Farmfield Plantation – West Ashley – Charleston County
Basic Information
- Location – Wappoo Creek (flows between the Stono and Ashley Rivers), West Ashley, St. Andrew's Parish, Charleston County
Original plantation lands stretched from Farmfield Avenue off US 17 to Folly Road.
- Origin of name – ?
- Other names – ?
- Current status – The house is privately owned; the land has been subdivided into housing developments.
Timeline
- ? – Earliest known date of existence
Although a successful businessman in Charleston, William Ravenel was interested in agriculture. He purchased property in St. Andrews Parish to cultivate and called it Farmfield. There was a small farmhouse on the property at Ravenel's time of purchase (1, p. 2).
- Circa 1854 – William Ravenel had a larger house constructed at Farmfield Plantation. Over the years, the Ravenel family spent more and more time at Farmfield Plantation (1, p. 2, 3).
- Circa 1888 – William Ravenel passed away. Farmfield remained in William's family and many of his 11 children spent several months at the plantation each year (1, p. 3).
- 1920s – Arthur and Harold Ravenel (probably William's grandsons or great-nephews) ran a commercial dairy at Farmfield Plantation (1, p. 3).
- 1982 – The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was one of the few houses in St. Andrews Parish to survive the Civil War and was owned by Mrs. Louise R. Ravenel at this time (1, p. 1).
Land
- Number of acres – 250
- Primary crop – Rice
After the Civil War, William Ravenel farmed very successfully.
Owners
- Alphabetical list – Elizabeth and Mark Hodapp; Dr. Randal and Barbara Kerns; Postel; Mrs. Louise R. Ravenel; William Ravenel
Slaves
- Number of slaves – ?
References & Resources
- National Register of Historic Places
– Nomination Form - submitted in 1982 by Suzanne Pickens Wylie, John Wells, and David Chamberlain - requires Adobe Reader
– Photographs, architectural overview
- 30-15 Plantation File, held by the South Carolina Historical Society
– Online Catalog
