Charles Pinckney National Historic Site

On the day after we arrived in Charleston we had a busy day planned.  There were several sites that we wanted to see.  The first one we headed to see was on the mainland, to the east of downtown.  We drove out to the house of one of the signers of the Constitution, Charles Pinckney.

Charles Pinckney was a principal author and signer of the United States Constitution. This remnant of his coastal plantation is preserved to tell the story of a "founding father," his life of public service, the lives of enslaved African Americans on South Carolina Lowcountry plantations and their influences on Charles Pinckney.
--from Charles Pinckney NHS website

We arrived at the site before it opened to the public for the day, so we wandered around next to the parking lot for a time enjoying the trees.

You pass through a picnic shelter with attached restrooms when heading over to the main area.

Several signs outside set the stage for learning more about Pinckney.

He isn't someone most people remember learning about in history class.

There are so many gorgeous trees on the property.

The current house dates from 1828 with wings added in the 1930s.  However, it stands on the same spot as the original house that Pinckney occupied.

Through archaeology, we have learned that the Pinckney-era structures (1754-1817) that once stood in this part of Snee Farm were razed sometime in the early 19th century.  The current theory is that one or more hurricanes may have damaged the farmhouse, kitchen, and other outbuildings... Today modern bricks are used to outline the Pinckney kitchen and farmhouse dependencies.
--from exhibit signage

The main house has two wings attached on either side.

Inside is a small gift shop as well as a number of exhibits.

Interestingly for the state that later produced John C. Calhoun, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention were all very nationalistic.

I was fascinated to discover that Pinckney loved books and that he had over 20,000 works.

With the house as a backdrop, and because no physical structures from Pinckney ownership of the property remain, the National Park Service emphasizes discoveries from archaeological investigations to tangibly connect the Pinckneys to Snee Farm and to provide evidence of the cultural environment that influenced Pinckney and the first decades of the United States as a young nation.
--from Charles Pinckney NHS website

This map of the colony is fascinating to look at the different divisions, for example Ninety Six Judicial District that corresponds to the area containing Ninety Six National Historic Site today.

Coiled sweetgrass baskets, made from native plant materials, are another West African tradition that was brought to South Carolina.  The baskets were used all over the lowcountry by both whites and blacks.
--from exhibit signage

After we'd seen the exhibits inside we headed out the other side of the house to explore more of the grounds.

More trees.

I believe these were the remnants of an old well.

These were indigo plants which used to be big business in South Carolina.

You can see more pictures of the site in this album.  After leaving we headed back to the waterfront so that we could take a ferry ride out to an island.  Read more about that trip soon.

~Matt