Mansfield Plantation


Mansfield Plantation is a well-preserved antebellum rice plantation, established in 1718 on the banks of the Black River in historic Georgetown County, South Carolina.

History

Spanning nearly of pine forest, rice fields and cypress swamps, Mansfield Plantation was once one of the largest rice producing plantation in the country. Mansfield, along with adjacent rice plantations up and down the Black River, provided much of Europe with "Carolina Gold" rice during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Rice growing was made possible by:
  1. perfecting irrigation techniques using tidal water and manmade dykes.
  2. experimentation with natural fertilizers.
  3. most notably, African-American slave labor.
After the American Civil War, rice production became too expensive and soon the plantations fell into bankruptcy and were sold off to new owners.

Present day

Today, Mansfield Plantation is preserved as an authentic rice plantation, complete with the original plantation home, a school house, live oak avenue, chapel, guest house, and grounds. It also has the only remaining winnowing barn in Georgetown County, where rice grains were processed for shipment.

Restoration

Undergoing restoration is a slave village of 7 slave cabins and a chapel.
In 2009, the entire plantation underwent a privately funded, massive restoration project to keep its distinct history alive for generations to come. It is said to be the only American plantation saved from development and reclaimed by a direct descendant of the original owners.

Media

Mansfield Plantation has been featured in numerous films, documentaries and television shows. It served as the backdrop for scenes from Mel Gibson's 2000 film, The Patriot. In 2006, the Fox network filmed two segments of their primetime television series Treasure Hunters at Mansfield and the Fine Living Network filmed a documentary at Mansfield Plantation for their television series Windshield America.

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