— Upper Mill Plantation House © —

Basic Information

• Location – Waccamaw River, Horry County

  Located between Conway and Bucksville
  

  Site of the first steam operated lumber mill in South Carolina. It produced cypress and pine which was shipped worldwide.
  

• Origin of name – This plantation was the site of the uppermost of three lumber mills located on the Waccamaw River that were owned by Captain Henry Buck.
  

• Other names – Buck's Upper Mill Plantation

• Current status – Privately owned and has remained in the Buck family
  

— Upper Mill Plantation Mill Chimney © Joanna Thurman —

Timeline

• 1828 – Earliest known date of existence

• 1828 – House built

  House was restored in mid-1980s.
  

• ? – Captain Henry Buck purchased the plantation. He owned three mills along the Waccamaw River: Lower Mill was at the site that became Bucksport, Middle Mill was at the site that became Bucksville, and Upper Mill was at the plantation on which Henry Buck lived.
  

— Upper Mill Plantation Sign © —

Land

• Number of acres – 9,000 in 1860

• Primary crops – Cotton, rice, sweet potatoes, Indian corn, and forest products
  

• A slave cemetery is on the property.
  

Owners

• Chronological list – Captain Henry Buck; Henry Lee Buck; Henry L. Buck, Jr.; Henry L. Buck, III; Henry L. Buck, IV; Patsy Buck
  

Slaves

• Number of slaves – 133 in 1850; 312 in 1860
  

  Captain Buck understood that treating people well would result in a better return. He treated his slaves like employees and paid them wages (YouTube).
  

— Upper Mill Plantation Oaks © —

Buildings

• Slave cabins – The 1860 Slave Schedules record 70 slave houses belonging to Captain Henry Buck. It is unclear if all of these were at Upper Mill Plantation or if some were at his other plantation, Woodbourne.
  

• The plantation house still exists, as does the plantation commissary and the chimney for the mill. Upper Mill was the frist steam generated lumber mill in the southeast United States (YouTube).
  

Web Resources

• YouTube video - ETVRoadShow segment includes historic information and pictures
  

Print Resources

• 1850 Slave Schedules of Horry District, South Carolina

• 1860 Slave Schedules of Horry District, South Carolina

• 1860 Agricultural Survey of Horry District, South Carolina

More about Horry County

• Learn more about Horry County, including the coastal city of Myrtle Beach. We have helpful guides to Myrtle Beach history and Myrtle Beach libraries and museums – plus Myrtle Beach restaurants, nearby Conway bed & breakfasts, Myrtle Beach hotels, and Myrtle Beach real estate.
  

— Barn at Bucksport © Joanna Thurman —