Orange cooler, clogs by the door, cups, trash bin, table cloth, wind sock. What you can't see are the orange dishes, jackets, laundry bag -- almost everything is orange. I love it!
The Ashley River Road scenic drive is only 11 miles long but the places along the way take you way back into the history of South Carolina. Our first stop this morning was the Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site. This 325 acre park is the former location of a village founded in 1697 by a group of Congregationalists from Massachusetts who abandoned the community after the American Revolution, by the end of the 1700s. Located here is the site of the tabby fort, ruins of the once thriving village, an ongoing archaeological excavation, the tower of the St. George's Parish Church and signage explaining the history of the town and the upper Ashley River area.
The tabby fort is interesting. In 1757, the South Carolina government was interested in building an additional powder magazine to supplement the one in Charles Town. They thought they needed extra protection from the possibility of a French attack during the French and Indian War. "Tabby" is the material the fort is made of. It's a type of concrete made of oyster shells. Oyster shells were burned to produce lime which was combined with sand, water and more shells. Most of this work was done by slaves. It is a type of coastal building material popular in the 1700s. This fort at Dorchester is considered the best preserved tabby fortification in America.
Ten foot high walls of the tabby fort.
The walls are two to three foot thick.
Inside the fort where excavation continues.
Close-up of the tabby walls.
During the Revolutionary War, the garrison was commanded by Capt. Francis Marion, the "Swamp Fox", before the British troops occupied the town in April 1780. The British were later driven out by cavalry and infantry under Col. Wade Hampton and General Nathanael Greene on December 1, 1781.
In addition to the fort, archaeological findings show the location and foundations of some of the homes.
Foundation of a home owned by the Izard family who had some wealth and occupied two lots.
Ongoing archeological dig.
The other major remaining feature was the bell tower of Saint George's Church. Even though Dorchester was founded by Congregationalists, by 1706 they had to endure South Carolina's declaration of Anglicanism as the colony's official church. The Congregationalists worshipped two miles away but had to support the building and maintenance of St. George's Church.
St. George's was erected in 1717 and was 50' by 30' and enlarge in 1730s. It was burned by the British during the Revolutionary War, repaired, but the congregation moved away shortly after. The bell tower which remains once contained 4 bells.
Interesting grave stones from the 1700s.
Next we traveled further down the byway. There are three main plantations that are open to the public and we chose Magnolia Plantation and Gardens to visit, mainly because of the gardens. The plantation house in not original, it was destroyed in the Civil War. However, the Drayton family, who built the original house in 1676 and still own the property, rebuilt a house to serve as a summer cottage after the war. Magnolia is the oldest plantation on the Ashley River with over seventy acres of gardens making Magnolia the oldest major public garden in America. The Reverend John Drayton, who owned and lived at Magnolia during the Civil War, bequeathed Magnolia to his daughter Julia, even though he had a son, because she was married to one of the wealthiest men in Charleston and had the money to restore Magnolia after the Civil War.
One fact I found interesting is that Rev. John Drayton, the second son, trained as a clergyman to make a living. But when his brother, who had been raised to run Magnolia, died in a shooting accident without wife or children, John inherited Magnolia. He was an astute businessman as well as a minister.
A very noisy peacock on the grounds.
Front of the house.
Scott, our tour guide.
An unexploded cannonball from Fort Sumter used at the back door for decoration.
View of the back of the house, from near the Ashley River.
Garden path along the Ashley River.
Most of the garden paths are gravel. The gardens are not "formal", but in the British style.
Alligator in one of the plantation lakes.
These protrusions, also seen in the photo above, are cypress "knees". Sice most of the root system for the cypress tree is under water, these "knees" provide a way for the tree to gain oxygen.
Picturesque long bridge on the property. This is the iconic view of the Plantation Magnolia Gardens.
View of the Ashley River Road.
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