Upper Mill Plantation – Horry County
— Upper Mill Plantation House © —
(Do Not Use Without Written Consent)
Much of the information on this page was contributed by J. Benjamin Burroughs of Conway, South Carolina. Ben was formerly the Executive Director of the Horry County Historical Society.
Basic Information
- Location – Waccamaw River, Horry County
Located between Conway and Bucksville at 105 Upper Mill Drive
Site of the first steam operated lumber mill in South Carolina. It produced cypress and pine which was shipped worldwide.
- Origin of name – This plantation was the site of the uppermost of three lumber mills located on the Waccamaw River that were owned by Captain Henry Buck.
- Other names – Buck's Upper Mill Plantation
- Current status – Special event site and has remained in the Buck family
— Mill Chimney © Joanna Thurman, 2010 —
(Do Not Use Without Written Consent)
Timeline
- 1828 – Earliest known date of existence
- 1828 – House built
House was restored in mid-1980s.
- ? – Captain Henry Buck purchased the plantation. He owned three mills along the Waccamaw River: Lower Mill was at the site that became Bucksport, Middle Mill was at the site that became Bucksville, and Upper Mill was at the plantation on which Henry Buck lived.
— Upper Mill Plantation Sign © —
(Do Not Use Without Written Consent)
Land
- Number of acres – 9,000 in 1860
- Primary crops – Cotton, rice, sweet potatoes, Indian corn, and forest products
- A slave cemetery is on the property.
Owners
- Chronological list – Captain Henry Buck; Henry Lee Buck; Henry L. Buck, Jr.; Henry L. Buck, III; Henry L. Buck, IV; Patsy Buck
Slaves
- Number of slaves – 133 in 1850; 312 in 1860
— Upper Mill Plantation Oaks © —
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Buildings
- Slave cabins – The 1860 Slave Schedules record 70 slave houses belonging to Captain Henry Buck. It is unclear if all of these were at Upper Mill Plantation or if some were at his other plantation, Woodbourne.
- The plantation house still exists, as does the plantation commissary and the chimney for the mill. Upper Mill was the frist steam generated lumber mill in the southeast United States.
References & Resources
- 1850 Slave Schedules of Horry District, South Carolina
- 1860 Slave Schedules of Horry District, South Carolina
- 1860 Agricultural Survey of Horry District, South Carolina
Contact Information
- Upper Mill Plantation
105 Upper Mill Drive
Conway, SC 29527
Telephone: 843-397-6151
— Barn at Bucksport © Joanna Thurman, 2010 —
(Do Not Use Without Written Consent)
