11

Wood’s Fort (11 of 12)

Image Credit: Courtesy Spartanburg CVB/Les Duggins

Driving Instructions 

Sign: Li'l Cricket parking lot, 1904 Gap Creek Road, Greer 29651
Sign GPS: 34.971900, -82.199767
Site near Li'l Cricket at Intersection of Gap Creek Rd & Hwy 357, Greer 29651

Directions from 10 to 11 (~20 miles)

  • Continue on Hwy 14 (cross I-26) to Landrum (several eateries & antique shops)
  • Turn left (south) onto Hwy 176 (Howard Ave/Asheville Hwy) toward Campobello for about 5 miles
  • Turn right onto Hwy 357 (Holly Springs Rd) just after The Dutch Plate restaurant
  • In about 9 miles, turn right to stay on Hwy 357 to Greer
  • Wood's Fort was near the intersection of Hwys 96 and 357

Google Maps has been provided as a resource.

[ Google Driving Directions ]

Location Information 

Wood’s Fort

Before the American Revolution, the Spartanburg area was frontier. Wood’s Fort was built to provide protection for settlers from sometimes hostile Native Americans and was used during the Revolution as well.


Near intersection of Gap Creek Road (SC 908) and Hwy 357 in Greer

More History 

Native Americans in the American Revolution

The attack on the Hampton family by a group of Cherokees in 1776 may have taken place during the American Revolution, but in many ways it is emblematic of the tensions natives and settlers had been experiencing for generations leading up to the conflict.

The history of colonist-settler relations in South Carolina before the American Revolution is a complex one. At times, the colonists and native inhabitants worked together to achieve mutual objectives while at other times they engaged in open conflict. As settlement expanded into the interior, these relationships became more strained, especially along the colony's frontier. In 1775, as battle lines for the coming Revolutionary War were being drawn by South Carolina colonists, a group of known Loyalists attempted to deliver gunpowder from the Provincial government to the Cherokees. This was interpreted by many as an attempt to arm the Cherokees against Patriot-leaning settlers and incite attack. Fearing this outcome, a group of Patriot militia headed off this group at Ninety Six in what was the first land battle of the American Revolution in the South Carolina.

The year 1776 was one of the bloodiest between settlers and natives on the frontier. Many Native American groups attacked settlements in the backcountry area which led to expeditions against them in reprisal. A few of the incidents that erupted during this period include Native American attacks at Lindley's Fort in modern-day Laurens County and several like the one against the Hamptons near Wood's Fort. Frontier militia also initiated battles at Seneca Town, the Ring Fight, and Tamassee. In 1777, the Cherokees on the frontier sued for peace and most fighting between settlers and natives came to a close. As part of the peace agreement, the Cherokees gave up even more land in western South Carolina - an area that became Greenville, Pickens and Oconee Counties.

Throughout the remainder of the Revolution, some Native Americans allied themselves with one side or another during certain battles and campaigns, but, by and large, the actions against them in 1776 had put a stop to their raids. After the Revolution, as the new country began to expand, more Native American territory was taken. This process continued for many years with disastrous results for the native peoples of the Southeast.

Additional Images 


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