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Brick House Ruins

            The Paul Hamilton House, commonly referred to as the Brick House Ruin or Ruins, or Edisto Island, is the ruin of a plantation house on Edisto Island, South Carolina built in 1725 that burned in 1929.

It served as the plantation house for a 300-acre (120 ha) plantation. The estate was acquired in 1798 by the Jenkins family which maintains ownership to this day.

In 1929, the house caught fire, with its wooden portion being largely reduced to ashes and only its brick walls with stuccoed quoins and trim remaining.

The ruin was recorded photographically as part of the Historic American Buildings Survey of the National Park Service cataloged at the Library of Congress in both 1936 and 1939.

It was declared a National Historic Landmark and added to the National Register of Historic Places on 15 April 1970.

The South Carolina Department of Archives and History published a summary of the site as a part of South Carolina history. They describe it as an artifact of important early French influence in the Carolinas, considered a "stately and picturesque ruin in its own right." They cite the architecture of the outer walls as being "unique in this country."

As of 2006, the shell still stands, but the National Park Service considers it to be in "Threatened" condition due to the risk of collapse from deterioration of the mortar between the individual bricks.

(from Wikipedia)

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After driving nearly a mile down a long dirt road, I came to a sign on the gate that read, "Keep Out: Property Managed by the Friends of the Brick House Ruins." The gate was open, though, and a friendly lady in a new SUV waved at me as I drove by. I assumed the gate was a warning to anyone who arrived after hours not to trespass.

I was wrong.

The ruins lie at the center of what was once South Carolina's most prosperous indigo plantation. The slaves were freed after the Civil War, the house later burned, and the family fell into ruin. They still live in little cottages surrounding "the Big House" to this day.

I was approached by the patriarch of the family, who asked me whether I could read. He was angry about my trespassing. When I finally managed to convince him that I was just a private individual who didn't mean any harm but wanted to enjoy the history of his family, he told me with pride that the house was the oldest brick manor in South Carolina. 

"But," he said, "The mortar is all dried up now, and we don't have any money for repairs. The next hurricane that comes through? This place will be dust." 

Pity.

Taken in: United States / South Carolina / Edisto Island (show map)

Taken on: May 30, 2011

Sets appears in: • South Carolina

Groups appears in: • Historic Preservation • Palaces, Castles, Towers, Pagodas, Fortresses And Ruins of Old more » • Historical places • 1-2-3 History (post 1, comment on 2, view 3) • Deep Fried South • History Directory • "History & Antiquities (Post 5 - Award 3)" • Historical and architectural gems • WONDERFUL WORLD OF BUILDINGS / ARCHITECTURE (P1 / A1 ) • ₪ HISTORY & MYSTERY Society ₪ Add 1 | Award 3 • Deep South Structures - Treasures From The Past « less

Camera: NIKON COOLPIX P500, f/4.6, 1/125 sec, 10.7mm, ISO 160 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	NIKON COOLPIX P500
Aperture:	f/4.6
Exposure Time:	0.008 sec (1/125)
Focal Length:	10.7mm
ISO:	160
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	COOLPIX P500V1.0
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