Love to camp? You won’t find another campground in South Carolina that boasts the boyhood home of a President. So make a reservation, load up the gear, and head to Lancaster to spend the night, a weekend, or longer at Andrew Jackson State Park.
For quite some time there has been a lot of speculation that this spot in South Carolina was actually the birthplace of Andrew Jackson, the 7th President of the United States.
There are quite a few unknowns, however, about Jackson's birth and this period in South Carolina history. They include the fact that Jackson's father, an Irish immigrant, died just three weeks before Andrew Jackson's birth. It's said that his mother went to live with relatives on the North and South Carolina border, in the spot where the state park is located. But, the border between the two states had not been officially drawn at that point so there is some question there as to the state in which he was actually born.
Jackson, himself, spent his life proclaiming to have been born in South Carolina.
Reportedly, his will even declared him a South Carolinian by birth.
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But still, without hard evidence and erring to the side of caution, officials at South Carolina Parks are more comfortable billing Andrew Jackson State Park as his "boyhood home," than stretching it to claim it also as his birthplace.
And we're fine with that, right? Either way, the park is so worthy of a visit. Boyhood home or birthplace, Jackson still spent part of his earliest years right here in the Waxhaws on the state border.
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Bring the camper or just a tent and spend some time here. There's plenty to do!
You'll enjoy all the time you'll spend out of doors exploring the park and all it has to offer. Of course, relaxing by the campfire has its benefits, too.
And the view from your campsite of the 18-acre lake is astounding.
And an old, wooden, 18th century schoolhouse conjures up a step back in time to when this old learning spot would have welcomed local kids of all ages.
As if all this weren't enough to pique your interest, the park also boasts an Anna Hyatt Huntington statue named "Boy of the Waxhaws," created between 1961 and 1965.
Want to camp at the boyhood home (and perhaps even the birthplace!) of a President? Or sleep where the man on our twenty-dollar note grew up? You can! Right here in your own backyard in South Carolina.
Learn more about Andrew Jackson State Park, including museum and schoolhouse hours, day-visit entry fees (overnight campers skip paying those fees), and how to make a camping reservation. Bring the fishing poles and bikes, and even consider renting a small boat to get out on that cute lake and try your hand at catching dinner!
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