We spotted the building from the Santee River the previous day. While it wasn’t a clear enough view for a photograph it was obviously an old plantation. Having a cell in your pocket (OK, Ellen’s pocket) is an amazing tool when out here.

Below was taken from the river bank, next day after we found it. Plantation homes always faced the river, roads were few.

The original name here was Hopsewee-on-the-Santee, a rice plantation. Built in 1735, I can’t even imagine how. Even now this is ‘out there’.

This was the home of Thomas Lynch, Jr., a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and served as a Lowcountry rice plantation. He was lost at sea not long after the declaration’s signing while traveling to Barbados.

Like many Santee plantations, it was abandoned during the Civil War. After the war, rice was never planted again, but the Lucas family continued to occupy Hopsewee. In September 1949, Col. and Mrs. Wilkinson bought the house and family still occupied it.

This is another plantation out here built from Black Cypress trees. Almost indestructible.

I sat in a rocker here the other day to eat what we had packed for lunch. An OK lunch, but the company was excellent.

This porch, as it is today, has seen our first president George Washington, several signers of the Declaration of Independence, famous authors, and our Poet Laureate Archibald Rutledge.

Not bad, but I bet they didn’t have a ‘ham and cheese hero’ for lunch.

The Hampton Plantation was built in 1735.

Wood never lasts very long marshes and wet weather. Except Cypress wood. It doesn’t burn well, insects dislike it, and the strength is like steel. We looked at all the original structure inside and even the original indigo dye used for paint is still intact.

Hampton Plantation along Hampton Creek, South Carolina.