— Loch Dhu Plantation House —
Photograph courtesy of Barry Gooch

Basic Information

• Location – Cross, St John's Berkeley Parish, Berkeley County
  

  Located off SC 6 on Loch Dhu Lane
  

• Origin of name – Takes its name from the Gaelic "black lake," a description the Scotch owner gave to a small dark pool on the property.
  

• Other names – Old Field, Markleys

• Current status – Part of the property was submerged under Lake Marion. The plantation house still stands on the shores of the lake.
  

Timeline

• 1748 – Earliest known date of existence

• 1749 – William Kirk received land grant

• 1812-1816 – house built by Robert J. Kirk

• ? – Robert J. Kirk's son Philip C. Kirk would own Loch Dhu and continue to farm the land.
  

Land

• Number of acres – 810 acres in 1860

• Primary crops – Cotton, Indian corn, sweet potatoes

Owners

• Alphabetical list – Couturies; Philip C. Kirk; Robert J. Kirk; William Kirk (1749); Porcher; Sidney; Frank K. Simons
  

Slaves

• Number of slaves – 47 in 1829

Buildings

• The house is an example of an Upper St. John's region plantation house with its square floor plan and high, hipped roof. There are several farming outbuildings on the property.
  

Web Resources

• National Register of Historic Places
  – Nomination form - PDF - submitted in 1976
  – Photographs, architectural overview
  

Print Resources

• Initial references: 1, 4, 15, 19

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