Mount Pleasant Plantation – Lake Moultrie – Berkeley County

Basic Information

• Location – Submerged under Lake Moultrie, St John's Berkeley Parish, Berkeley County
  

  Original plantation lands were located about seven miles north of Eutaw Springs, along the Santee River.

• Origin of name – ?

• Other names – ?

• Current status – In 1939, work began on the Santee Cooper Hydroelectric and Navigation Project. This project displaced many families and communities, and many historic homes were lost as the area was flooded.
  

Timeline

• 1749 – Earliest known date of existence

  William Kirk received a royal grant for lands in Craven County. His lands became known as Loch Dhu and Mount Pleasant Plantations (2, p. 77).
  

• ? – The original house is said to have been built sometime before the Revolutionary War.
  

• ? – Gideon Kirk, son of William Kirk, was in possession of the plantation (2, p. 78).
  

• 1800 – Mount Pleasant was given to Francis Marion Dwight when he married Gideon Kirk's daughter, Charlotte. She died a year later.
  

  Francis Marion Dwight was the grand nephew of General Francis Marion. Since General Marion had no children it was his wish that his grand nephew inherit his property. However, due to some technicalities, this did not happen (2, p. 280).
  

• 1801 – Francis Marion Dwight married Harriet Kirk, Charlotte's twin sister (2, p. 78).
  

• 1833 – Francis Marion Dwight died. Harriet Kirk Dwight continued to live on the plantation and manage the estate.
  

• ? – Gabriella Marion Dwight, daughter of Francis Marion and Harriet Dwight, married Philip Couturier Kirk. It appears that they lived at Mount Pleasant with Harriet.
  

  While listed as planter at Mount Pleasant, Philip Couturier Kirk also served in the House of Representatives for St John's Berkeley Parish from 1854-1864 (2, p. 222).
  

• 1856 – Harriet Kirk Dwight died. She willed the plantation to her grandson, Dr. Philip Sidney Kirk. At this time, Dr. Kirk owned Loch Dhu Plantation so his son, Dr. Richard Singleton Kirk, lived at Mount Pleasant (2, p. 78).
  

• 1887 – The original house was destroyed by fire. Another house was built in its place a few years later.
  

  This house was still standing when plans were made by Santee-Cooper to flood the area (2, p. 78).
  

Land

• Number of acres – ?

• Primary crop – ?

• A family cemetery was moved to Loch Dhu Plantation due to the Santee-Cooper project. To see a list of those buried there, click here.
  

Owners

• Alphabetical list – Francis Marion Dwight; Harriet Kirk Dwight; Gideon Kirk; Dr. Philip Sidney Kirk; William Kirk
  

Slaves

• Number of slaves – ?

Buildings

• ?

Print Resources

1. 30-15 Plantation File, held by the South Carolina Historical Society
   

2. J. Russell Cross, Historic Ramblin's through Berkeley (Columbia, SC: R.L. Bryan Company, 1985)
    Order Historic Ramblin's through Berkeley