Acton Plantation – – Sumter County

Basic Information

• Location – St. Mark's Parish, Sumter County

  Located near Stateburg

• Origin of name – Named after Acton Park, England by Cleland Kinloch
  

• Other names – ?

• Current status – ?

Timeline

• 1807 – Earliest known date of existence

  Cleland Kinloch purchased land from Thomas Sumter who was probably the original owner of the property (2, bk. 2, vol. 14, p. 24).
  

  It was at Acton that the first joggling board was made.
  

• 1823 – Francis Kinloch, brother to Cleland, was in possession of the plantation.
  

• 1837 – The Kinloch heirs sold the plantation to Samuel E. Nelson of Clarendon.
  

• 1852 – Samuel E. Nelson died. He left the plantation to be divided amongst his sons after his wife's death.
  

  Apparently she lived a long life. In 1884, she gave part of the plantation to one of her sons, Patrick Henry Nelson (2, bk. 2, vol. 14, p. 24).
  

• ? – Harriett Horry Ravenel owned the plantation.
  

• ? – Dr. George W. Dick purchased the property from Harriett Horry Ravenel.
  

• 1906 – Colonel John J. Dargan bought the plantation from Dr. Dick. He used the house as a school known as the General Sumter Memorial Academy.
  

  Theodosia Dargan Plowden wrote in a pamphlet about the Academy that the house needed very little remodeling to adapt it to school purposes (2, bk. 2, vol. 14, p. 24).
  

• 1911 – The house burned down while still the Academy. Colonel Dargan's daughter, Gena Dargan Rodgers bought Acton (3).
  

• 1967 – The plantation was owned by John Rodgers, Gina Rodger's son.
  

Land

• Number of acres – ?

• Primary crop – ?

Owners

• Chronological list – Thomas Sumter (?-1807); Cleland Kinloch (1807-?); Francis Kinloch (?); Samuel E. Nelson (1837-1852); Mrs. Samuel E. Nelson (1852-); Patrick Henry Nelson (1884-?); Harriett Horry Ravenel (?); Dr. George W. Dick (?-1906); Colonel John J. Dargan (1906-?); Gena Dargan Rodgers (1911-?); John Rodgers (?)
  

Slaves

• Number of slaves – ?

Buildings

• Theodosia Dargan Plowden, daughter of Colonel Dargan, wrote in a pamphlet a description of the house:
  

  "A stately house of ample proportions, a basement, two stories, and an attic, with wide verandas on both of the two main floors at front and rear. One entered into a wide hall surrounded by rooms, chief of which was the `drawing room.' From the hall a staircase of graceful proportions led to a gallery around which were bedrooms, and from which another stairway led to the attic" (2, bk. 2, vol. 14, p. 25).
  

References & Resources

1. Joggling Board History
   

2. Claude Henry Neuffer, editor, Names in South Carolina, Volume I through 30 (Columbia, SC: The State Printing Company)
    Order Names in South Carolina, Volumes I-XII, 1954-1965
    Order Names in South Carolina, Index XIII-XVIII
   

3. Cassie Nicholes, Historical Sketches of Sumter County Volume II (Sumter, SC: Sumter County Historical Commission 1981)