McLeod Plantation
Encyclopedia
McLeod Plantation is located at 325 Country Club Drive. on James Island
, South Carolina
, near the intersection of Folly and Maybank Roads. Situated at Wappoo Creek which flows into the Ashley River, historic events have been recorded throughout the period from 1678 when it first appeared on maps under "Morris." General Clinton used the original house as his headquarters while planning the siege of Charleston in the Revolutionary War.
The house standing on the land today was constructed in about 1858 in the Georgian
style. In 1926, The front and rear of the house were reversed, and the front facade was altered. Also on the property are six clapboard
slave cabins, a detached kitchen, a dairy building, a pre-war gin house for long-staple cotton, a barn, and a carriage house. .
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The plantation was occupied by Confederate
forces during most of the Civil War
. After the evacuation of Charleston in early 1865, it was occupied by the 54th
and 55th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiments, which were African American
soldiers. The home served as a hospital. Later, the home was occupied as offices by the Freedman's Bureau, and at one point, nearly 10,000 newly-freed slaves camped out on the plantation's lands.
The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has additional information and photographs. The plantation was named one of the African American Historic Places in South Carolina.
The home was occupied by the McLeod family until the 1980s (who now reside in Bermuda), and a share was given to the Historic Charleston Foundation who proceeded to consolidate shareholders. It was sold to the American College of the Building Artsin 2004. Unable to support the development of their school and the plantation, ACBA returned it to Historic Charleston in 2008. Historic Charleston Foundation has placed the property under contract again with the College of Charleston.
James Island (South Carolina)
James Island is one of South Carolina's most urban Sea Islands. The island is separated from peninsular downtown Charleston by the Ashley River, from the mainland by Wappoo Creek and the Wappoo Cut, and from Johns Island by the Stono River...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, near the intersection of Folly and Maybank Roads. Situated at Wappoo Creek which flows into the Ashley River, historic events have been recorded throughout the period from 1678 when it first appeared on maps under "Morris." General Clinton used the original house as his headquarters while planning the siege of Charleston in the Revolutionary War.
The house standing on the land today was constructed in about 1858 in the Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
style. In 1926, The front and rear of the house were reversed, and the front facade was altered. Also on the property are six clapboard
Clapboard (architecture)
Clapboard, also known as bevel siding or lap siding or weather-board , is a board used typically for exterior horizontal siding that has one edge thicker than the other and where the board above laps over the one below...
slave cabins, a detached kitchen, a dairy building, a pre-war gin house for long-staple cotton, a barn, and a carriage house. .
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
forces during most of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. After the evacuation of Charleston in early 1865, it was occupied by the 54th
54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry
The 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that saw extensive service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The regiment was one of the first official black units in the United States during the Civil War...
and 55th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiments, which were African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
soldiers. The home served as a hospital. Later, the home was occupied as offices by the Freedman's Bureau, and at one point, nearly 10,000 newly-freed slaves camped out on the plantation's lands.
The South Carolina Department of Archives and History has additional information and photographs. The plantation was named one of the African American Historic Places in South Carolina.
The home was occupied by the McLeod family until the 1980s (who now reside in Bermuda), and a share was given to the Historic Charleston Foundation who proceeded to consolidate shareholders. It was sold to the American College of the Building Artsin 2004. Unable to support the development of their school and the plantation, ACBA returned it to Historic Charleston in 2008. Historic Charleston Foundation has placed the property under contract again with the College of Charleston.