South Carolina Society
Daughters of the American Revolution
The DAR, founded in 1890 and headquartered in Washington, DC, is a volunteer
women's service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving
American history, and securing America's future through better education for children.
Any woman is eligible for membership who is no less than eighteen years of age
and can prove lineal, bloodline descent from an ancestor who aided in achieving
American independence.
The Kanawha Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution was organized on November 3, 1909,
and our National Charter was granted on January 22, 1910. The name "Kanawha" is in commemoration of
Thomas Spratt II, who was the first white settler in the Fort Mill area about 1763.
He was given the name "Kanawha," meaning "Friendly Brother," by his Catawba Indian
friends. The Catawbas were already established in this area before the first white settlers arrived.
Traditional stories of the loyalty and courage of the Indians
and these early settlers add to the interesting local history of the Revolutionary War era.
On his deathbed, the Catawba Indian, Peter Harris, requested that he be buried near his
friend and benefactor, Thomas "Kanawha" Spratt, in the old graveyard where many
of the Spratts and their kin are buried.
We are located in Fort Mill, South Carolina, and would love to
talk to you about becoming a member of the
Society. If you would like more information about the DAR,
including membership requirements,
please e-mail our chapter
contact person:
