The area is historically significant as the headquarters during the American Revolutionary War for forces led by Francis Marion (1732-1795), a South Carolina militia officer who is celebrated as the "Swamp Fox.

[3] The area's historical significance lies in its four-month occupation by the militia forces of General Francis Marion, who orchestrated guerilla-style attacks on British targets from this base between December 1780 and March 1781.

[3] At the time of the American Revolution, this so-called “island,” named after an early owner of the property, comprised about five square miles (metric area) of the largely undeveloped swamp bounded by the Lynches and Pee Dee rivers and Clark’s Creek.

[6] The canopy of cypress and pines, and the dense understory of “cane breaks, briars, and vines” offered an ideal sanctuary for Marion’s rebel militia who were pursued by British and Loyalist forces seeking to eradicate them.

[7] Marion’s moniker as the “Swamp Fox” is largely associated with his sojourn on Snow’s Island, eliciting comparisons to the mythology of Robin Hood and the Sherwood Forest, including legends of his largesse to patriot families from plunder taken from British and Loyalist resources.