The Untouched Beach at This Former South Carolina Plantation Has Ancient Shell Mounds from 4000 Years Ago

South Carolina’s Botany Bay Plantation

While tourists crowd Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head, Botany Bay Plantation sits quietly on Edisto Island, preserving a piece of raw South Carolina coastline.

The 4,600-acre wildlife preserve, formed from two historic cotton plantations, keeps its dirt roads unpaved and its beach ungroomed. No gift shops, no condos – just the Lowcountry as it was.

Who Created Botany Bay?

Originally formed in the 1840s by John Townsend, a secessionist and state legislator, he developed the plantation into a hub for cotton production and horticulture.

In the 1930s, Dr. James Greenway combined the plantations under the name Botany Bay.

Later, in 1968, John Meyer purchased the property and eventually bequeathed it to South Carolina as a wildlife preserve upon his death in 1977, fulfilling his conservation vision.

Pockoy Island Shell Rings

Large circular mounds of oyster shells dot the preserve, dating back to 2000 BCE. These rings were built by Native Americans who lived here during the Late Archaic period.

Radiocarbon dating suggests that Ring 1 was constructed over a short period (20–100 years). The biggest ring is about 150 feet across. Inside these ancient structures, people have found pieces of pottery, tools, and other items that show these places were used for ceremonies and gatherings.

Sea Island Cotton Production

Botany Bay Plantation was historically known for producing Sea Island cotton, a highly prized variety during the 18th and 19th centuries due to its long, silky fibers.

John Townsend, who acquired both plantations in the 1840s, became the state’s largest producer of this cotton, highly sought after by European lace and dressmakers.

The cultivation of Sea Island cotton continued on these plantations until around 1917 when the boll weevil infestation led to its decline.

The Ice House From the 1840s

One of the old plantation buildings still standing is a Gothic Revival ice house built in the 1840s. This white wooden building has pointed windows and detailed brickwork made from tabby (concrete created with oyster shells, lime, sand, and water).

The ice was shipped from New England and packed in sawdust to help preserve it. The ice house was once surrounded by an elaborate Japanese formal garden, designed by a botanist named Oqui.

Trees Older Than the United States

The maritime forest has some of South Carolina’s oldest live oak trees (typically ranging from 15 to 20 feet in circumference), with many being over 300 years old right.

The woods also have rare Atlantic white cedar trees and the island’s largest group of southern magnolias.

At the entrance, long strands of Spanish moss hang from the branches, making tunnels of shade along the main road.

Natural Art Gallery on the Beach

The “boneyard beach” gets its name from sun-bleached dead trees that look like sculptures along the shore. These tree skeletons stretch across 2.8 miles of beach, with some fallen oaks being longer than 40 feet.

The ocean and weather have shaped these trees into striking forms that stand out against the sky. While some trees have been here for many years, new ones appear as the ocean slowly claims more of the forest.

Sea Turtles and Other Wildlife

Every summer (May to August), about 80 loggerhead sea turtles dig nests on the beach. Each mother turtle lays around 120 eggs in soft sand above where the high tide reaches.

During peak shorebird migration periods, species such as the red knot and whimbrel can be observed feeding along the shoreline of Botany Bay. During high tide, you might see dolphins feeding in the creeks, while alligators often sun themselves by the brackish ponds.

Natural Oysters Live on the Reef

Oyster reefs grow naturally along the creeks, forming barriers that can stretch 100 feet from the shore. Each oyster cleans about 50 gallons of water every day.

The new oysters attach themselves to old shells, building reefs that rise above the mud when the tide is low. These underwater structures protect the shoreline and create homes for more than 120 types of sea life.

The plantation itself is home to ancient shell rings composed primarily of oyster shells.

Find The Old Plantation Buildings

Currently three buildings from the 1800s stand on the property: an icehouse, a gardener’s shed (called the smokehouse), and a barn (known as the equipment shed).

The walls, which reach up to 12 feet high, were built using a mix of 40% oyster shells, 40% sand, and 20% lime.

Adjacent to the gardener’s shed lies the overgrown remains of a Japanese formal garden, established in the mid-19th century, that once showcased exotic flora such as camphor, olive, and spice trees.

Ancient Pottery of Past Cultures

People find pottery pieces in the soil dating back approximately 4,300 years, around 2300 BCE. Recent excavations suggest the area remained in use into the Woodland period, between 1500 BCE and 10.

Some pieces have special designs made by pressing shells into wet clay. Other fragments show patterns created by rolling decorated paddles over the clay.

After big storms wash away sand on the beach, new pottery pieces often appear near the old shell rings.

Rare Plants in the Estate

The preserve protects South Carolina’s largest group of orchids or Coastal Virgin’s-bower. These small plants bloom from August to October with white flowers on six-inch stems.

Beach evening primrose grows well in the dunes here, safe from the development that threatens it elsewhere.

The preserve’s wet pine flatwoods and savannas are home to the yellow meadow beauty, a native perennial wildflower with showy yellow blooms come spring and early summer.