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Mepkin Plantation – Moncks Corner – Berkeley County
Basic Information
Timeline
- 1681 – Earliest known date of existence
On March 5 Peter, Thomas, and James Colleton received a Proprietary Grant for 3,000 acres along the western branch of the Cooper River. These brothers were the sons of one of the original Lords Proprietors, Sir John Colleton.
James Colleton survived his brothers and became sole owner of Mepkin. It then went to his son, Landgrave John Colleton, then to Landgrave Colleton's son, John Colleton, Esq. (Cross, p. 53).
- 1762 – John Colleton, Esq. sold Mepkin to Henry Laurens. The sale included the original 3,000 acres of the Proprietary Grant (Irving, p. 83).
At the time of the purchase Henry Laurens was a merchant in Charleston. He imported and exported goods, including slaves. He was quite successful in his business. In 1776 he quit the merchant business to become a planter and statesman (Cross, p. 53).
Mepkin became the main residence for Henry and his wife, Eliza Ball of Comingtee Plantation.
- 1779 – Henry Laurens was captured at sea by a British ship and imprisoned in the Tower of London for almost two years. He was released in exchange for Lord Cornwallis (Irving, p. 83-84).
Henry Laurens was a devoted patriot during the Revolutionary War.
- 1784 – Henry Laurens returned to Mepkin. He lived in the overseer's cottage while he was building a house. The previous house had been burned by the British during the Revolutionary War (Irving, p. 84).
- 1792 – On December 8, Henry Laurens died. In his will he stated that he wanted to be cremated and his ashes buried on the property (Irving, p. 82-83).
Mepkin was left to his son, Henry Laurens (Irving, p. 85).
- 1916 – J.W. Johnson, Esq. purchased Mepkin Plantation.
During his ownership he acquired Clermont, Washington, and part of Strawberry plantations. When he left Mepkin to his daughter, Mrs. Nicholas G. Rutgers, the property consisted of close to 10,000 acres (Irving, p. 86).
Either J.W. Johnson or the Mrs. Nicholas G. Rutgers built a house on the property. It is not known at this time what happened to the house built by Henry Laurens (Irving, p. 86).
- 1936 – Henry R. and Clare Boothe Luce bought the plantation.
- 1949 – The Luces donated a large part of the property to the Roman Catholic Church to be used by the Trappist Order's Gethsemani Abbey. Twenty-nine monks of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (Trappists) came from Gethsemani, Kentucky to found the Abbey.
- 2007 – The grounds of Mepkin Abbey are open to the public at certain hours. Tours of the monastery are available as well as self-guided tours of the gardens and cemeteries. None of the original plantation homes exists.
Land
- Number of acres – 3,000 1681-1916; 10,000 in 1930s
- Primary crop – Rice
- The Laurens family is buried on the property.
Owners
- Alphabetical list – Peter, Thomas, and James Colleton; Landgrave John Colleton; John Colleton, Esq.; J.W. Johnson; Henry Laurens; Henry Laurens (son); Henry R. and Clare Boothe Luce; Mrs. Nicholas G. Rutger
Slaves
Buildings
Web Resources
Print Resources
- Initial references: 1, 44, 52
- Russell J. Cross, Historic Ramblin's Through Berkeley (Columbia, SC: R.L. Bryan Co., 1985).
- John B. Irving, A Day on Cooper River (Columbia, SC: R.L. Bryan Company, 1969).
- South Carolina Highway Historical Marker Guide (Columbia, SC: South Carolina Department of Archives and History, 1998), p. 31-32.
Contact Information
- Mepkin Abbey
1098 Mepkin Abbey Road
Moncks Corner, SC 29461
Telephone: 843-761-8509
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