Hampton Plantation

Brian and Carla visited the Rice Museum in Georgetown to learn about the early history of Georgetown County and its plantations.  After lunch, we headed to tour the Hampton Plantation which is about 20 miles south of Georgetown.  The remnants of the Hampton Plantation are now a state park and the park service maintains the plantation house.  The house was expanded and modified over a period of time. The original house was built in 1730 with significant expansion in the 1760s and completed in 1790-91. George Washington stopped here during his 1791 tour of South Carolina.  It is said he suggested the now large Live Oak tree which stands a short distance from the front porch not be cut down to improve the view.  This stately tree is referred to as the Washington Tree.  Archibald Rutledge, the first poet-laureate of South Carolina, inherited the Hampton Plantation. It passed to the State of South Carolina upon his death.  The plantation house is unfurnished.

Hampton Plantation - McClellanville

Washington Tree

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampton_Plantation


We took a quick tour of McClellanville following our visit to the Hamilton Plantation.  It is nothing like Georgetown.  It does have a few old homes and places of historical interest; however, highway markers describing the significance of an event or building are the primary means of learning about the town. Shrimping and timber harvesting appear to be the major industry and source of employment.  There is a large paper mill in Georgetown and the Francis Marion National Forest provides timber for the mill. McClellanville sits on the west bank of the ICW.

We returned to Georgetown and finished the day by purchasing shrimp from Stormy Seas, the shrimp boat which docks a few yards from us next to the Hazzard Marina.  Large shrimp were only $5.99 heads on, and $8.99 heads off.  Carla an Janet insisted we buy the heads off shrimp.  Janet steamed them for dinner.