Middlepen Plantation - Orangeburg Orangeburg County South Carolina SC

Middlepen Plantation – Orangeburg – Orangeburg County



Middlepen  Plantation 2017 - Orangeburg County, South Carolina
— Middlepen Plantation © Brandon Coffey, 2017 —
(Do Not Use Without Written Consent)

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)

Middlepen  Plantation 2017 - Orangeburg County, South Carolina
— Middlepen Plantation © Brandon Coffey, 2017 —
(Do Not Use Without Written Consent)

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).

Middlepen  Plantation Porch 2017 - Orangeburg County, South Carolina
— Porch of Middlepen Plantation © Brandon Coffey, 2017 —
(Do Not Use Without Written Consent)

Land

  • Number of acres – Approximately 200 in 1978 (1, p. 2)

  • Primary crop – ?

Middlepen  Plantation Entrance 2017 - Orangeburg County, South Carolina
— Entrance of Middlepen Plantation © Brandon Coffey, 2017 —
(Do Not Use Without Written Consent)

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.

Middlepen  Plantation Side 2017 - Orangeburg County, South Carolina
— Side of Middlepen Plantation © Brandon Coffey, 2017 —
(Do Not Use Without Written Consent)

References & Resources

  1. National Register of Historic Places
    Nomination form - PDF - submitted in 1978
    Photographs, architectural overview

  2. 30-15 Plantation File, held by the South Carolina Historical Society
    –  Online Catalog

  3. Daniel Marchant Culler, Orangeburgh District, 1768-1868: History and Records (Spartanburg, SC: The Reprint Company, 1995)
     Order Orangeburgh District, 1768-1868: History and Records

    Middlepen  Plantation Porches 2017 - Orangeburg County, South Carolina
    — Porches of Middlepen Plantation © Brandon Coffey, 2017 —
    (Do Not Use Without Written Consent)





SC Plantation Inns
SC Plantation Tours
SC Plantation Pictures
SC Plantations by Place
SC Plantation Weddings



Abbeville County
Aiken County
Allendale County
Anderson County

Bamberg County
Barnwell County
Beaufort County
Berkeley County

Calhoun County
Charleston County
Cherokee County
Chester County
Chesterfield County
Clarendon County
Colleton County

Darlington County
Dillon County
Dorchester County

Edgefield County

Fairfield County
Florence County

Georgetown County
Greenville County
Greenwood County

Hampton County
Horry County

Jasper County

Kershaw County

Lancaster County
Laurens County
Lee County
Lexington County

Marion County
Marlboro County
McCormick County

Newberry County

Oconee County
Orangeburg County

Pickens County

Richland County

Saluda County
Spartanburg County
Sumter County

Union County

Williamsburg County

York County


Flower photographs by Virginia Saunders, Columbia, SC. Please click flower for more info.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Are you able to correct
an error?
Please click here.


SouthCarolinaPlantations.com
is maintained as a public service by

South Carolina

Home Edit Info Contact

HomeCorrect InfoSearchContact