Last Friday we went on a tour of plantations in the area. We actually enjoy this tour more than the Charleston home tours because the grounds are usually as beautiful as the home. The weather forecast for the day was gloom and doom with rain forecast for the whole day. However, we awoke to partly sunny skies so we wolfed down our breakfast, put on our wrist bands, and headed out the door. You get a map that shows the houses open for the tour. This year there were seventeen properties on the tour including plantations(10), churches(3), houses in town(2), a former slave street, and a society hall. We had decent weather until about 3 PM when the skies opened up. Unfortunately, I got caught in the monsoon leaving one of the houses in town (Susan was smart enough to wait in the car). At that point we had seen all but 4 properties, so we decided to be thankful the rain held off that long and head home. Following are some pictures from the tour.
Most of the plantations had a live oak allee leading up to the house as seen in Gone With The Wind. You may guess that I love live oaks – that is a type of oak, not a comment on their health.
Litchfield Plantation is now operated as a bed and breakfast.
I liked this sign at the edge of the church cemetery.
This property has been owned by many famous names such as Pawley (we live Pawleys Island), Allston (it seems like half the plantations were owned by an Allston at one time), Huger (a former congressman, host to President James Monroe at the plantation, and presumably related to the Revolutionary War general of the same name), and Vanderbilt (present owner and I think you have all heard that name)
The only rice winnowing building still standing in the area. This is where the rice grains were separated from the chaff.
You can’t have too many pictures of live oak allees. This one is part of an old slave street. The plants growing on top of the limb are resurrection ferns. They turn brown and look dead in dry weather, but turn green when it rains.
Entry gate to a plantation. Most plantations are located down long dirt roads, and it is fun and surprising to see what is at the end of the road.
This has always been identified as a top of the line Sears kit house.
I have a bad case of patio envy!
This church ruin was not part of the tour; but I like ruins, so I included it.
A bonus owl picture from Brookgreen Gardens