Buford Battlefield Historical Timeline
1780 May 29
Buford’s Massacre, or Battle of the Waxhaw’s, occurs when British Col. Tarleton attacks Col Buford at 2pm. The battle is over in 15 minutes and is a major defeat for the Patriots.
1783 Sept 3
Revolutionary War officially ends when the Paris Peace Treaty is signed.
1802
City of Lancaster, SC is established.
1829 March 4
Andrew Jackson, who as a local teenager during the 1780 battle provided care for the wounded soldiers, is inaugurated seventh President of the United States.
1845 June 18
A committee of Lancaster citizens meets to discover the history and location of the historic battle and provide a battlefield grave marker for the site.
1860 June 2
A white marble obelisk is installed at the mass grave so that “a stranger traveling Rocky River Road can learn of the battle in a succinct way from the inscription on the monument.”
1894
The Rev. P. M. Plyer sells two acres of land that contained the mass grave and monument to the ARP. Church.
1938
Rocky River Road, SC Rt 522, is straightened south of Hwy 9, moving the roadway away from the mass grave and allowing a semicircular driveway to be constructed.
1946 May
The 2-acre property is obtained by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and deeded to Lancaster County for use as a park.
1955 May
The DAR and Lancaster Historical Commission erect a monument to preserve the inscription on the 1860 marble obelisk which had become unreadable due to ravages of time and souvenir seekers chipping off bits of the marble.
1993
Buford High School vocational students build the large brick sign identifying the site as ‘Buford Massacre 1780’.
2000 Nov
A grant from Charles W. Carroll of Heath Springs provides fencing around the mass grave and obelisk to increase protection of the site.
2005 May 29
A monument celebrating the 225th anniversary of the battle is installed by the National, South Carolina, and Virginia Sons of the American Revolution Chapters, and the South Carolina Chapter of the Children of the American Revolution.
2010
Brockington & Associates surveys the battlefield and finds numerous artifacts, some of which can be seen today at the Lancaster Historical Museum. The survey verifies the location of the battle.
2012
The Friends of the Buford Massacre Battlefield (FBMB) is formed after a chance meeting between a local motorcycle club and Miss Emily Carnes Franklin whose dedication to preserving and improving the battlefield inspire the club members to work with her.
The FBMB install a 30-foot flagpole and raise an American flag over the battlefield with the local SC DAR Chapter providing funds for the pole.
2016
As a requirement for his Boy Scout Eagle rank, Robert Olsen from BSA Troop 99 in Weddington, NC, designs and constructs a dedicated picnic area that includes four tables and surrounding landscaping.
The South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust (SCBPT) in conjunction with the American Battlefield Trust (ABT) preserve an additional 51 acres of the battlefield with a land purchase from Hopewell United Methodist Church. A Katawba Valley Land Trust (KVLT) easement is added to this purchase to preserve the land in perpetuity.
2017
Two 25’ flag poles are obtained and installed to allow the South Carolina and Virginia State flags to be flown. Corporate sponsor Nutramax and FBMB provide funds for this project.
Research of military and civilian pension records identify 216 of the 350 Colonial soldiers who participated in the battle. A brass plaque to memorialize these individuals is obtained by the FBMB and mounted on the brick wall adjacent to the 3 flags.
2018 – 2019
Significant financial input from a Lancaster County Accommodation Tax Grant is used to make major site improvements, including a low stone wall across the front of the site with steps to the major memorials; a brick paver walkway from the mass grave to the picnic area; and landscaping, with an irrigation system.
2019 Oct
The Liberty Trail, a highway driving trail that connects Revolutionary War battlefields in South Carolina, including Buford’s Massacre Battlefield/Battle of the Waxhaw’s, is announced with a ceremony at the SC Governor’s Mansion.
2020 May
A scion of the Liberty Tree at St. John’s College in Annapolis where the Sons of Liberty met to plan their rebellion against the British, is planted. The scion was provided by the South Carolina Battleground Preservation Trust.
2021 May
Recreational walking trails are established around the 53-acre battlefield.
2024
A brick paver walkway is completed to connect the Memorial patio to the walkway in front of the monuments. Four kiosks are added to highlight the Commanders, Combatants, Why we Fly the Virginia Flag and the History of the Battlefield. A generous Lancaster County Accommodation Tax Grant and the FBMB provide the project funds.
Twenty-three additional Continental soldiers are identified and memorialized with a brass plaque.
2020 - 2033
Sestercentennial of the Revolutionary War.
