Middleton Place outside of Charleston, South Carolina, is a
magical place. When we lived there, I
had a family membership and could go any time I wished. Now, living in Virginia, I only get to go if
we are visiting Charleston, which may be every few years. Recently we got to visit during their special colonial days event. Talk about providential timing for our trip to Charleston!
It was a pretty busy weekend day when we arrived in
November. The parking lots were much
bigger than I remember. There is also a greenhouse on the property now. We got several nice pictures on the steps of
the ruins of the old main house. This
structure fell after an earthquake hit Charleston, after the Civil War. One of the guest buildings still stands and
is used for tours.
I will admit I was
quite disappointed with the tour. The
charge was steep, the crowd was large, and with my difficulty walking I was the
last person in each room, couldn’t hear the speaker, and was rushed on to the
next section. However, since the
displays hadn’t changed much in the past decade or so, I was reasonably
familiar with much of what was in the house. Given that it was a very busy weekend, however, I probably shouldn't be surprised at how packed the tour was.
Isn't this a lovely bench? It is located on the side of the house.
At the side of the property are Middleton's famed Butterfly lakes. Several movies have been filmed at Middleton, including "The Patriot" scene where Cornwallis is shown occupying Middleton.
The Middleton Place staff and volunteers out at the farm were attentive and
took their time explaining different common daytime tasks on a plantation and
crafts. I was delighted to be taken
under the wing of one of the staff member’s spouses and he introduced me to many
people working in the various crafts.
One occupation at Middleton was barrel making. These barrels were used to ship goods up the
river and out from Charleston. Note the detailing which is from local wood.
Indigo dying was also displayed the day we were there.
The type of cotton grown during colonial times had black
seeds that had to be removed from the cotton. The reenactor who demonstrated, patiently explained to the children (including mine) how this process worked.| Middleton Place Reenactor |
Question: Do you have a favorite historical place you love to visit? Has it changed over time? What keeps you going back?
