Prisoner of Fortune

A Brief History of Boone Hall Plantation

Located in Mount Pleasant, SC, this 470-acre land is one of the oldest functioning plantations in America and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Boone Hall Plantation, founded in 1681 by Major John Boone, originally gifted as a wedding present by Theophilus Patey to his daughter Elizabeth and aforementioned new son-in-law, is a symbol of Southern heritage. In 1743, Boone’s son planted two rows of live oak trees on either side of the main drive in toward the plantation home that we know today as “The Avenue of Oaks.” The Horlbeck family then took over the plantation and in 1850, 4 million bricks were produced at the hands of the laborers.

1935 saw the home acquired by Canadian couple Thomas and Alexandria Stone who believed that a wooden home wasn’t proper for a Southern plantation. Thus, in 1936, an antebellum era plantation home was built at the head of the drive and remains there to this day. With this change, the once 700-acre pecan farm was downsized to only 200 acres to allow for other new additions, including a self-sufficient power plant. And, in 1955 Mr. William McCrae and his wife Nancy acquired the grounds and focused their attention on maintaining more fruitful crops, such as peach trees, and on restoration, opening the home to tours in 1956.

The grounds underwent several transformations over the years not only in crop but also in format from cotton to bricks to pecans and even thoroughbred horses. Boone Hall Farms across Hwy 17 from the actual plantation and farm area sells produce directly to the community. Additionally, in front of the fields, they have added a produce stand under a tent. 

Throughout the seasons, Boone Hall transforms to accommodate different occasions. During the spring and summer months, several different crops are harvested, from the “you pick” strawberry fields to the rows and rows of peach trees. At Halloween, there is a haunted hayride that takes you through the forests on the grounds and even a haunted house. And then, at Christmas, the house is decked out in holiday apparel, tours of the plantation home and concerts are given in full antebellum costume. Many special events are hosted here annually from the Lowcountry Oyster Festival to Concert Series under the Oaks. The beautiful grounds have also proven to be backdrop for several movies, to name a c: North and South and The Notebook.

The moss-draped “Avenue” provides a beautiful backdrop for the many weddings held on-site. Additionally, the Cotton Dock, located to the left on the water just before the main plantation house, is utilized for rehearsals, reunions, parties, and smaller weddings alike. The facilities also offer daily tours of the house complete with the history of the land and families who resided there through the years.

Boone Hall Plantation is rich in the history of the Gullah peoples. This can be experienced first-hand by way of the presentation “Exploring the Gullah Culture.” This exhibition has been adapted from the stories of African slaves and presented live by actual Gullah descendants. They share theirs and their ancestor's stories, song, dance, and tradition demonstrating education through entertainment. Many have found this to be “very moving and emotional” as they tell the tales overcoming and rising above the hardships of the past that have brought them to the place they are today.

We know no better way to leave you than through the words of one of the Boone Hall Gullah Presenters:

“We must leave the divisiveness of the past behind in order to move forward and claim the future.” ~ Ms. Gloria Ford  

~ Kristen N. Granet