Monday, April 1, 2019

Monday, April 1, 2019

Tonight's picture was taken in April of 2005, during Mattie's third birthday party. That year Mattie wanted a Blues Clues party. I created a scavenger hunt for the kids and also got a student from the university to come and perform a magic show. He also brought his bunny, which was a hit at the party. 

Quote of the day: When he died, all things soft and beautiful and bright would be buried with him. ~ Madeline Miller

Thankfully I packed for cooler weather. Today was frigid. It started out in the 40's, with the wind blowing. I literally have four layers of clothes on in order to go touring! With that said, I still don't feel like myself, as the surgery has really impacted by energy and digestive track. 

We decided to visit Middleton Place today. The Charleston area is filled with a great deal of history and plantations. When we visited this area in June of 2018, we visited the Magnolia Plantation. We both were underwhelmed by the property and felt it wasn't well maintained. We had a very different reaction to Middleton Place. Which is stunning! 

This is a representation of what the plantation used to look like... with a main house in the center, and two other smaller houses on either side, known as flankers. Currently only the South Flanker still stands and we toured it today. 

The plantation was built in several phases during the 18th and 19th centuries. The plantation was the primary residence of several generations of the Middleton family, many of whom played prominent roles in the colonial and antebellum history of South Carolina. The plantation, now a National Historic Landmark District, is used as a museum, and is home to the oldest landscaped gardens in the United States.

John Williams, an early South Carolina planter, probably began building Middleton Place in the late 1730's. His son-in-law Henry Middleton (1717–1784) inherited this property, as it was given to him in dowry for Mary Williams. Henry Middleton served as President of the First Continental Congress, and completed the house's main section and its north and south flankers, and began work on the elaborate gardens. Middleton's son, Arthur Middleton (1742–1787), a signer of Declaration of Independence, was born at Middleton Place, and lived at the plantation in the last years of his life. Arthur Middleton's son and grandson, Henry Middleton (1770–1846) and Williams Middleton (1809–1883), oversaw Middleton Place's transition from a country residence to a more active rice plantation. In 1865, toward the end of the U.S. Civil War, Union soldiers burned most of the house, leaving only the south wing and gutted walls of the north wing and main house. An earthquake in 1886 toppled the walls of the main house and north wing.

The restoration of Middleton Place began in 1916 when Middleton descendant John Julius Pringle Smith (1887–1969) and his wife began several decades of meticulously rebuilding the plantation's gardens. They had New York architect Bancel LaFarge design a stable yard complex of barn, stable, work buildings, and cottages; the buildings were constructed of brick salvaged from the ruined main house. In the early 1970's, approximately 110 acres of the 7,000-acre  plantation— including the south flanker, the gardens, and several outbuildings— were placed on the National Register of Historic Places. During the same period the Middleton descendants transferred ownership of the historic district to the non-profit Middleton Place Foundation, which presently maintains the site.

This is the famous aerial view of Middleton Place. At the end of the grass, do you see the pools on either side of the grass strip? These are supposed to represent the wings of butterflies!

Despite the cool weather, the gardens were blooming. 

I have never seen so many azaleas and camellia brushes and trees. They were truly remarkable. As azaleas always signal to me that Mattie's birthday is coming. 

Look at how beautiful these flowers are close up!

Azaleas as far as the eye can see. I just thought this was a glorious wall of flowers.

We went on a horse and carriage ride around the property. It was a 40 mile tour and our guide gave us a good overview of the family who owned this property as well as explained the nature of the rice plantation. 

The horses are a special breed... American Belgium Workhorses. Each horse weighs 2,500 pounds! They can pull more than their weight. The horses who pulled us were named Jessie and Jim. These fellows came to the property from Amish country and this is considered their retirement. They literally work three hours a day, compared to their previous life of working 8-10 hour days. 

Our guide explained how hard it was to grow rice. The plantation owners had around 200 African slaves. I had no idea, but apparently rice grew in Africa, and the slaves came to this country with the skills to cultivate rice. Around 10% of slaves died each year on this property from malaria. If malaria did not kill them, then alligators or poisonous snakes did. I can't imagine living in these conditions.

Meanwhile, all over Charleston you will see baskets made from sweet grass. This is a tradition that came from West Africa. Slaves brought this tradition to this country, as baskets like these were used on plantations to shake and dry rice. I know the last time we visited Charleston, Peter and I met a woman selling baskets. She told me she learned this skill from the women in her family. Who have been making such baskets for generations. 

The only remaining housing structure still standing on the property is the South Flanker. We took a house tour, which was about 40 minutes long. Unlike other museum houses, this house has actual family articles, furniture, and china. Not replicas! 

The plantation is worth visiting for just the gardens alone. 

Pathways after pathways filled with azaleas. 

 Picture perfect. 

This is quintessential South Carolina. Filled with live oak trees, covered with spanish moss. Ironically spanish moss is not a moss, but an air plant, which does not damage the tree it hangs from.

Can you see the four alligators? I can't get over the number of alligators around here. 

On the plantation, they have a stable yard filled with all sorts of animals. They are called heritage animals, because what we saw today, was indicative of the types of animals that inhabited the plantation in the past. 

The piglets were adorable. 

Baby lambs. 

We were touring for about four hours today in the cold. Therefore, we paused to have lunch at their restaurant. The views of the property were lovely and the food and heat were very welcomed by that point.