Upcountry History Museum to host one-day-only display of South Carolina’s founding documents
April 20, 2026
The Upcountry History Museum – Greenville County is proud to be the Upstate’s only venue for the display of the South Carolina Department of Archives and History (SCDAH) exhibit, “Foundations of a Revolution: South Carolina, 1775-1777,” on Thursday, April 23, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
On display will be three of the state’s original founding documents from the American Revolution. They are the 1775 Articles of Association for the District East of the Wateree, the South Carolina Constitution of 1776, and the 1777 Treaty of DeWitt’s Corner. These documents are part of the vast collection documenting the history of South Carolina held by the SCDAH and are seldom placed on public display.
Dr. W. Eric Emerson, SCDAH Agency Director, State Historic Preservation Officer, and State Archivist, remarked that “the S.C. Department of Archives and History has a long tradition of making South Carolina’s historic records available to the public. The 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding is an excellent time to educate South Carolinians about their state’s crucial role in the American Revolution by bringing key foundational documents to communities throughout the state.”
Exhibit curator, D. Andrew Johnson, PhD, noted that “since the South Carolina Department of Archives and History holds many important documents from America’s Founding Era, we thought this would be an excellent time to have some of them on public display. We want this exhibit to add to the broader conversation the public is having about the origins of our country.”
In addition to the display, Archives staff will provide a presentation about the documents at 6:30 p.m. in the Museum’s theater. They will discuss each document’s influence and place them in the context of their production. Regular admission for full Museum access will be charged from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Admission is free from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. and limited to viewing the Founding Documents and attending the presentation.
The Upcountry History Museum is located at 540 Buncombe St., in Greenville, S.C. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. For more information, call 864-467-3100 or visit www.upcountryhistory.org.
