Hey Guys!
This post continues our time in Charleston, SC.
Read Days 1 & 2 here and Day 3 here, Click here to see links to all of my blog posts
Today, we would be touring a plantation home.
This is a very popular thing to do when visiting Charleston and there are several to choose from!
Click here for the most popular tours in Charleston
We had initially planned on visiting the Boone Hall Plantation but after finding out that the home was a reproduction, we decided to visit Middleton Place instead.
Boone Hall is very popular however and you will hear and see a lot about it on blog posts and even walking around downtown Charleston. I visited years ago with my daughter and we enjoyed it but I wanted something more authentic.
Boone Hall does have the tree covered canopy that seems to be a big draw and the original slave homes. The property is also really pretty. So, do your own research when trying to decide.
Read reviews for Boone Hall here & click here for Magnolia Plantation, another popular one
On the way to Middleton, we crossed over the incredible Ravenel bridge .
The bridge opened in 2005 and has a main span of 1,546 feet. It is the third longest among cable-stayed bridges in the Western Hemisphere.
The drive took us along beautiful tree covered roads.
There are two other plantations located on this road that are very close to Middleton….they are, Drayton Hall & Magnolia Plantation. Some people will visit all three in one day.
Drayton Hall has the original plantation home from the 1700’s. You can tour the house but it is empty. You can purchase tickets here and read reviews here.
Arriving to Middleton Place Plantation
After getting parked, we headed to the ticket booth to purchase our tickets.
Tickets are $32 for ages 14 yrs old and up. If you purchase them online, they are $29 pp.
Admission to the plantation includes access to 65 acres of formal landscaped Gardens, a look at 18th and 19th century plantation life with exhibits, displays, artisans and historic animal breeds in the Stableyards, and parking. It also includes 3 different tours that are given throughout the day.
After purchasing our tickets, we were given a map with a description of the property.
Also, near the ticket booths are informative signs about the plantation.
Middleton Place was the home of Henry Middleton who was the governor of SC and Minister to Russia.
For 125 years, the property was the family seat of four successive generations of Middletons who played important roles in American History.
His son, Arthur Middleton, was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Making our way towards the plantation home.
The first thing you will see on your walk from the ticket booth, is the beautiful pond.
The pond was surrounded by gorgeous, moss covered oak trees.
We spotted two swans near the pond.
This wall, like many of the gardens and buildings on this plantation were built by enslaved people.
We passed this informational plaque that showed what the plantation looked like before the main residence and one of the other buildings, were burned down by Federal forces in 1865.
The only building left on the property…..it became the residence after the main residence was burned down.
Walking the garden
Middleton Place is America’s Oldest Landscaped Gardens.
The original gardens contained walkways or allées, which were planted with trees and shrubs, trimmed to appear as green walls that partitioned off small galleries, green arbors and bowling greens.
The Gardens, which Henry Middleton envisioned and began to create in 1741, reflect the grand classic style that remained in vogue in Europe and England into the early part of the 18th century.
The azaleas were in full bloom
Governor Henry Middleton, Arthur’s son, planted camellias and introduced additional plant material, including tea olives and crepe myrtles.
Williams Middleton expanded the Gardens, incorporating romantic garden influences, and brought azaleas to the plantation – now over 100,000 in number.
In the early 20th century, Heningham Lyons Ellett Smith, wife of Middleton, restored the landscape that had been largely neglected for nearly six decades following the Civil War.
Her efforts led the Garden Club of America to describe Middleton Place in 1940 as the “most important and interesting garden in America.” It remains so to this day.
At the end of one of the walkways, we discovered the grave of Arthur Middleton and his wife, Mary.
Arthur died from an unknown fever in 1787.
Shots of the beautiful grounds
Middleton Place is located along the Ashley River…..it was just one of 20 plantations owned by the Middleton family.
Tip: A scene from the movie, The Patriot, that starred Mel Gibson was filmed at the plantation. Scarlett, the 1994 TV mini series, was also filmed at Middleton Place. Scarlett is a sequel to Gone With the Wind.
The views along the river were so beautiful!
The walkway was lined with gorgeous, moss covered oak trees!
We passed the old rice fields where enslaved people would grow rice.
At its peak, the rice plantation was 7,000 acres in size.
Near the banks of the river is the old Mill.
The mill was built in 1851 by Williams Middleton and later used as a storage building for crops.
It now houses a few historical items and watercolors painted by Alice Raven Huger Smith which depicts the stages of rice cultivation in the South Carolina Low Country during the 1850’s.
As we continued our walk, we spotted a sign that pointed to the Inn at Middleton Place. If you stay at the inn, you get free admission to the planation.
Continuing our walk
The grounds were just breathtakingly beautiful!
We came up on a small wooden bridge along the path.
From the bridge, we spotted another historic building.
Look at these trees!
The views from the bridge were picture perfect!
My hubby found the perfect seat to take it all in 😉
There’s no telling how old some of these trees were!
As we continued our walk, we spotted a sign for the burial grounds of some of the enslaved people that worked on the planation.
The burial sites were those of John Johnston who died in 1859 and was a house servant and Edward Brown who died in 1851.
After leaving the burial site, we made our way to the stable yards. 
Here you will get a glimpse of 18th and 19th century working plantation life where skilled enslaved artisans made tools, pottery, clothing and tended an array of livestock.
Nearby was this old gas pump….how cool!
The stable yards have volunteers that recreate the work that used to be done by slaves…one of the buildings showcased textiles.
In this room, wool from sheep and cotton and linen were spun by a spinner into yarn to make cloth, while walnut hulls, indigo, Spanish moss, ragweed, and wild berries provided dye for the yarn.
There was a barn full of old horse buggies that dated back to the 1800’s!
There was the old stable that was used to house horses and other animals.
They still have horses and sheep on the property.
There was the blacksmith building where nails, hinges, hoes, rakes, picks, and other tools were made.
A shot of some of the buildings in the stable yards.
We then headed to Eliza’s House.
The house was named for its last resident, Eliza Leach. The building opened as a house museum for visitors in 1991.
The house is a Reconstruction-era African American freedman’s dwelling containing a permanent exhibit on slavery entitled Beyond the Fields.
Based on extensive research over the course of a decade, the exhibit documents the story of slavery, in South Carolina and at Middleton Place itself. Named for its last resident.
Shots of the inside
We then headed to take pictures of the main house.
This was not the original home…..like I had mentioned earlier, the original home was looted and burnt down in 1865.
The original home was built in 1705 and was three stories ….this building, along with another building, was later added in 1755.
This building was originally used as a business office and guest quarters for gentlemen but later turned into the primary residence after their home was burned down.
The house is now a museum and you can tour the house for an additional $15 pp.
Nearby, are the remnants of the main house and the other building that was used for a library. 
Both were completely destroyed by the fires but their remaining walls were leveled in 1886 by an earthquake.
Williams Middleton restored the remaining building in 1870 and it remained a family residence for over a century. The house was opened as a museum in 1975.
From here, we headed to the historic building that we had spotted earlier from the wooden bridge.
We soon discovered that it was the plantation chapel.
During the 1830’s, many plantation owners used slave carpenters to build chapels on their property. The chapels ranged from elaborate to simple, plastered wood framed buildings.
Slaves worshipped in these chapels
Beneath the chapel was the old spring house where slaves would collect water.
Near the chapel was a massive, old live oak tree!
A shot of the back of the house
At this point, it was 11:00 am and we were getting hungry…so, we decided to eat at the restaurant located at the plantation.
After getting seated, we took a few minutes to look over the menu.
Tip: If you would like to have a picnic lunch on the grounds, you can call the restaurant 24 hrs in advance and place your order. It’s $60 for two people.
We were seated in a room that was surrounded by glass windows so we had really nice views of the grounds.
I decided on the crab roll with fries and the hubby had the pulled pork with Mac and cheese and collard greens.
The food was incredible! We were definitely pleasantly surprised as we weren’t expecting much!
Read reviews here
After lunch, we decided to purchase tickets to tour the house but the earliest ticket was 1:15 so we had to kill some time before our tour so, we continued our walk around the grounds.
Tip: I highly recommend you purchase your tickets of the house when you arrive so you can pick your own time …the tickets also sell out quickly.
We made our way to the butterfly lakes.
These lakes are the most elaborate garden feature at Middleton Place…the lakes are shaped like a butterfly.
With the help of an English gardener and a sizable crew, Middleton created a formal lawn bisected with a gravel carriageway leading to six shaped turf terraces with bowed centers.
We then spotted another huge, live oak tree.
The oak tree is estimated to be between 900 and 1000 years old!!
At the beginning of the 21st century, the tree lost three of its huge limbs.
As we continued along the pathways in the garden, we happened upon a statue that had been placed in the garden many years ago.
There were actually many statues scattered throughout the gardens.
We then spotted another huge tree!
The tree was literally growing sideways over the walking path!
Continuing our walk through the gardens
We came up on the cypress gardens.
Cypress trees were growing all along the banks of this pond.
After a few minutes of walking, we made our way back towards the house for our tour.
After listening to a brief history lesson about the house, we were handed a pamphlet and led inside the house.
As I mentioned earlier, the house was built in 1755 and is not the original plantation home.
Tip: One of the bricks on the house has the initials of Middleton and the year 1755…sadly, we didn’t know this until after we got home and I started writing this blog post
The roof was added in 1868, after the original roof was destroyed when Union soldiers burned the property.
The house is a two-story structure with a gabled roof. An 18-foot service wing was added to the south side of the house in the 1930s.
The first floor of the house originally contained a parlor, living room, and dining room, while the second floor contained three bedrooms.
The interior of the house has been outfitted with original furniture.
Tip: This is a self guided tour
The house included a collection of original portraits, furniture, silver, china, documents and other objects that belonged to and were used by family members.
We started in the breakfast room area.
This area included lots of original paintings, London made silver and a pre-revolutionary breakfast table made by Thomas Elfe.
In 1941, Elanor Roosevelt toured the gardens at Middleton Place.
Next was the formal dining area
We spotted this old gun in a glass case…how cool!
Next, we headed upstairs and saw the children’s bedroom.
The bedroom included original clothing and toys from the Middleton family.
Next was the bedroom of Mrs. Middleton.
In this room was a framed 1823 engraving of John Trumbull’s Declaration of Independence that was originally painted in 1817. The painting depicts the moment on June 28, 1776, when the first draft of the Declaration of Independence was presented to the Second Continental Congress.
Next was the room of Mr Middleton
The next room was set up as a small museum that displayed original paintings and items that belonged to the Middleton family.
As we headed back downstairs to exit the house, there was a small display case that displayed more items that belonged to the family.
After spending about 30 mins touring the house, we headed to our next stop, the Battery.
After getting parked, we took a few pictures of the incredible houses in this area.
The Battery is a landmark defensive seawall and promenade that is famous for its stately antebellum homes.
In 1838, this area of the Battery, known as High Battery, became a promenade. First used as a public park in 1837, the area now known as White Point Garden became a place for artillery during the American Civil War.
The battery was built to defend the city from enemies so you will find several memorials placed in the park.
Tip: Near here, you can take a boat to tour Ft Sumter & Ft Moultrie
This area is also covered with tons of beautiful old oak trees!
After checking out the war memorials, we walked along the promenade and admired all of the gorgeous old mansions!
In this area is where you will find the Charles Drayton house.
The houses in this are not to be missed!
They are so incredible…It’s hard to believe that houses like this were built so many years ago.
As we were walking, a horse carriage tour passed by….these are very popular in Charleston.
The cost is $50 pp or you can book a private tour from $375-500. They also offer combo tours that include a harbor tour.
As we continued our walk through the beautiful, historic town, we spotted this gorgeous old building.
This building was first opened in 1866 as State Bank of South Carolina. 
It has survived bombardment, hurricanes and a major earthquake. The building has almost been continuously occupied since the city’s founding over 300 years ago.
We walked along the old cobblestone roads and spotted the old Slave Mart Museum.
In Charleston, enslaved African Americans were customarily sold in the open area north of the Old Exchange building at Broad and East Bay Streets.
This is the only known building used as a slave auction site in South Carolina still in existence.
Auctions of the enslaved ended in November 1863.
Read reviews for the museum here
Next, we spotted the Pink House.
Built between 1694 and 1712, it’s said to be the oldest standing tavern building in the South.
The tile roof dates to the eighteenth century and the house was constructed of ‘Bermuda stone which is naturally pink.
Of course, we couldn’t leave without taking our pictures in front of this historic house!
Continuing our walk
We stumbled upon Washington Square Park along our walk.
Located in the historic district, it was one of the first public parks in the city.
The park was known as City Hall Park until 1881 when it was renamed in honor of George Washington.
There are a number of historical monuments and statues in the park.
Continuing our walk
We passed the Berlin’s Clothing store that has been in business since 1883!!
We then spotted the John Rutledge House.
The house was built in 1763 by John Rutledge for he and his wife.
Rutledge had many political positions in his career …he was also one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
He holds the record for the shortest tenure of any chief justice. His was the first Supreme Court nomination to be rejected by the Senate, and he remains the only “recess appointed” justice not to be subsequently confirmed by the Senate.
The home is now a bed and breakfast.
Next we came up on the incredible Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist.
The church was built in 1890 after the first church that was built here in 1854, burned down.
The doors were opened so we decided to head inside and check it out.
The church, like most catholic churches, was very elaborate.
It had lots of stained glass windows.
The pews are Flemish oak, and the three original altars are of white Vermont marble.
The lower church includes a crypt where Bishop England (with his sister, Joanna) and four other Charleston bishops are buried.
After checking out the inside, we headed back outside to take more pictures of the outside.
The church was built from tool-chiseled brownstone.
I walked around the back of the church to take pictures.
It just amazes me how something this elaborate was built so many years ago!
After leaving the church, we continued our walk.
On our walk, we passed many historic homes and buildings.
We passed the Miles Brewton House.
This house was built in 1765 and owned by Miles Brewton who was a revolutionary patriot.
We passed one of the earliest wooden houses in Charleston.
It was built of black cypress and was standing in 1755 but could possibly have been constructed as early as 1721.
As we continued our walk, we passed more incredible homes!
After spending a couple of hours checking out the beautiful historic homes, we headed to Sullivan’s Island to have dinner at Poe’s Tavern.
The restaurant had been recommended to us by the employee at our hotel. He said they had great burgers so, of course, that’s all my hubby needed to hear! He loves a good burger.
After being seated, we took a few minutes to look over the menu.
I ordered the fish tacos and the hubby ordered his usual, a burger.
The food and service were great!
Read reviews here
After dinner, we walked a nearby path to the beach to watch the sunset.
The sunset was absolutely gorgeous!
After spending a few minutes on the beach, we headed back to our room and called it a night!
Thanks for reading!
Stay tuned for Day 5.
Read Days 1 & 2 here & Day 3 here