Black Branch Plantation – Lake Marion – Orangeburg County

Basic Information

• Location – Submerged under Lake Marion, St. John's Berkeley Parish, Orangeburg County

• Origin of name – ?

• Other names – Richardsons

• 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

• ? – Earliest known date of existence

• ? – Black Branch became part of Pond Bluff plantation owned by Francis Marion's widow.
  

• ? – Black Branch was left to Mrs. Marion's grand niece, Mary, the daughter of Richard Singleton of Sumter.
  

• ? – Black Branch was sold by Richard Singleton to J.B. Richardson.
  

Land

• Number of acres – ?

• Primary crop – ?

Owners

• Chronological list – Mrs. Francis Marion; Mary Singleton; Richard Singleton; J.B. Richardson
  

Slaves

• Number of slaves – ?

Buildings

• ?

References & Resources

1. Frederick A. Porcher, Richardsons - brief summary of the owners
   

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

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