Trail Sites

Liberty Trail Historic Sites

Discover the myriad of sites across The Liberty Trail where significant cultural and Revolutionary history unfolded. From military ruins to meticulously restored mansions, immerse yourself in the footsteps of our nation’s history-makers.

States of Interest:
Massachusetts
Historic Site | Historic House
Lexington, MA

In the early twilight hours of April 19, 1775, Paul Revere rode by this house to warn its occupants, Samuel Adams and John Hancock, of the impending...

South Carolina
Historic Site | Historic House
Clemson, SC

Built in 1716 for Paul de St. Julien in Berkeley County. The house was later dismantled and moved to Clemson University and functions as a house...

Massachusetts
Historic Site | Historic House
Lexington, MA

The Harrington House belonged to that of Jonathan Harrington whom, according to local history, crawled back to his house to pass in his wife's arms...

Massachusetts
National Park | Historic House
Lincoln, MA

Located near where Paul Revere was captured during his famous ride, one of Revere's compatriots was able to escape and alert Hartwell family, who...

South Carolina
Historic Site | Historic House
Charleston, SC

This historic house museum was the home of Thomas Heyward, Jr., one of four South Carolina signers of the Declaration of Independence.

North Carolina
Historic Site | State/County Park
Bath, NC

North Carolina's first official town and port of entry, Bath served as an early hub of trade and development during the Colonial period.

North Carolina
Historic Site | State/County Park
Winston-Salem, NC

Once a thriving commercial hub, Bethabara was home to a Moravian settlement in Winston-Salem that witnessed the French and Indian War, the Regulator...

South Carolina
Historic Site | Historic House
McConnells, SC

Discover the history of the Scots-Irish and African-Americans through preserved buildings and living history experiences of the Brattonsville...

North Carolina
State/County Park | Historic Site
Halifax, NC

Explore colonial Halifax at a preserved Revolutionary-era town where historic homes, public spaces, and hands-on exhibits reveal how North Carolinians...

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States of Interest

Liberty Trail History Makers

The Revolutionary War was a war unlike any other — one of ideas and ideals, that shaped “the course of human events. Explore the history and personalities from this pivotal time in American history.
Biography

In 1779, after a stalemate in the north, Cornwallis went south as second in command to Sir Henry Clinton. Clinton captured Charleston in May 1780. Cornwallis pressed on to defeat General Horatio Gates at Camden, South Carolina, on August 16, 1780.

Biography

A British Army officer who served in key conflicts including the French and Indian War and the American Revolution, Gate became Governor of Massachusetts and commander-in-chief of North America, overseeing events like the Battles of Lexington and Concord before being recalled to England in 1775.

Biography

Carl von Donop, a Hessian colonel, sought glory in the American Revolution but blundered at Trenton—possibly distracted by a "beautiful widow." To redeem himself, he led a doomed assault on Fort Mercer in 1777, suffering fatal wounds. Arrogant and unpopular, his American dream ended in defeat by the Delaware River.

Biography

Daniel Nimham, the last sachem of the Wappinger Indians, led his people through land disputes and the American Revolution, ultimately dying in the Battle of Kingsbridge in 1778, where he and his Stockbridge warriors fought alongside the Patriots against the British.

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.
Historic Site | Marker
Rochester, NY
President James Monroe invited the Marquis de Lafayette to visit the United States, his adopted country. Lafayette’s tour of all 24 states in 1824 and 1825 drew large crowds and sparked a renewal of...
State/County Park | Historic Site

Marion Square, named in honor of Francis Marion, is greenspace in downtown Charleston, South Carolina and features remnants of The Hornwork, a large fortification built in 1758 that played a major role in the fight for independence.

Historic Site | State/County Park
Winston-Salem, NC

Once a thriving commercial hub, Bethabara was home to a Moravian settlement in Winston-Salem that witnessed the French and Indian War, the Regulator War, and the American Revolution.

Battlefield | State/County Park
Oriskany, NY

On August 6, 1777, British forces under the command of Sir John Johnson engaged American forces under Nicholas Herkimer in the Battle of Oriskany, resulting in one of the few battles of the war where all the participants were North American.

Historic Site | Historic House
Piscataway, NJ

The Cornelius Low House, constructed in 1741, stands today as one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in New Jersey.

Battlefield | Fort/Outpost
National Park, NJ

Also known as the Battle of Fort Mercer, Hessian forces under Colonel Von Donop unsuccessfully stormed this fort on the 22 of October, 1777. Halted by combined arms of infantry and ships on the Delaware River, the Hessians suffered significant losses.

Battlefield
Johnsonville, SC

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

Battlefield |
Burlington, NC

Patriot forces under Andrew Pickens and "Light Horse Harry" successfully rout British forces in Alamance County following Cornwallis' failed attempt to catch Nathanael Greene during the "Race to the Dan"

Battlefield
Columbus, NJ

At this bridge, American forces under Colonel Samuel Griffin and foraging parties under Hessian Colonel Carl Ulrich von Donop clashed several times throughout December of 1776.

Historic Site |
River Edge, NJ

Known for having the "Bridge that Saved the Nation," these grounds were once traversed by George Washington and the battered Continental Army as it retreated from New York

Battlefield | National Park
Sullivan's Island, SC

The Battle of Sullivan’s Island, fought near the site of today’s Fort Moultrie in June 1776, was the first significant Patriot victory of the Revolutionary War.

State/County Park | Historic House
Princeton, NJ

Located on the Princeton Battlefield, this home served as a field hospital in the wake of the battle. At this site, Patriot officer Hugh Mercer died while in care from fatal wounds sustained during the decisive engagement.