Fine dining: the 1828 detached dining room of John S. Bratton

Abstract

In 1828, planter, physician, and entrepreneur, John S. Bratton completed construction on his detached dining room in York County, South Carolina. This two and a half-story, twenty-foot wide by forty-foot long brick building, complete with cellar and attic, was an architectural phenomenon, set apart by its exceptional size, design, and particular function. Its existence today as a structure without historical documentation required a study of the surrounding landscapes of the Bratton plantation, York County, and the antebellum South. In addition, experimental archaeology in the form of a 1840s simulated dinner facilitated understanding about how the detached dining room engendered movement and behavior. Physical evidence from this study suggests the room's versatile and mediatory nature, serving both as a special place for formal entertainment and an efficient space for effective service. The detached dining room was an architectural status symbol, communicating the wealth, power, and prestige of the Brattons to travelers, local residents, and the enslaved population in York County, South Carolina.