Zante Plantation – Fort Motte – Calhoun County

— Zante Plantation © Justice Wheeler, 2013 —
(Do Not Use Without Written Consent)

Basic Information

• Location – Congaree River, Fort Motte, St. Matthews Parish, Calhoun County

  Southeast of Fort Motte off McCords Ferry Road (5)
  

• Origin of name – Zante is an alternate name for the Greek island Zakynthos in the Ionian Sea (3, XII: 48). In greek the word means "wooded" (1, p. 3).
  

• Other names – ?

• Current status – As of 2013, the house had been vacant for some time and left to deteriorate (5).
  

— Zante Plantation © Jeffery Davis, 2016 —
(Do Not Use Without Written Consent)

Timeline

• 1771 – Earliest known date of existence

  Peter Manigault purchased the property (1, p. 3) (4, p. 155).
  

• 1773 – Peter Manigault died leaving this plantation and his other holdings to his sons Joseph and Gabriel Manigault (1, p. 3).
  

• 1778 – The brothers divided the entire estate and Joseph became sole owner of the Calhoun County property (1, p. 3).
  

• ? – Major William Elnathan Haskell obtained the plantation. There are two thoughts on the transfer of the property from Manigault:
  

  (1) 1791-1792 – Charlotte Ann Thomson, of nearby Belleville Plantation, married Major William Elnathan Haskell. Charlotte's father, William Thomson, acquired the plantation and gave it to the newlyweds as a wedding gift. The Haskells were the first owners to call the property Zante.(3, XII: 48).
  

  Haskell served in the American Revolution under General Washington. His portrait hangs in the Capital dome in Washington, DC. He was nearly 15 years Charlotte's senior. They married on May 12 of either 1791 or 1792. He is buried at Belleville Plantation with members of his wife's family (6).
  

  (2) 1809 – Joseph Manigault sold the property to Major William Elnathan Haskell directly. (4, p. 155).
  

  The Haskells were the first owners to call the property Zante, meaning wooded (3, XII: 48).
  

• 1810-1820 – Existing house built (1, p. 2) (4, p. 155)
  

  Haskell had a small house moved several miles inland, away from the river, and then enlarged it. The house is two-and-one-half stories of frame construction with a seven- foot stuccoed brick foundation (1, p. 3) (3, XII: 48) (4, p. 155).
  

• 1830 – The Haskells owned Zante Plantation at least until this time (4, p. 155)
  

• 1851 – The plantation was acquired by the Trezevant family and remained in its ownership until 1975 (1, p. 3) (4, p. 155).
  

• 1965 – Rosa Trezevant Hane lived at Zante Plantation (3, XII: 48).
  

• 1976 – J. D. Wiles was owner of record (1, p. 1).
  

• 2013 – A visitor to the site found a dilapidated house, pictured above (5).
  

— Interior of Zante Plantation © Jeffery Davis, 2016 —
(Do Not Use Without Written Consent)

Land

• Number of acres – 2,224 in 1773; 4 in 1976 (1, pp. 2-3)
  

• Primary crop – ?

Slaves

• Number of slaves – ?

  We are actively seeking information on the slaves who lived and worked at this plantation. If you find a resource that might help, please fill out this form. Thank you.
  

— Stairwell of Zante Plantation © Jeffery Davis, 2016 —
(Do Not Use Without Written Consent)

Buildings

• The house remains but has been damaged by both vandals and natural elements (1, p. 2). In 2016, the original outbuildings were still standing and an good condition (7).
  

— Zante Plantation • National Register of Historic Places, 1976 —

References & Resources

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

2. 30-15 Plantation File, held by the South Carolina Historical Society

3. 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
   

4. Daniel Marchant Culler, Orangeburgh District, 1768-1868: History and Records (Spartanburg, SC: The Reprint Company, 1995)
    Order Orangeburgh District, 1768-1868: History and Records
   

5. Information submitted by Justice Wheeler
   

6. Haskell Family History: database entry for Col. Elnathan Haskell

7. Information submitted by Jeffery Davis, who visited the plantation with the permission of the current owners and worked on deconstruction of the house in 2016. Contact Jeffery at 803-569-8160 if you are interested on information regarding the Zante house's salvaged materials.