McLeod Plantation: Discover history and serenity right on James Island

By Mark A. Leon

Built in 1851, the McLeod Plantation, located on James Island played a critical role in some of the most significant periods of United States history providing shelter for soldiers during the Civil War, serving as a headquarters point during the war, raising cotton at the hands of slaves and offering transition homestead for freed slaves.  In 1991, the final offspring of the McLeod family legacy passed away and with that the end of an era.  He donated his land to historic Charleston who came very close to selling the land to the College of Charleston for a sports complex.  Fortunate for the legacy of Charleston and its rich heritage, the Charleston County Park Council purchased the land and has restored this critical piece of Charleston history for all of us to share.

I came into my adventure onto this sacred and historic property with a desire for knowledge acquisition about our land and walked away with a feeling of serenity and peace.  Like myself, many will go in looking for a little visual history lesson, but will walk away spending time in a place that has preserved its look and integrity for 160 plus years.

We invite you to step back in time and walk with us as we show you some of the visual spectacle of McLeod Plantation:  one of Charleston truest historic and visual gifts.  From the Big House to the Wappoo River, you will find yourself lost in yesteryear and get swept away in the romanticism of the land.

The Big House

Blossoming flowers

Majestic trees

Back of the Big House

Cotton storage facility

View from the front porch of the Big House

Learn a little history inside the house

Or relax on the front porch

Fresh open views all around the property

Plenty of shade on those warm summer days

Hidden shack in the woods

Transition Row where freed slaves transitioning lived and soldiers during the Civil War

Transition Row

Transition row home interior

Interior chimney

Dark interior

Cemetery on the grounds

Perspective on life in those times

Wappoo Creek: Gateway to the World

Calm Wappoo Creek

Gated Main Entrance

Original foundation

Back of the Big House

Walking along the property path

Relax in the shade

Quiet romantic walk

Take a morning or afternoon, pack a picnic and enjoy one of the most beautiful escapes just three miles outside of Charleston proper.  You will not be disappointed.