Archaeologist Mike Yianopoulos, based in Charleston, South Carolina, uses LiDAR technology to study the Battle of Stono Ferry site, which holds both Revolutionary War and Civil War history. LiDAR, which sends laser pulses to map the earth's surface, allows Yianopoulos to analyze detailed topography, revealing hidden features such as old roads and earthworks. At Stono Ferry, LiDAR uncovered a causeway and a Confederate battery, both invisible to the naked eye but documented in historic records. This research, combining historical documents with modern technology, helps protect battle sites and guide future preservation efforts. The site will soon feature trails and interpretive signage as part of The Liberty Trail initiative.
Uncovering History
We invite you to visit the preserved locations along the Liberty Trail and to immerse
yourself in the extraordinary events that determined the fate of a nation.
Yorktown was George Washington's decisive victory over General Lord Charles Cornwallis. Learn about the last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War.
Boone Hall was influential in the history of South Carolina. Explore the house and grounds of this Colonial Plantation, as well as a live presentation of the Gullah Culture adapted by African slaves.
The only surviving building associated with the Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment, America's first military academy, it served as the headquarters of Henry Knox during the Middlebrook encampment of 1778-1779.
The Dey Mansion, built around 1770, served as General George Washington’s headquarters in 1780 during a pivotal time in the American Revolution. As one of his surviving field headquarters, it offers a lasting connection to the strategic decisions, military challenges, and historic events that shaped the fight for independence.
Used by both sides during the Battle of Lexington and Concord, the Munroe Tavern, it was most famously used Hugh Percy during his relief march to aid the retreating British column from Concord.
Once a simple ferry site, it gained prominence after Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox," mustered the Williamsburg militia into his ranks in August of 1780
Former Plantation of Henry Laurens: Merchant, Slave Trader, South Carolina Statesman, and Father of Revolutionary War Soldier John Laurens.
Loyalists ambush a contingent of Patriot militia at a tavern in December of 1780, leading to a massacre
Located along the Morristown Green, the former site of the original First Presbyterian Church once acted as the infirmary for smallpox inoculated Continentals
This park features the Lands Ford crossing, used during the Revolutionary War by both British and American troops under Cornwallis and Sumter before and after pivotal battles.
Owned and operated by German immigrants, this site once housed one of the largest ironworks in the colonies that supplied the Continental Army. Started in 1766, it was in operation for over a century.
Completed in 1713, The Powder Magazine is South Carolina's oldest government building.