The Gardens at Middleton Place Plantation, , Dorchester County, Charleston, South Carolina
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Stretching out along the banks of the Ashley River, Middleton Place Plantation, located at 15 miles northwest of Charleston, South Carolina is homes to the oldest landscaped gardens in the United States. Henry Middleton, once the President of the First Continental Congress was the first to try his hand at the gardens, as well as built the majority of the house which once stood there. Another connection to the birth of our country can be found springing from Middleton Place, in the person of Arthur Middleton, who was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Eventually Middleton became a rice plantation, and like many of the great Southern houses, it was gutted by fire during the Civil War. In 1886, and earthquake brought down the walls of the main house as well as the north wing.
The gardens remain still, as well as part of the main house, the music conservatory and several other buildings. The grounds cover 7,000 acres, 110 acres of which are on the National Register of Historic Places.
