The early history of Botany Bay can be traced back to two plantations — Bleak Hall Plantation and Sea Cloud Plantation. Bleak Hall was originally developed by the Townsend family in the early 1800s. By the mid-1800s, owner John Townsend had purchased the adjoining Sea Cloud Plantation and was producing more cotton than any other plantation in South Carolina. Townsend was renowned for the quality of his sea island cotton, a variety prized for its unusually long and silky fibers.

About a year after South Carolina’s secession from the Union, Edisto Island was evacuated and subsequently occupied by the Union army. The Civil War proved devastating to the island and its plantations. Townsend and his descendants worked hard to rebuild what was left and continued producing the famous sea island cotton until the early 1920s, when the boll weevil all but destroyed the cotton industry in South Carolina.

The plantations remained in the Townsend family until the 1930s, when Dr. James Greenway combined them and renamed the property Botany Bay Plantation. Botany Bay was acquired by John Meyer in 1973. Before Meyer died in 1977, he deeded the property to the state to be used as a wildlife preserve, but only after the death of his wife, Margaret.

While living there during the remainder of her lifetime, Margaret took great care to protect the land and to foster a diverse array of habitats throughout the property, including maritime forests, salt marshes, tidal creeks, and hammock islands.

Today, recreational opportunities at Botany Bay include seasonal hunting, catch and release fishing, birding, and an interpretive driving trail.

Folly was once called Coffin Island, but these days it’s full of life. On weekends you’ll find Center Street crowded with revelers who gather to talk and drink. There is a shag club, a pool hall, an excellent brew pup, an ice cream parlor, and plenty of restaurants with outdoor seating. Despite its lively nature and an abundant supply of tourists, Folly is a world away from South Carolina’s more commercialized beaches like Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head. It’s still a great place to grab a beer, shake off your shoes, and enjoy the sunset with friends.

Folly is located between the Atlantic Ocean, pictured above, and Folly River, pictured below. The shot above was taken by photographer Kevin Travis, who tells this great story:

“Shot this image on a cold December morning right after Christmas. It was about 40 degrees on the beach at 5:30 am. I used a flashlight to illuminate the old live oaks tree stumps on the beach. Morris Island Lighthouse is in the background. The lighthouse is always the focal point of so many pictures, and rightfully so because of the rich history of this beautiful structure. I wanted to show a different perspective of the beach with the lighthouse playing second fiddle so to speak.”

Other great spots on Folly are its fishing pier and its collection of shrimp trawlers. If you have an image of Folly you’d like to add to the South Carolina Picture Project, please send it here!

The photo above shows a “receiving tomb” at Magnolia Cemetery. A receiving tomb, as its name implies, defines a place where the dead were placed while a final burial site was prepared. Keith Rice, who took this photo, writes, “Magnolia Cemetery is the most fascinating place with all of the live oaks and ornate old graves.”

Exceptionally beautiful, Magnolia Cemetery serves as the final resting place of many prominent South Carolinians, including several former governors. The picture below shows the resting place of the third and final crew of the H.L. Hunley, a Confederate submarine. On the night of February 17, 1864, the Hunley was the first submarine to successfully attack and sink an enemy ship, the USS Housatonic.

The crew’s remains were recovered, along with the Hunley itself, on August 8, 2000. The remains were laid to rest in Magnolia Cemetery on April 17, 2004. The crew was composed of Lieutenant George E. Dixon (Commander), Frank Collins, Joseph F. Ridgaway, James A. Wicks, Arnold Becker, Corporal C. F. Carlsen, C. Lumpkin, and Augustus Miller.

Learn more about famous people buried in Magnolia Cemetery.

SCIWAY thanks E. Karl Braun of North Charleston for this picture taken in July 2012.

Learn more about the history of St Matthews Lutheran Church.

Edisto Beach Park also has an environmental education center that highlights the island’s natural history and the surrounding ACE Basin. There are furnished cabins available at the park, as well as campsites near the ocean or in the maritime forest. For more information regarding accommodations, hours of operation, and admission please go here.

SCIWAY thanks Carroll D. Brown for this picture.

Its main campus is located in the heart of historic downtown Charleston. The building pictured here, Randolph Hall, is listed in the National Historic Register, along with the nearby library and gate lodge.

In the foreground stands an old cistern, which was built in 1857 to help control flooding and fight fires. Eventually this technology became outdated and the cistern was filled in and covered with grass. The Cistern Yard is shaded by live oak trees and is a favorite spot for students to relax and study. It is also the location of the College’s graduation ceremony each May on Mothers’ Day.

SCIWAY thanks William Stuart Morgan III of Columbia for this picture taken in July 2012.

Learn more about the history of the College of Charleston.

Beyond the different landscapes, though, is a chance to touch a little remembered piece of South Carolina history. The Caw Caw Interpretive Center offers educational programs ranging from pre-school to college level that feature important sites of the Stono Rebellion.

Pausing under the giant, Spanish moss draped live oaks, you almost sense the ghosts of slaves who joined the Stono Rebellion on September 9, 1739. Marching from farm to farm, nearly 100 rioting slaves killed 20-25 white people and burned homes before they were stopped by a militia. Within a few hours a third of the slaves had been shot, and within a week the rest were caught and executed.

As a result of the rebellion, new laws were passed that forbid slaves to grow their own food, learn to read, assemble in groups, and earn their own money. While reading the historic plaques at Caw Caw, you realize that this rebellion occurred more than 100 years before the Civil War and that the human consequences of slavery have a longer history than you realize.

SCIWAY thanks Diane Yale-Peabody of Ohio for providing this great information and picture taken in April 2012.

For more information about the Caw Caw Interpretive Center, including hours of operation and admission costs, please visit its website.