Basic Information

• Location – Yemassee, Prince William Parish, Beaufort County
  

  Located on Cotton Hall Road off US 17
  

• Origin of name – Named by Daniel Heyward, an early owner
  

• Other names – Part of Tomotley Barony

• Current status – Owned by Joseph Harden since 1981

Timeline

• 1777 – Earliest known date of existence

• 1784 – McPherson was owner

• 1832 – Daniel Heyward purchased Cotton Hall. It is believed the Heyward family built the original house on the property.

• 1865 – Original plantation house burned by General Sherman's troops
  

• 1882 – Daniel Heyward conveyed Cotton Hall to his daughter Anne who was married to Charles F. Hanckel.
  

• 1883 – Anne sold the 997 acre property to Charles C. J. Hutson and George G. Martin.
  

• 1917 – Henry Rast bought the plantation and added an addition 372 acres that had been known as Laurium and another original McPherson holding.
  

• 1930 – John K. Hollins purchased a tract of 1797 acres which included Cotton Hall and Laurium.
  

• 1930 – Hollins sold the property the same year he acquired it to Harry Payne Bingham.
  

  Bingham immediately begun construction on a 26-room house.
  

• 1946 – Bingham sold Cotton Hall and Laurium to L. J. Williams.
  

• 1948 – Cotton Hall and Laurium were sold by Williams to Harold W. Allen.
  

• 1959 – Robert (Ed) Edward Turner Jr. purchased the joint properties from Allen. In 1963, he committed suicide at nearby Bindon Plantation, which he also owned.
  

• ? – Ed Turner's son, Ted Turner, sold the plantation to Rural Land Company of Greenville, SC in an effort to secure his father's business entities.
  

• ? – Colonel Griffin became owner

• 1971 – Lawrence and Sara Douglas purchased the property from Colonel Griffin.

• 1981 – The Douglases sold Cotton Hall to Joseph Harden.

Land

• Number of acres – 997 in 1883; 800 in 2004

• Primary crop – Rice in the 19th century. Corn, hay, sugar cane, and cattle today.
  

Owners

• Alphabetical list – Harold W. Allen (1948-1959), Harry Payne Bingham (1930-1946), Chisolm, DeVeaux, Lawrence and Sara Douglas (1971-1981), Colonel Griffin (?-1971), Anne Heyward Hanckel (1882-1883), Joseph Harden (1981-present), Daniel Heyward (1832-1882), John K. Hollins (1930), Charles C. J. Hutson and George G. Martin (1883-?), McPherson, Palmer, Potter, Henry Rast (1917-?), Rural Land Company, Simmons, Robert (Ed) Edward Turner Jr. (1959-1963), L. J. Williams (1946-1948)
  

Slaves

• Number of slaves – ?

Buildings

• Plantation house, barn, several other small buildings

Web Resources

• ?
  

Print Resources

• Initial references: 4, 29, 67

More about Beaufort County

• Learn more about historic Beaufort County, including the lovely town of Beaufort SC as well as Hilton Head. We have helpful guides to Beaufort SC history and Beaufort SC libraries and museums – plus Beaufort SC restaurants, Beaufort SC bed & breakfasts, Beaufort SC hotels, and Beaufort SC real estate.