Rice Field Boat Tour At Magnolia Plantation And Gardens--A Great Float Into The Past

With rough tools, immense wooded swamps were cleared along the Ashley River. Next, massive hydrological systems such as dams, dikes, and floodgates called "trunks" were constructed to irrigate the newly developed fields. Then, the cherished grain was sown using a heel-toe dance and tirelessly cared for all the way to harvest. Working these fields was considered one of the deadliest occupations of the time. These were the proud plantation systems that reigned in the Lowcountry up until the American Civil War brought them to a crashing conclusion by fire and tempest. As time passed, the watery, golden topped green fields were slowly taken back by cattails and alligators.

Rice plantations shaped and reshaped the Lowcountry geography and economy. It is not exactly known who brought the first rice to Carolina or under what particulars it arrived. The British backers of colonization, both financial and political, intended for Carolina, like other colonies, to fit into the mercantilist system--a political economy that sought to enrich the country by restraining imports and encouraging exports. To that end they suggested that settlers try a range of crops, rice among them.

Historians of South Carolina continue to argue over the introduction of Madagascar gold seed rice, which doubtfully authentic, although widely circulated as being true, came via Captain John Thurber's ship in 1685. Scholars have all but definitively shown that Carolinians grew white rice in the seventeenth century with gold rice being introduced after the American Revolution. Regardless of the circumstances of rice’s introduction, colonists successfully grew small amounts of the grain in the Charlestown colony by 1690. By 1712, Carolinians not only produced rice for local consumption; they had begun exporting the excess to England. Through Carolina gold, Charleston became one of the richest cities in the world.

Today, Magnolia Plantation is a caretaker of one of those stories. Originally consisting of about 1872 acres, all but 390 acres were sold off after the Civil War's devastation. Of the remaining 390 acres, 25 acres are devoted to the gardens of John Grimké Drayton, 16 acres for the wide lawn surrounding the live oak allée, and 150 acres for a marsh and water fowl conservatory. Since 1941, about 199 acres have been used for a wholesale ornamental plant nursery to raise money for garden operations.

The old flooded rice field, part of the 150 acres, was dredged to a depth of 6 to 8 feet along its perimeters to make way for a system of canals for a boat tour that runs along the edges of the Ashley River--the average depth of a rice field is 2-3 feet deep.

The guide explains the plantation culture and history behind the area as you get an up-close look at the wildlife that calls this peaceful sanctuary home. I saw white egrets catching fish from the cattails right at the side of the boat while alligators of various sizes sunned on the islands and edges. I saw about twenty alligators.

I learned about the anhinga. You often see these birds standing with their wings out-stretched when they are not in the water. Their feathers don't produce oil, as a result, water does not run off, so, they let the sun and wind dry out their water-soaked wings. Since their feathers soak in the water, they are expert divers. It is a balanced trade-off.

Then, there is the Great Blue Heron, a beautiful and majestic avian with long legs and long necks and stands over 4 feet tall. When it takes off, you can feel the rush of compressing pressure as its powerful wings slap the air.

When I arrived at the kiosk at the start of my quest, my interest was to only do the Rice Field Boat Tour since I had never done it before, but I found out you have to buy the $20 admission ticket for the garden walk in order to do the boat tour.

After walking the beautiful gardens, the boat tour offers a most welcoming and relaxing respite while you sit onboard one of two pontoon boats decked out with very comfortable seats and plenty of standing room for viewing the wildly preserved ecosystem. The narration by the naturalist captain was informative and sprinkled with some light humor--questions and comments were encouraged. The breezes coming off the Ashley River were refreshing and the quiet float on the canal uplifting. It is well worth the extra $8 ticket. Children under 6 are free.

Build A Bridge. Bring Land Over Water. Bring Worlds Together.

Everyday hundreds of commuters cross it and a handful of boaters pass under it without giving a thought to the significant role it played in the growth and development of the Ashley Barony and Dorchester/Summerville areas. From Charles Towne, it was the first crossing point downstream over the Ashley River. During the American Revolution and American Civil War, controlling it was strategic. In recognition of its importance, it was honored with a historic marker in 2014, and in 2017, residents, town officials and members of the Summerville Preservation Society formally commemorated it with a celebration. Bacon's Bridge is the place.

John Stevens was the first owner of the crossing site. He had acquired two grants of land near the Dorchester settlement called Boo-shoo and Rose's Land. The grant was laid off in two divisions and then one of the divisions was divided into two ranges. The first range consisted of 26 lots of 50 acres each parceled out along the Ashley River. His bridge was built between 1696 and 1700. He named it Stevens's Bridge. Then, Michael Bacon received a lot in the first range and purchased Lots 6 and 7 in the same range from John Stevens. On one of these lots was situated the bridge and he renamed it Bacon's Bridge. It became a public bridge in 1722. The area around the bridge developed alongside the Town of Dorchester.

The Ashley River was navigable by small boats as high as Bacon's Bridge, approximately 30 miles from Charleston. Slann's Bridge was located three miles upstream, after which the Ashley becomes a stream and then the Cypress Swamp. During the American Revolution, Patriot and British/Loyalist commanders in the lowcountry considered Bacon's Bridge to be strategic. In February of 1780, General William Moultrie built an earthwork nearby to defend the bridge and the approaches to Charleston. The exact location of this earthwork fort is not known. Today, it is known as Moultrie’s "lost fort" and is one of the most significant regional sites from the period still to be found.

In the same year, according to the story, Francis Marion and the Second South Carolina Regiment camped under a live oak tree at Bacon's Bridge. Located on the Summerville side of the bridge, it became known as the "Marion Oak." Standing in the same location today, you can view an old oak tree on top of the bluff where a dam and a pump house was located at one time. Whether it is the same oak tree or not, is highly unlikely. The age of the tree would have to be evaluated. There is another famous "Marion Oak" located on what was the Hayes Plantation, today known as Ingleside.

About the dam and pump house, Elliot Mellenchamp Jr of Summerville explains, "The dam had two purposes. The dam converted the Ashley River into a reservoir. Fresh water flowed from the Edisto River at Givhans through the tunnel into the Ashley. The dam also separated the fresh water from the brackish water...The pump house sent the water into Summerville and Goose Creek." The old aquaduct tower remains at this location and is an historical marker on the Ashley River Blue Trail.

old aquaduct

The British gained control of the bridge. In 1782, General Nathaniel Greene's forces took Bacon's Bridge from the British that still occupied Charleston. Greene's Southern Army, including Francis Marion's militia, camped at Bacon's Bridge March of 1782. Also, Bacon's Bridge was the launching site of Americans who captured the British gunboat Alligator on the Ashley River on March 19, 1782.

It was in that same year, Colonel Francis Marion wrote these words to Peter Horry in a letter on May 3rd, “I am posted here, two miles in front of the Continental Army, within three-quarters of a mile of Bacon's Bridge. The General, according to custom, keeps me between him and the enemy." You can read those words on a trail marker in Rosebrock Park at 507 Beech Hill Rd in Summerville--a Dorchester County Park and natural setting for riverside hikes through forest and wetlands along the Ashley River with a picnic shelter. The park is well worth a visit.

Greene's papers indicate that the bridge was used as a rest and staging area for American troops. They would hold that position until July. Control of Bacon's Bridge allowed the Americans to "more effectively restrict British movements into the countryside and impede the flow of provisions and goods into Charleston."

In 1850, Reverend Robert I. Limehouse built a house on the redoubt and named his plantation "The Hill." Rev. Robert I. Limehouse was a  magistrate and a Methodist minister who is believed to have built the Old Town Hall on West Carolina Avenue. Limehouse served as mayor in 1860-1861 and again in 1867-1868.

During the Civil War, Bacon's Bridge continued to serve as an important transportation route and mustering point for soldiers. Confederate General Johnson Hagood gave orders to his forces on October 5, 1863 during the battle of Fort Wagner, "If the Union effect a crossing east of Rantowles road, running rapidly take position behind the Ashley crossing at Bacon's and Slann's Bridges, but keeping a strong advanced guard on the west side."

Before retreating from the Charleston area, Confederate troops destroyed the bridge. A Federal regiment of black combat veterans rebuilt the bridge. On May 7, 1865, the Union Provisional Brigade moved from Charleston and camped in the vicinity of Bacon's Bridge before moving into Summerville the next day.

Bacon's Bridge

Since, it has gone through several improvements. The most recent was in 2014 when the road and bridge were widened to accommodate the growing commuter traffic. The history marker was erected after the improvement was completed, but many residents are unaware of it because the bridge is a low pedestrian traffic attraction. The Howard Bridgman River Access is situated at the base of the bridge on the Dorchester side of the river. The Boat Landing is owned and operated by the Town of Summerville Parks and Recreation. Dorchester Parks future Ashley River Park entrance is also located there.

Next time you cross over South Carolina's Black Pearl on your way to or from Summerville via Bacon's Bridge, remember its strategic significance in South Carolina history and in the growth of the Charleston Lowcountry. Just another reason the Flowertown in the Pines is at the heart of it all.

History note: The old Georgian style former Prettyman House on W 2nd South Street" is decorated with a fireplace mantle and a window salvaged from the old Francis Marion Plantation.

Hauntingly Imposing--Sheldon Church Ruins of Prince William's Parish

The sky was blue and the air was crisp on this late December day. A slight breeze playfully shuffled the fallen leaves laying about the sacred grounds. The bright early afternoon light lazily trickled down through the twisted limbs of the numerous aged oaks scattered about. The shadows cast unto the old structure by the tree's were as distinct as its illumination from the sun. The combined setting embodied a sense of serenity and solitude overshadowed by an unmistakable aura of desolation. Denuded of anything flammable, the time-stressed bricks of the old church bore the erosion marks of passing time indelibly etched over some 265 years into their sandy red grains. Just beyond its four singular pillars and mounted at its gaping entrance, an engraved stone plaque identified the antiquated edifice as the Church of Prince William's Parish known as Sheldon.

The historical record etched unto the stone plaque was brief, yet concise. It stated the church was built between 1745-1755, burned by the British Army 1779, rebuilt 1826, and burned by the Federal Army 1865. On Old Sheldon Church Rd, located at its street entrance, the historic marker supplemented a few more details to the narrative. In addition, it related the church was Anglican, primarily paid for by Lieutenant Governor William Bull I, and named after the ancestral home of the Bull Family at Sheldon Hall and Parish of Warwickshire, England.

William Bull was a land owner and politician in early South Carolina. His father was Stephen Bull, who was also Lord Anthony Ashley Cooper's deputy and one of the leaders of the expedition which came from England in 1670 and settled Charles Town. In 1733, William assisted James Oglethorpe in the founding of the new Province of Georgia and assisted General Oglethorpe in establishing the physical layout of Savannah, Georgia by surveying the land to form the basic grid pattern of the streets and squares. As a land owner, his Newbury Plantation bordered the church grounds where he is buried along with other South Carolina leaders.

The South Carolina Department of Archives and History gives a detailed description of what the
original church looked liked. It is said to be the first conscious attempt in America to imitate a Greek temple. Completed by 1753, Sheldon Church's walls were three-and-one-half foot thick and built along a row of seven Tuscan columns (six engaged, one outstanding). The western facade had an elegant portico, crowned by a triangular pediment with bulls-eye window and cornice with dentils. The large front doorway had a fanlight above and two round-headed windows, symmetrically spaced, on either side. On the north, five bays between the engaged columns were filled with a single tier of tall, round-headed windows; the other bay was left open for a portico. At the eastern end, above the alter, was a Palladian window, with a round-headed window to each side.

The Archives also mention the two crucial events pertaining to its burning. Sheldon Church was burned by General Augustine Prevost's British troops in May of 1779. General Sherman's 15th Corps under General John Logan burned it on January 14, 1865. A recent discovery has presented an alternate view as to what happened at the end of the Civil War. In a letter dated February 3, 1866, Miton Leverett wrote that "Sheldon Church not burn't. Just torn up in the inside, but can be repaired." It is possible the inside of the church was gutted to reuse materials for the rebuilding of homes burnt by Sherman's army. Either way, it was never repaired and was abandoned to the merciless rigors of time, but not forgotten.

Visitors from all over the country come to the Sheldon Church ruins to photograph its majestic remains and solemnly stroll its sacred grounds. One visitor wrote these well chosen words describing his visit: "It's hard to find the right words to describe the feeling that washes over you as you walk up to this place. Even writing this review I can feel a flood of emotions rushing back as I remember the time I spent here just taking the life of this place in. The ruins carry their own self being the projects upon its visitors as they walk the grounds."

Wedding ceremonies have been held in the ruins of Sheldon Church, but since 2015 it was no longer available to the public for such ceremonies. The day I visited, which was on a Friday, there was a steady flow of visitors, but never more than ten people.

Photographs from 1940 shows Sheldon Church Ruins overgrown

People have inquired whether there are any ghost stories associated with the Sheldon Church Ruins. Like most historic southern ruins with long and tragic histories, one would presume it to be the perfect candidate. The most well-known tale tells of a woman being seen dressed in a Pilgrim style brown dress and other accounts of strange activities, such as heavy footsteps being heard, and unexplained flashing lights. Ensuing investigations have been made and nothing out of the ordinary has been found. It definitely is a place where ones imagination could run wild, especially on a hot, humid evening when the sun slips below the mossy old oaks and darkness wistfully creeps through their branches and slowly smothers the dampening grounds.

Take in the setting, contemplate the history, photograph the architecture, the feeling of reverence and awe inspired by the Sheldon Church Ruins is hauntingly imposing. It is worth your consideration as you travel the Lowcountry taking in its colorful and illustrious history dating back to the beginnings of the United States.