"Nowhere else in the world has nature been kinder to her children than in the region where the great plantations were formed out of the wilderness of the Lowcountry."



Archibald Rutledge, 1883-1975, S.C. Poet Laureate and last private owner of Hampton Plantation



In 1685, Louis XIV of France revoked the Edict of Nantes, which granted religious freedom to French Calvinists. Forty-five of these Protestants, known as Huguenots, fled to Charles Town where they settled between the Santee and Cooper rivers.

Cheap, swampy land and fertile soil provided the foundation to develop what would become the wealthiest colony in North America, supplying most of the world's demand for rice and indigo.

The Huguenots intermarried with their Anglo-American countrymen and within a generation had esentially assimilated into the English culture.

Design your perfect Day in the French Santee by choosing from among the sites listed at right and below that you'd like to see. (Usually we can fit in four to five activities in a day.)



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The French Santee: Cradle of the Lowcountry's antebellum plantation society

The Pitt Street Bridge

One of the most scenic views in the Lowcountry, the remnants of the historic bridge crossed by the last crew of the Confederate submarine Hunley is a great place to begin our tour.

Photo credit: Experience Mount Pleasant

Christ Church Chapel

Christ Church is one of the oldest religious sites in the American South. Its original wooden building went up in 1707. The current brick structure dates to 1726, surviving fires, wars, and much more. Here we will meet some of my favorite dead people, including Elizabeth Porcher, pictured above.



Center for Birds of Prey

Your visit to the Center for Birds of Prey provides operational support for its educational, medical, conservation, and research initiatives. You'll experience a compelling flight demonstration and guided walking tour through the outdoor campus. The Center is open every Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings at 10:30 a.m.

Photo credit: Center for Birds of Prey

Seewee Shell Ring

Why did prehistoric Indigenous people create shell rings 4,000 years ago? What were they for? The mystery remains unsolved. They're not rubish mounds, but were built purposefully at a time that makes them contemporaries of the Egyptian pyramids! Access to the ring is a one-mile hike through the Francis Marion National Forest, so good shoes, a sense of adventure, and bug spray are a must.

Photo credit: Charles Shoemaker, Facebook.

McClellanville

In the 19th century, two plantation owners sold lots along Jeremy Creek to wealthy rice planters to create a small summer resort. The village became isolated, frozen in time, in the early 20th century. with the creation of a National Forest and Wildlife Preserve. We can either share a short picnic lunch with beautiful views of Jeremy Creek or some Lowcountry cooking at T.J. Graham's.

Photo credit: Post & Courier

Tibwin Plantation

Tibwin Plantation stands in mute testimony to a time long gone in the Lowcountry. Built in 1805, it has weathered storms, wars, and the changing tides of commerce and civilization. Now, because of a lack of funding, its future is uncertain. Access is an easy half-mile hike down a dirt road.

Photo credit: The Island Packet

St. James Santee (Brick) Church

Built in 1768, Brick Church was the fifth edifice erected by French Huguenot planters of the Santee River region. Constructed of imported English brick, its architecture reflected the wealth and success of its congregants. President George Washington was so impressed as he passed by he stopped to visit it in 1791.

Hampton Plantation

A classically beautiful antebellum plantation house, Hampton Plantation is home to the last remnants of a colonial-era rice plantation. It interprets the system of slavery and rice cultivation in the region from the colonial period through the end of the Civil War.

Photo credit: Trip Advisor