Middleton Place, a rice plantation was first settled in 1705 as a family residence and acquired by Henry Middleton through marriage. The property was badly damaged and lay neglected following the Civil War and Earthquake of 1886. One of the descendant restored the plantation and gardens in the early 20th century. As a southern plantation there is the darker side with it's slave history. Middleton Place had a long history with the Middleton family for many generations owning the plantation and an even larger history with over 2,612 slaves on this property alone. There is one slave house left and is an example of the quarters built for the freed slaves after the Civil War, referred to as "Ned and Cloe's Palace" (former freed slaves that worked at the plantation)it is not an example of the original quarters which were much worse.
We spent the day walking the gardens and checking out the farm. We enjoyed our time but thought the $25 per person cost a bit too much, but we made the mistake of comparing Middleton to the gardens we visited in the Chateau region of France at $7. Probably not a fair comparison.
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