Welcome to Hampton Plantation, McClellanville, SC, established in 1735, and sitting along the shore of the Wambaw Creek. It was built for Noe Serre, a Huguenot (member of the Reformed Church of France), with proceeds of the rice crop and the labor of the craftsmen and women enslaved there.
The original home was six rooms, but when purchased by the Horry family in 1757, it was enlarged to its current size including a two-story ballroom. After the Horry family, the Pickney and Rutledge families resided at Hampton Plantation. Archibald Rutledge was also South Carolina’s first poet laureate.
The original plantation was part of three 
plantations just under 6,000 acres with two crops being farmed – rice and indigo. Farming and upkeep required 350 slaves in the fields, house, and in other roles such as seamstress, blacksmith, and carpenters. This number decreased to the point of 130 at the time of the American Civil War. The one remaining building that the slaves used was this summer kitchen.
Today it is owned and maintained as a museum by the State of South Carolina. In 1970, it was designated a registered National Historic Landmark.
Sitting in front of the manor house is a very large, handsome oak tree dripping with moss and resurrection ferns that has an interesting historical link.
In 1791, George Washington visited Hampton Plantation. Upon his arrival, he was consulted by the Horrys about whether the tree should come down to provide a better view. President Washington did not agree, and it was decided to leave the tree standing. Today it is referred to as the Washington Oak.
Here is a sampling of the beautiful Camellias in bloom all around the property.
When I visit historical sites like this, I must admit ambivalent feelings. I am always grateful that we have preserved these beautiful buildings and landscapes as they tell our Country’s history. I am also humbled by the fact that they were established, built, and maintained by the hard labor of skilled men and women who had no choice in the matter.
Linked to Norm Frampton’s Thursday Doors, February 15, 2018.
NewEnglandGardenAndThread 
Thank you for sharing this visit. I agree on the matter of building with slave labor.
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Beautiful photos, Judy and an interesting, albeit troubling history. However, I think it’s important to tell these stories and to let these places stand as a reminder. As long as we share the complete story, I think it has some benefits.
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Yes, I totally agree. Because when you look at the big picture, you realize that one person had the money to buy the land, but it was built by others with the skills to do so.
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I understand your ambivalence. What a horrible thing to “own” another person. This willingness to exploit people is one of the worst aspects of human nature.
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Impressive building, simple but elegant. The Washington Oak is a beauty. And those camellias!
How sad that when we learn the history behind most of these places, it always involves slaves who were forced to work long, hard hours, with little compensation, in order for the ‘master’ to see his dream come true. I don’t know how they survived that kind of life. Shame on us.
•••Ginger•••
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Interesting last comment, Judy. I’d feel the same.
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It’s surprising to see a plain front door on such a grand house. Amazing history but sad that anyone had to be enslaved to ensure the upkeep of the property and business.
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It is a plain door for such a grand house. I’m wondering if it was added somewhere down the road. Yes, slavery was definitely not one of our finest periods.
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These things are always so complex – I study buildings like this and am never sure how to feel about them. They’re such beautiful buildings though and it is always important to learn about their histories
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I totally agree with you. I can’t imagine not having these historical sites, but it does make you think about the circumstances.
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I’m so thankful I don’t live in a time where I’d “need” a two-story ballroom. SO not my thing. 🙂 I think we need to keep history alive, warts and all, because it’s the narrative of where we came from for better or worse. Each country has these sorts of things, but revisionist history, whether getting rid of this type of building or deifying people who were just people or whatever else, does no service to anyone. I’m going to stop before I write a post or a rant here. 🙂 But I enjoyed the visit.
janet
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I totally agree that history is just that, and it needs to be acknowledged good and bad. I do wish we had records of some of the craftsmen and women who did so much to create these beautiful historical memories.
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You’ve shown buildings before that were beautiful, yet tainted by the human expense with which they were erected, so I read this with the same amount of distaste that you expressed. But history is something to learn from, and these preservations are concrete examples of an era we must never repeat. “Hands on” learning is the most effective form of education.
To stand in front of a tree that George Washington viewed and commented on (and saved the life of!) must have been quite an experience! He clearly learned his lesson from the aftermath of the cherry tree incident!
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You are so right that these are historical examples of so many things that we do not want to lose them so we can continue to learn from them. To think of the craftsmanship exhibited in these buildings and how they stand the test of time considering the tools they had to work with is truly amazing. It was fun to stand by that tree and know who had stood there before. With your appreciation for art, you would truly love looking at these huge old oaks dripping with moss and resurrection ferns. No matter how many photos I take I can never get one that truly shows the beauty of it all.
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I wouldn’t like to maintain the outside paint job! Thank goodness, they have to pay people to do that these days.
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Maybe since I was born in Indonesia where it was normal to have (slaves with time became servants, who did go to their own homes in the evening, but still there was a definite class difference and they were payed to little to speak off) “servants” I was in my teens interested in the plantation era. Thank God, there was Washington!
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Wonderful post Judy. The history is important to preserve even, or perhaps especially, when it’s not pretty. Reminders of the mistakes of the past hopefully keep us all from repeating those mistakes.
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Completely agree with you Judy, but it is important for future generations to be aware the history of our countries … The good & bad. When we saw all the magficent buildings & ruins in Italy last year I was reminded of all the slaves who built them & the dreadful lives they must have lived.
On a brighter note, so glad President Washington decide to keep that lovely oak tree.
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When we toured Italy, I too was amazed at the complexity of the architecture especially when thinking about the limited tools they had to work with and the number of years they have been standing. Applause to those craftsmen as well.
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Absolutely!
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I really enjoyed your post, the history and the horror of those times from a humanitarian pov…along with the slave labour, normal for the time, but hard to get my head around,but the two-storey ballroom says a lot, an awful lot, like, who has the need for such an extravagance and why… I’m glad those times are now no longer acceptable, it may not be good nowadays, but I don’t think it’s s bad as then….Thanks for sharing, such an interesting post…
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Yes, I feel that ambivalence also.
Interesting tidbit about the Washington oak. Not a common sentiment of those times of cutting every tree in sight.
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The sad history of their origins aside, isn’t it wonderful that you have a whole new winter selection of doors (and their stories) to share with us?
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Yes, it is, and I love history so it is fun to search these places out. 🙂
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I agree with your thoughts on the origins of places like this. I do, however, think it is important to understand our history, even the ugly parts.
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History is history, and I don’t think it should be changed to be more palatable. But, I do wish we could give credit where credit due for some of the amazing early craftsmanship.
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So much beauty and so much cruelty. The comments above seem to grapple with this reality, and I join with them in their sentiments of history as teacher. The story of the Washington Oak is wonderful — long may it stand! Beautiful photos, Judy!
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I’ve always loved the look of Southern architecture and their beautiful plantation homes. What they represent in American history however is … let’s just say, disturbing.
Like Janet at Sustainabilitea, I too am at risk of going on a rant. Perhaps it is inappropriate for me to have an opinion as an outsider, but my view is that the Civil War did not unify the country at all. The divisions based on race and colour are deep and wide, and inordinate power is still held by those with money. I’m afraid that little has in fact been learned 😕
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Wouldn’t it be nice if we learned from our mistakes instead of repeating them? In some respects, we take one step forward and two back. I think that is why you have so many new neighbors coming from south of your border. 🙂
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Every day we seem to get a new dose of crazy from our southern border 😳
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Interesting! And, gee, that George Washington sure got around, didn’t he? He ‘slept here’ in Exeter NH, too.
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Stunning historical glory, right there. Nice share!
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A beautiful home and I’m pleased they preserved the old oak. I guess one of the reasons they do not build such intricate buildings is that labour costs are so high now
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Looks like you’ve been having a great trip!
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