Middlepen Plantation – Orangeburg – Orangeburg County
Basic Information
- Location – Middlepen Branch, Orangeburg, Orangeburg County
Two miles southeast of the City of Orangeburg off US 301 on Middlepen Road.
- Origin of name – The name comes from the stream, Middlepen Branch, that ran through the property (3, p. 131).
- Other names – Donald Bruce House
- Current status – Privately owned and in poor condition (2017)
Timeline
- ? – Earliest known date of existence
- Circa 1773 – House built (1, p. 2)
Local legend suggest the two-story frame house was constructed circa 1735. But it is more likely the house was either constructed in 1770 by John Fisher when he was granted the lot it sat at the corner of Windsor and Dibble Streets in the center of the city of Orangeburg or in 1773 when Donald Bruce purchased the property from Fisher. Either date still makes the house one of the oldest surviving structures in the county (1, p. 3).
- 1779-1781 – It is believed the house was used as a headquarters by both Governor John Rutledge and British commander Lord Rowdon (1, p. 3).
- 1837 – Daniel Larey purchased the Donald Bruce House from Donald Bruce Jones. Jones's father had inherited the house from his father-in-law Donald Bruce. Larey then moved the house to his plantation outside of Orangeburg sometime between 1837 and 1857 (1, p. 3) (3, p. 131).
- Circa 1860 – Shortly before the Civil War, Benjamin F. Simmons purchased the property. He gave it the name Middlepen Plantation since the plantation's house sat near a stream called Middlepen Branch (3, p. 131).
Middlepen Plantation was visited during the Civil War by Union soldiers. Mr. Simmons was in Charleston at the time leaving his wife and children alone at the plantation. The Simmons were not harmed but all the plantation's fowl killed and meat taken. The family jewelry, silver and mules were saved as all were hidden in nearby Four Holes Swamp (3, p. 131).
- 1937 – Colonel Russell S. Wolfe owned part of the plantation. He moved the house about 100 yards to sit on the part of the plantation that he inherited (1, p. 3).
- 1978 – Colonel Russell S. Wolfe was still owner on recored but was not residing there (1, p. 1).
Land
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.
References & Resources
- National Register of Historic Places
– Nomination form - PDF - submitted in 1978
– Photographs, architectural overview
- 30-15 Plantation File, held by the South Carolina Historical Society
– Online Catalog
- Daniel Marchant Culler, Orangeburgh District, 1768-1868: History and Records
(Spartanburg, SC: The Reprint Company, 1995)
Order Orangeburgh District, 1768-1868: History and Records
