Editing Union County, South Carolina (section)

===Revolutionary period===
[[File:Rose Hill.jpg|thumb|left|Rose Hill Plantation. The home of South Carolina "Secession Governor" William Henry Gist.]]
During the first part of the American Revolution, the South Carolina backcountry was fairly quiet. In 1776, Fairforest Church became the hub for Union County. Although divided, it was majority [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Loyalists]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/unioncountysouth00sout/page/n47/mode/2up |title=Union County, South Carolina, court records 1777-1819 |year=1900 |pages=51-52}}</ref> The Fairforest Church became the headquarters for the Loyalists. Following the war the church became Padgetts Creek Baptist Church.<ref name=":0" /> Following the fall of Charleston in 1780, the British began focusing their attention on the Carolinas. At least five battles were fought in or near Union County, including [[Battle of Musgrove Mill|Musgrove Mill]], [[Battle of Fishdam Ford|Fishdam]] and [[Battle of Blackstock's Farm|Blackstock]]. The county also produced many notable heroes including [[Lt. Col. James Steen]]. The war divided the population between [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Loyalists]] and [[Patriot (American Revolution)|Patriots]]. This resulted in churches splitting up and settlers moving out of the area. Personal property was damaged by both sides.<ref name="auto"/>

Following the war, the county seat was established at Unionville (now [[Union, SC|Union]]) and a courthouse was constructed. In 1791, the South Carolina Legislature established a district court that included [[Spartanburg County, South Carolina|Spartanburg]], Union, [[Chester County, South Carolina|Chester]], and [[York County, South Carolina|York]] counties. The area was called the Pinckney District and its headquarters was established at a central location in Union County. Land was cleared and streets were laid out for a new town that would be called [[Pinckneyville (Union, South Carolina)|Pinckneyville]]. A courthouse and jail were built for the new judicial district and a college was to be established in the town.<ref name="auto"/>

Local tradition states that Pinckneyville was to be home to the United States Military Academy, but lost to West Point by one vote in Congress. Instead, local historians say that Pinckneyville was considered as the site for a federal arsenal. This was likely the source of the legend. In 1799, the General Assembly decided to restructure the state court system. Subsequently, the Pinckney District was abolished; with the loss of the court and associated businesses, Pinckneyville became a ghost town.<ref name="auto"/>