Monday, April 1, 2013

Magnolia Plantation And Gardens

 Magnolia Plantation in Charleston is a stark contrast to Oak Alley Plantation in New Orleans.
While Oak Alley is all about the home, Magnolia is all about the gardens!
But more importantly, Magnolia is rich in history.
There is so much to see here.  Of course the house and garden, but also a swamp, a zoo and original slave cabins.

The original, much grander house burned down, and a modest hunting cabin was later built.
Eventually, that house was added on to, and this is the original back stair entry to the home.


The 16 foot wide veranda is the best part of the house, in my opinion.

Inside, the floors are leaning here and there.
The furnishings are simple.

In the master bedroom, the quilt is all hand made by one person over the course of 20 years, with 12 stitches per inch.
A true masterpiece.

The bedroom downstairs has beautiful matching furniture which is black with hand painting.  
Just gorgeous.

Outside, the gardens are breathtaking.
All the azaleas are blooming and spring is just beginning to unfold here.

This is the oldest garden in America, with some sections being 325 years old!
It is one of the last large scale Romantic Gardens left in this country.

I almost felt like I was in Monet's garden!

Mr. A and I pose for a photo under a magnificent Live Oak, dripping with Spanish Moss.

After the garden tour, we checked out the zoo.
This guy does not look impressed with his visitors.

 The deer were so affectionate, as long as we had food!

I spied a red fox in the barrel, napping.
How cute is he?

The pig?
Not so cute!
I found myself humming "Old MacDonald!"
EIEIO....

 We even took a swamp tour and saw turtles, egrets and enormous bumble bees, but not alligators.

What I find amazing is that Magnolia has been owned by the same family for over 300 years, over 12 generations.  Orson Wells and Eleanor Roosevelt were entertained here!
It is rich in history.  The British invaded here during the Revolutionary War, and of course the Civil War also left its mark.

 
 There are five slave cabins still standing, dating back to 1850 that have been occupied until the late 1990's.
The Magnolia Cabin Project seeks to inform with respect the African-American slave experience and their vital role in shaping the South and American history in a 45 minute presentation called From Slavery to Freedom.

For more history and information about this historical gem called Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, watch this video.
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5 comments:

Things and Thoughts said...

You are looking great Delores with your husband ! Thanks for sharing this interesting experience in Orleans .
Cheers Olympia

djoann958 said...

Thanks for this post! I visited there about 20 years ago while on our way to my brother's graduation from Marine Boot Camp at Parris Island. My kids were really young and this post brought back some fond memories!

cairncottage said...

Hi! We visited Charleston a few years ago and only had time to visit one plantation. We ended up seeing Boone Hall, which was pretty cool, but they wouldn't let us take pictures during the inside house tour. It had a small garden area, but everything it was in August, so not much was blooming. Magnolia sounds like an awesome place. Maybe next time we are down that way, we'll stop there!

Anonymous said...

Hello Delores,
Thank you for writing a wonderful blog! I was a Tar Heel for 10 years before moving to the South Bay (I live about 40 min south from you on a no-traffic-day). All of our Easters and Thanksgivings were spent in Charleston during those years. If you have a chance, check out the Vendue Library roof top bar (360 deg view of Charleston and beyond and you can order off their menu - just spectacular),for guys the Aiken-Rhett museum tour (ask them to open the coal door for you so you can store your bike - my husband was impressed by doing so) and Mansfield Plantation in Georgetown (where the Patriot with Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger was filmed, of course we stayed with the previous owner when it was a little rough and once again my husband loved the place),rent a bike to get around quicker, Mrs. Whaley's garden (now owned by her daughter Marty whom is an accomplished self-taught painter/artist)on Church Street, buy some Sweetgrass baskets on the side of the road outside Charleston (much cheaper than the marketplace and the craftsmanship is just as great), and shop at Piggly Wiggly and Tweeters (Harris Teeter) markets. Have a great trip!

Unknown said...

Thank you for this amazing post..loved your master bedroom

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