Rumors whisper that the Horry-Lucas Mansion Ruins hold secrets from centuries past. Right here we stand before what remains of a once-grand house. It whispers tales of settlers and grand estates. This is the story of the Horry-Lucas Mansion Ruins.
The story begins in 1670. English settlers established the first permanent colony in South Carolina here. This land became known as Charles Towne. Initially, the settlers called it Kayawah. It was named by the local Native Americans. The town’s location on Albemarle Point offered natural defenses. A river on one side and marsh on the other protected them.
In November 1670, the settlement officially became Charles Towne. The threat of Spanish invasion spurred the colonists to build fortifications. They constructed trenches and palisades to protect themselves.
Later, James LeSade acquired the land in 1680 after the settlers abandoned it. The LeSade family also owned Westpenny Plantation nearby. Peter LeSade later gifted 250 acres of Old Town Plantation and 200 acres of Westpenny Plantation. He gave it to his daughter, Anne LeSade Girardeau.
The Horry-Lucas House itself was constructed sometime after the initial settlement. Around 1775 the Horry-Lucas House was built. The house was not depicted on a plat made for Jonathan Lucas in 1836. It is known that Jonathan Lucas III acquired Old Town in 1835. He used the property mainly for recreation. Lucas primarily resided in the “Brick House” in downtown Charleston.
After Lucas died in 1848 the plantation was put up for sale the following year. The main house burned down during the Civil War. This is what left us with the Horry-Lucas Mansion Ruins.
In the 20th century, Ferdinanda Legare Waring ran a business called Old Town Gardens from the 1940s to 1960. She grew flowers for commercial florists and marketed eggs.
Today, the Horry-Lucas Mansion Ruins are part of Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site. The site is located off SC 171 at 1500 Old Towne Road. You can visit this site to explore the area’s rich history.
As you stand here, imagine the lives of those who walked this land before us. The settlers who built a new home. The families who cultivated the land. The generations who shaped the history of this place. The Horry-Lucas Mansion Ruins remind us of the past. It invites us to remember and reflect.