalists commanded by Major Joseph Robinson and Captain Patrick Cunningham. Several days of fighting led to a stalemate and resulted in a formal truce. No British troops were involved in the battle.

In August 1780, Lt. Colonel John Harris Cruger arrived in Ninety Six. He fortified part of the town and built the Stockade Fort near the site of the 1775 battle west of town. Over the winter of 1780-1781, he had the Star Fort built to defend the northern approaches to the town. Shallow trenches were dug between the Star Fort and town and between the jail and the Stockade Fort. These were used to move supplies, including water, and troops between locations while remaining out of the line of fire. During the siege of May 22 to June 19, 1781, Cruger commanded about 550 Loyalists while General Nathanael Greene commanded about 1000 Patriots. Hearing that 2000 British and Loyalist troops were marching to Ninety Six, Greene commanded an attack before all his preparations had been completed. Thirty Patriots died in a battle that lasted about an hour.

Just a month after the battle for Star Fort, the Loyalists were ordered to abandon the site as it was too far into enemy territory to be of continued benefit. In July 1781, the town was burned to the ground to prevent it from becoming a useful outpost for the Patriots as Cruger’s men and Loyalist families retreated to Charleston.

After passing the Star Fort, the one-mile walking tour goes through the townsite, past the jail and re-crosses Spring Branch. I visited in November 2015.

Depression marks the location of the numerous trails in the area

Looking north on Island Ford Road

Red post marks the communication trench, while the yellow posts
and tall grass mark the site of the town of Ninety Six

The northeast corner with the southeast corner in the distance

Northwest corner

Whitehall Road descends to cross Spring Branch

The trail passes through the village

Charleston Road

Southwest corner in the foreground with northwest corner in the distant left

White posts mark the location of the jail west of the stockaded townsite

The trail winds down the hill to the creek

A bridge spans Spring Branch while the red posts mark the location of a communication trench

Spring Branch runs between the jail and Stockade Fort

Red posts mark the location of the "covered way" communication trench
between the jail in the distance and the Stockade Fort

A bridge takes the walking trail over Whitehall Road

View down Whitehall Road east toward Ninety Six

View of Whitehall Road looking west

There is no fee to enter Ninety Six National Historic Site.

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/nisi/index.htm.