To lure settlers into the wild backcountry of Darlington, the British colonial government offered two large tracts of land to a group of Welsh Baptists from Delaware in 1736. The land of dense pine forests still bearing the footprints of the Cheraw tribe of Native Americans welcomed the Welshmen, and they located on a bend in the Pee Dee River that came to be known as Welsh Neck. Eventually, German, Swedish, Scotch Irish, English, and French Huguenot settlers came too, creating more communities and towns, and a few entrepreneurs made their fortunes on the fertile land along the river's banks. The railroads came in the 1850s, and industry joined agriculture as a way of life. In 1950, the new Darlington Raceway celebrated America's love affair with the automobile. Today Darlington County presents a mingling of vintage architecture with the contemporary. This is Darlington County, at once historic and thoroughly modern.

The first survey of the many redesigned and imitation historical landmarks and objects that dot the globe "John Darlington shows . . . it is not just written history that is malleable; it is also history on the ground, heritage in brick and stone, wood and metal."--Simon Jenkins, Times Literary Supplement What happens when the past--or, more specifically, a piece of cultural heritage--is fabricated? From 50 replica Eiffel Towers located around the world to Saddam Hussein's reconstructions of ancient cities, examples of forged heritage are widespread. Some are easy to dismiss as blatant frauds (the Piltdown Man), while others adhere to honest copying or respectful homage (the Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee). This compelling book examines copies of historic buildings, faux archaeological sites, and other false artifacts, using them to explore the ethics and consequences of reconstructing the past; it also tackles the issues involved with faithful, "above-board" re-creations of ancient landmarks. John Darlington probes questions of historical authenticity, seeking the lessons that lurk when history is twisted to tell an untrue story. Amplified by stunning images, the narrative underscores how the issue of duplicating heritage is both intriguing and incredibly complex, especially in the twenty-first century--as communication and technology flourish, so too do our opportunities to be deceived.