Posted in South Carolina May 14, 2019 by

Most People Don’t Know About This Ancient Sacred Park In South Carolina And It’s A Shame

South Carolina is not only a destination, but also a pass-through state for those traveling along the east coast. Scores and scores of travelers pass up and down the Interstate 95 corridor each year; all are headed someplace either within the Palmetto State or beyond the borders.

We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/
But relatively few people even know about the quaint little park located on the northwest side of the highway at the Lake Marion I-95 crossing.
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It is only a stone's throw from the interstate and can be reached in less than mile detour, making it a wonderful stop to stretch your legs and check out the ancient indian mound.
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Without excavation, the best guess as to when this ancient mound was built is sometime between 800 and 500 years ago. It was used either as a burial mound or a temple mound — a place that may have been used for ceremonial, religious, and political purposes and on which the chief may have lived.
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During the British occupation, the mound was taken by the British, who built a fort (Fort Watson) high atop the mound.
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Their fort was easily captured in one fell swoop by Francis Marion and Light Horse Harry Lee in 1780.
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Together the two concocted a shrewd plan to quietly build a log hewn fort of their own in the nearby woods — only theirs was taller. Their makeshift stacked-wood fort was constructed in a day and the men showered British Fort Watson from high above and completely undetected until the first shot.
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Nothing remains of Fort Watson at the park but the mound is still here — and so is the history.
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You don’t have to be a history buff to feel the presence of the past at this incredible little park with an ancient Santee Indians mound…. but you do have to visit in person. Did you even know it was here? It’s located just off I-95 at exit 102 in the Santee National Wildlife Refuge.

Address: Fort Watson Road, Summerton, SC, 29148

Discover another little-known fact about this area: nearby Santee State Park is riddled with enormous sinkholes! Learn more here.