Ft. Galphin (Dreadnought), Galphin Trading Post, Galphinton
Historic Property
Alternate Name:
Silver Bluff
Street Address:
About 5 miles WNW of Jackson, SC
Site Number:
S108042001100174
Site Number:
(38AK7) 2-JQ-1
Category:
Site
Construction Date:
before 1400;1400 – 1785
Historic Use:
Commerce/Trade
Signficant Architectural Features:
Cultivated fields and small wooded areas on a steep bluff overlooking the Savannah River. Silver Bluff was the site of an Indian trading post established by George Galphin in the early 1740's. In 1776, William Bartram visited the trading post and described the nearby aboriginal earthworks as "a very celebrated place" and found various monuments and vestiges of the ancients: as "Indian conical mounts, terraces, areas, etc., as well as remains or traces of fortresses of regular formation." Of these there are no traces today. However, Indian artifacts are found in abundance. There were a number of structures in the area of the Galphin Trading Post which included the trading post, barge docks, way-station for travelers, holding-pens for livestock and numerous cabins for family and slaves. At the time of the Revolution, Fort Galphin was built, consisting of a stockaded brick building. This brick structure, probably the Galphin home, was still standing in the early 1870's. After George Galphin's death in 1870, the locality of the trading post was known as Galphinton. The community had vanished by the 20th century. OUTBUILDINGS:
Alterations:
altered
Historical Information:
Like Fort Moore up the Savannah River across from Auqusta, the Galphin Trading Post at Silver Bluff was the center of activity for a wide area. Galphin's sphere of influence extended south & west including Charleston, Savannah, St. Augustine, Pensacola, and Mobile. Galphin was sympathetic to the colonists but was appointed Commissioner of Indian Affairs for the Southern District in 1775. With the outbreak of the Revolution, Tories occupied and fortified the Galphin house to keep his trade goods from falling into American hands. Colonial troops led by Lt. Col. Henry Lee attacked and captured Fort Galphin (Dreadnought) on May 21, 1781. Galphin Trading Post is an important site as it is one of
Source of Historical Information:
National Register nomination, prepared in 1976
Archives Location:
Box 11, Series 108042, Survey of historic resources (county by county data on surface properties), circa 1971-2014
