Big Lake Cattle Mound

National Register Listing

Street Address:

Address Restricted (Richland County)

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NRHP Nomination

Record Number:

S10817740113

Description and Narrative:

Big Lake Cattle Mount is significant for its association with the agricultural settlement of the Congaree Swamp and for its ability to yield information about settlement patterns in the region. Free-ranging livestock provided a significant source of food and income prior to the Civil War in the South Carolina backcountry. Settlers in the Congaree Swamp constructed cattle mounts to provide a place of refuge for hogs, cattle, and other grazing animals during the flood season. Farmers constructed many of the earthen structures in the swamp using slave labor. Big Lake Cattle Mount is a 75-by-35-by-2-foot rectangular earthen mound. The top of the mound is flat and covered with hardwood trees and other vegetation and the sides have an approximately 45-degree slope. Listed in the National Register November 25, 1996.

Level of Significance:

Local

Area of Significance:

Archeology: Historic - Non-Aboriginal;Agriculture

National Register Determination:

listed

Date of Certification:

November 25 1996

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