Middleton Place was a rice plantation. Henry Middleton was the second President of the Continental Congress. The plantation was passed down to his son Arthur who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Russian Ambassador. His son Henry was the Governor of South Carolina. Then, when Williams inherited the plantation, things went poorly for the Middleton Plantation. Williams signed the secession from the Union and fought passionately for the south in the Civil War. The plantation was seized by Union troops and they burned everything. Williams tried to rebuild after the war, but had put all his money in confederate war bonds and lost all his slaves. The plantation also experienced a 7.3 earthquake, which leveled what was left of the remaining houses. The plantation sat in disarray for about 60 years until J.J. Pringle Smith, a cousin to the Middleton family, acquired it and rebuilt some of it. His wife recreated the gardens to their original beauty. Today it is a historical site.
up close and personal with a baby alligator
Next we drove down the road slightly and visited The Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. It is the perfect time of year to visit. The Camellias and Azaleas are in bloom. We did not take a tour of the home, but saw it from the gardens.
On our way we to the beach, we stopped and saw the Angel Oak, which is a 400 year old living oak.
We ended the evening with a stroll on the beach.
