Tag Archives: History

Rose Hill Plantation

September 19, 2019 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

The plantation home is the centerpiece of Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site in Union, SC. Four Magnolia trees thought to be over 200 years old screen the front of the building from the road. This is in contrast to many of the southern plantations that had tree-lined entrances designed to impress leading to the homes.

The ornamental front gate opens into a formal boxwood garden.

Once through the gate a visitor would be wowed by the porches and size of the home. The portico on the right side of the home was probably the more likely entry point for a visitor arriving by carriage.

At its peak in the 1860s the plantation covered over 5000 acres with corn and cotton as the primary crops and about 180 enslaved individuals.

There certainly is a lot of symmetry going on, if not a front to back mirror image. I regret not taking the inside tour.

From the SC State Park website:

Gist family members lived in the mansion from about 1811 to 1889. It remained untouched during the Civil War as there were no battles, retreating armies, military quarters or skirmishes in the area. From the 1890s to the 1930s, the mansion deteriorated significantly. In the 1940s, it was purchased and restored by Clyde Franks, who sold it to the state in 1960.

This State Historic Site interprets the family life and political legacy of William Henry Gist, often called South Carolina’s “Secession Governor,” serving from 1858-1860. With its mix of Georgian and Greek Revival architectural styles, the former family mansion stands as a fine example of an antebellum home.

https://southcarolinaparks.com/rose-hill

Landscape

Horseshoe Falls

September 17, 2019 Ellen Jennings 4 Comments

Cedar Shoals Creek drops down this small rock falls just before it runs into the Enoree River at the site of South Carolina’s Battle of Musgrove Mill State Historic Site.

It has been abnormally dry in this region of the state so there were limited splash options to photograph, on the other hand more of the textured rock was visible than there would be with a big flow. And I was able to get different angles without getting my feet wet!

As falls go this one is quite modest, but as I’ve been living in the SC Low Country that is just above sea level for three years any elevation is something to see.

State Park, Landscape, Reptiles

Musgrove Mill Battle Site

September 16, 2019 Ellen Jennings 4 Comments

This pretty spot on the Enoree River in Clinton, SC, was the impetus of the August 19, 1780 Revolutionary War Battle of Musgrove’s Mill. Possession of this easy to ford section of the river in the rural, agricultural area was the impetus behind the skirmish.

Enoree River at Musgrove Mill State Historic Site

A modern bridge less than 1000 feet (300 Meters) downstream made this site obsolete for river passage a long time ago.

The day I visited a few turtles playing “king of the hill” was the extent of the activity.

Building

Cypress Methodist Campground

September 28, 2018 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

I visited another of South Carolina’s Methodist campgrounds last week. It turns out there are quite a few still operating around the area.

It is immediately obvious that Cypress Methodist Campground is different from Indian Fields Methodist Campground as the “tents” are in a rectangle rather than a circular arrangement and it feels less unified.

This section in the first corner is dominated by a giant Live Oak tree dripping with Spanish Moss.

Some other differences that became apparent as I wandered the grounds were the newer metal roofs on many of the camps, locks on the doors as the result of vandalism, and the lack of front porches on most of the cabins.

Another difference is that the associated church building and a small grave yard are on the same property.

Cypress Methodist Church, Ridgeville, SC

Building, Landscape

Methodist Campground

September 1, 2018 Ellen Jennings 6 Comments

A circle of 99 rustic numbered “camps” form the Indian Fields Methodist Campground on a ten acre (four hectare) site in St. George, South Carolina. Indian Fields was built in 1848 and has been a site for religious gatherings continuously since then.

This site is used just one week a year; there is electricity and running indoor indoor to sinks only. Privies, also numbered, are out back, across the road.

Pine trees stand straight, towering above the camps, sentinels to the passage of time. The buildings have no ornamentation and the rusting metal roofs were the only sign of color not provided by nature.

This view from the porch of camp #25 shows how meager the buildings are. Even if their doors were closed there were numerous other openings into the interiors. I kept expecting to get startled by a bird or other creature that had taken up residence, but saw nothing.

This last view is from outside the circle where the cooking quarters all face outward to the circular road. The kitchens have been modified more than other parts of the camps over time with sinks, stoves, and storage compartments. I imagine that food is a big part of the social aspect of the annual gathering.

Taken 7/8/2018, Sony Alpha-6500, processed to have an old postcard look.

9/2/18 Note: I edited this post last evening to change 100 to 99 in the first sentence after Ted mentioned my error. I foolishly used the WP interface on my iPad and the post got all scrambled up and the last two images didn’t display. My apologies for presenting a mess.

Landscape

Boynton House

May 24, 2018 Ellen Jennings 1 Comment

Nature is working on reclaiming the Boynton House located in South Carolina’s Donnelley Wildlife Management Area. Managed by SC Department of Natural Resources, the front lawn is kept roughly mowed as this is a parking area for one of the managed nature trails.

Once part of a thriving cattle farm the house was abandoned ages ago, and other than the occasional mowing is being left to rot.

This view of one end of the house shows the vegetation encroaching on the back of the building. The other end was completely covered with vines. I was standing in a sea of poison ivy to take this image and decided I didn’t need to see the back and retreated.

These images were taken at the end of April and by mid-summer I expect even less of the house will be visible.

South Carolina

Aiken-Rhett House: The Outside

April 2, 2018 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

Elizabeth Street is the main entrance of the Aiken-Rhett House , making it appear more modest than it is. Many Charleston streets have the houses arranged this way, with the narrow part of the house facing the street. This was done to maximize space, not reduce taxes as the myth is often told.

This house is a little unusual as it sits at an intersection so there is no house immediately to the right and that it encompasses a “townhouse complex” that includes several outbuildings which indicate the original owner’s wealth. The orange color is also not the norm.

Wide piazzas on the first two main levels of the house run the length of the building. Below is the first level, with one of the enormous windows open, which serves as a door from the drawing room onto the piazza. Manipulating the breeze was essential to comfort during Charleston’s humid summers.

Large windows with shutters were used throughout the buildings, including this one that housed the kitchen, laundry, and slave quarters.

The property, encompassing just over one half acre per Charleston County records, runs all the way from Judith Street on the piazza side of the house to Ann Street.

A privy stood in each back corner of the property. The photo below was taken from inside one of these little buildings.

At one time the entrance from Ann Street was lined with a row of Live Oaks, making a stately entrance through a gate for the horse drawn carriages. Horses were stabled along with their carriages in the building on the right below. Additional slave quarters were overhead.

Click on any photo for larger view.

South Carolina

Aiken-Rhett House: Looking Up

April 1, 2018 Ellen Jennings Leave a comment

The Aiken-Rhett House is a historic museum in downtown Charleston, SC. Last renovated in the 1850s the house is full of well crafted details, many you have to crane your neck to see. The back stairwell is crowned by a ceiling medallion three flours up.

Most of the rooms are big, with high ceilings. This drawing room sported one of many large chandeliers in the house. The gigantic mirror and its gilding would help reflect the light into the room.

This metal chandelier had a simpler ceiling medallion. but the room was well decorated with crown molding and carved woodwork.

Ringed by these serious faces, this light fixture was never upgraded from gas fuel, even though the house was occupied by Aiken descendants into the 1970s.

Light was enhanced in the home’s art gallery with a skylight that had its own ceiling decorations.

The four sides of the skylight have windows to capture light indirectly, protecting the art work. This image taken out a window on the second floor shows the skylight from the outside.

Click on any photo for larger view.