Stirling Plantation – High Hills Section – Sumter County

Editor's Note: We have decided to refer to this plantation as Stirling simply because that is what people commonly call it today. The plantation has been known by several names – originally Ararat then subsequently Argyle and Stirling.

— Stirling Plantation © Gazie Nagle, 2014 —
(Do Not Use Without Written Consent)

Basic Information

• Location – High Hills Section, St. Mark's Parish, Sumter County

  SC 261 at McLaurin Road, about 3 miles south of Stateburg
  

• Origin of name – ?

• Other names – Originally called Ararat meaning "Here I Rest"; Stirling; McLaurin
  

• Current status – ?

Timeline

• ? – Earliest known date of existence

• Circa 1787 – House built (2)
  

  John Gabriel Guignard built a house as a wedding gift for his granddaughter, Ann Richardson who married William Mayrant. The plantation was called Ararat at this time (2).
  

• ? – The plantation was sold to the McLaurin family after the deaths of Ann and William Mayrant. The plantation was renamed Argyle at this time (2).
  

• 1869 – House built by Dr. Henry J. McLaurin in the Greek-Revival style and was named Stirling, for Stirling Castle in Scotland.
  

Land

• Number of acres – ?

• Primary crop – ?

Slaves

• Number of slaves – 95 in 1820 under William Mayrant (2)
  

Buildings

• In 1885, a small school was built in the front yard of the Plantation. Prior to that, Mary Agnes McLaurin taught white preschool children in a room in the house at Stirling Plantation. She was followed by Catherine Louisa McLaurin. For six months each year Stirling was a public school. Parents paid the school expenses for the other three months.
  

References & Resources

1. Cassie Nicholes, Historical Sketches of Sumter County Volume II (Sumter, SC: Sumter County Historical Commission 1981)
   
   

2. Information contributed by Kellie Roughen.