The Charleston Plantation Where Enslaved People Created America’s First Formal Gardens

Middleton Place

In 1741, Henry Middleton set over 100 enslaved people to work digging butterfly lakes and building terraces for what would become America’s oldest formal gardens.

Fast forward 124 years, and Union soldiers from the 56th New York Regiment torched the whole place on February 23, 1865, ending four generations of Middleton wealth built on rice and human bondage.

Here’s the complete story, plus how to experience these historic gardens yourself.

Henry Middleton Begins The Grand Garden Design

Henry Middleton started his garden project in 1741 right after his marriage. He wanted gardens more impressive than his neighbors’ simple square designs.

He hired an English gardener named Simms to help create his vision. Instead of following local traditions, Middleton looked to Europe for inspiration.

He based his design on the work of André Le Nôtre, the famous gardener who created the grounds at the Palace of Versailles in France. This European style helped show off Middleton’s wealth and status.

Creating America’s First Landscaped Gardens

Workers shaped the land into six terraced levels that stepped down toward the river. Each terrace had a curved center that created visual interest.

At the lowest level near the Ashley River, they dug twin lakes shaped like butterfly wings with a grass path between them. The gardens featured rows of camellias, hollies, and azaleas trimmed into living walls.

This massive earth-moving project took years to complete. All the work was done by hand by enslaved laborers without modern equipment.

The Rise of Henry Middleton

By the 1750s, Henry Middleton owned 20 plantations covering 50,000 acres. His wealth came from the labor of 800 enslaved people who grew rice and other crops.

His money brought political power. In 1774, he became the second president of the First Continental Congress, which governed the colonies before independence.

After his wife Mary died in 1761, Henry moved back to his birthplace, The Oaks plantation. He gave Middleton Place to his son Arthur.

Arthur Middleton and the Revolutionary Period

Arthur took over Middleton Place in 1763. Born in June 1742, he followed his father into politics during the fight for independence.

He joined the Second Continental Congress and signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. This made him a target during the Revolutionary War.

British troops attacked Middleton Place in 1780. They cut the heads off garden statues and stole artwork and furniture. Arthur was captured and held prisoner until 1781.

The Plantation’s Enslaved Community

The gardens and farm operations at Middleton Place depended on enslaved labor. Men, women, and children did the hard work of digging terraces, creating lakes, and keeping the gardens perfect.

Field workers cleared forests and grew rice in swampy areas. Rice farming required constant attention and precise water control.

Enslaved people learned specialized skills as carpenters, brick-makers, blacksmiths, gardeners, and house servants. Their forced labor made the plantation largely self-sufficient.

Building the Plantation House

The main house at Middleton Place, built around 1741, stood three stories tall. Made of brick in the Jacobean style from England, it showed off the family’s wealth.

Henry Middleton added two separate two-story wings in 1755. The north wing held a library and ballroom for parties. The south wing housed guests.

The house sat on a small hill 20 feet above the Ashley River. This spot provided good views and protected the house from flooding.

Later Middleton Generations

Henry’s grandson, also named Henry, served as Governor of South Carolina from 1810 to 1812. President James Monroe later sent him to Russia as America’s ambassador.

His son Williams Middleton inherited the property in 1846. Williams changed the focus from a country home to a working plantation.

He expanded the gardens by adding elements of the English romantic style, which looked more natural than formal. Williams brought in azaleas, which now number over 100,000 plants.

Experimental Agriculture at Middleton Place

The plantation produced more than just gardens. Workers harvested timber and made pitch, turpentine, and tar for shipbuilding.

They also extracted blue dye from indigo plants and raised cattle for meat and dairy products. In the late 1700s, the Middletons tried something new by bringing water buffalo from Constantinople (now Istanbul).

These animals, the first in America, worked well in muddy rice fields where horses and oxen would sink.

The Civil War Destruction

Williams Middleton chose the Confederate side as the Civil War approached. He signed the South Carolina Ordinance of Secession in December 1860, which took the state out of the Union.

The consequences came on February 23, 1865. The 56th New York Regiment marched onto the property and set fire to the buildings.

Union troops burned the main house and north wing completely. They also damaged part of the south wing. The soldiers killed and ate five of the plantation’s water buffalo.

Emancipation and its Aftermath

When Union forces arrived, the enslaved people at Middleton Place gained their freedom. Priscilla Johnson, born into slavery at the plantation in 1846, left with a Union doctor named Marcy.

She went north to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to work as a companion for the doctor’s mother. This gave her a chance to start a new life.

Williams Middleton returned to find his home in ruins. In 1868, he put a new roof on the south wing and made it his home. In 1886, an earthquake destroyed what remained of the other buildings.

Visiting Middleton Place, Charleston SC

Middleton Place is located at 4300 Ashley River Road, Charleston, SC 29414. The historic site is open daily year-round except for major holidays.

Your admission fee includes access to the gardens, stable yards, and grounds. Take the Beyond the Fields tour to learn about the enslaved people who built the gardens. The Garden Overview tour explains the 1741 design principles and plant collections.

You can reach the property by car about 30 minutes from downtown Charleston via Highway 61.

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