Four Holes Swamp Bridge

Front: The first bridge across Four Holes Swamp, a branch of the Edisto River, was built between 1770 and 1780 and was located about 200 ft. N. of the present bridge. The old bridge, on the road from Orangeburg to Charleston, was the site of several actions in 1781 and 1782 where S.C. militia and Patriot forces under Cols. Henry and Wade Hampton and William Harden clashed with Loyalists. Reverse: The first post office in what is now Dorchester County was opened in 1803 by William Harley at his tavern, a frequent stop for travelers on the Columbia Road. It stood near the present site of the Department of Public Works. Harley's son James (1801-1867) is buried just N. of the site on U.S. Hwy. 178; the town of Harleyville was named for William's grandson William W. (1825-1906).