Magnolia Plantation

We toured Magnolia Plantation today on our way out of Charleston. What a beautiful place! We took our bikes and rode the 4-5 miles of trails around the property; walked through the gardens and took a tour of the plantation house.
The plantation has been in the Drayton family since 1680 and is still managed by descendants of the original owner. The "first" Drayton came from England, via Barbados, where he owned a sugar plantation. Hence, he had plenty of money to build a huge mansion on 2000 acres in South Carolina. The first house burned after being hit by lightning and the second house was burned by Gen. Sherman's troops during the Civil War so what is standing now is actually the third home - but full of "saved" antiques and many gorgeous old handmade quilts. The truth is, most of the plantation owners did not live in the plantation homes most of the time. They lived in their town houses in Charleston because of the mosquitoes and danger of malaria. I must have a little Charlestonian blood in me!! Magnolia has not been a working rice plantation since the Civil War - no slaves = no workers = no one to plant and harvest the crop! The Drayton family is fortunate that the ancestor that lived on the property during this time was very frugal and willing to change his lifestyle significantly in order to keep the plantation! Only 500 acres remain and the rice fields are now swampland. It survives because of tourism.
We are in Brunswick, Georgia tonight and will drive on to Clermont, Florida tomorrow.