Rose Hill Plantation – Bluffton – Beaufort County

— Rose Hill Plantation © William Kirk, 2009 —
(Do Not Use Without Written Consent)

Basic Information

• Location – Colleton River, Bluffton, St. Luke's Parish, Beaufort County

  Located on Rose Hill Way off US 278
  

• Origin of name – Two theories have surfaced over the years regarding the name Rose Hill. One is that the plantation was named after a little girl (Rose) in the 1830s. More recent information suggests the name comes from John Rose, the plantation's owner in the late 1700s to early 1800s (7).
  

• Other names – Kirk's Folly, John Kirk House, Rose Hill Mansion
  

• Current status – Privately owned, available for luxury overnight stays and special occasions such as events and weddings. Learn more here.
  

— Foyer of Rose Hill Plantation © Bill Segars, 2010 —
(Do Not Use Without Written Consent)

Timeline

• 1718 – Earliest known date of existence

  Granted to Sir John Colleton. It was once a part of Devil's Elbow Barony.
  

• 1790 – The plantation became under the ownership of John Rose (7).
  

• 1799 – Upon Rose's death, the plantation was inherited by his step son, James Kirk (7).
  

• 1830s – The plantation was given to Dr. John and Caroline Kirk as a wedding present from Caroline's father James Kirk.
  

• 1858 – House built (completed in 1860) by Dr. John and Caroline Kirk (7).
  

• 1946 – John and Betsy Gould Sturgeon purchased the house and completed it in a highly sophisticated manner.
  

• 1981 – Rose Hill Plantation Development Company, a David and John Welton pursuit, purchased the land for development of a planned residential community (8).
  

  Mrs. Welton spent nine months working with a rehabilitation team which repaired and completed an extensive rehabilitation of the house (8).
  

• 1982 – The house was opened to the public for tours (8).
  

• 1987 – A fire severely damaged the house and it would sit empty for nearly a decade (1, part 2).
  

• 1996 – Rose Hill Plantation House was purchased by the Middleton-White Foundation and is currently being restored as a private home.
  

• 2009 – Rose Hill Plantation House has been lovingly restored by Rusty and Robin White of the Middleton-White Foundation.
  

• 2022 – Rose Hill Plantation House was purchased by the Mansion at Rose Hill LLC and a full remodel of the interior and preservation of the exterior began (9).
  

• 2023 – Mansion at Rose Hill opened its doors to the public for private, luxury accommodations and events (9).
  

— Porch at Rose Hill Plantation © Gazie Nagle, 2016 —
(Do Not Use Without Written Consent)

Land

• Number of acres – 12.5 in 1996 (1, part 2)
  

• Primary crop – Sea island cotton
  

— Side View of Rose Hill Plantation © Gazie Nagle, 2016 —
(Do Not Use Without Written Consent)

Slaves

• Number of slaves – 154 (7).
  

— Molding at Rose Hill Plantation © Bill Segars, 2010 —
(Do Not Use Without Written Consent)

Buildings

• The house is of Gothic Revival design. Although a 1987 fire severely damaged the home, much of the original characteristics and materials have been salvaged and restored.
  

— Rose Hill Plantation © Gazie Nagle, 2016 —
(Do Not Use Without Written Consent)

References & Resources

1. Brief History of Rose Hill Plantation: 1 | 2

2. National Register of Historic Places
   – Nomination form - PDF - submitted in 1983
   – Photographs, architectural overview
   

3. 30-15 Plantation File, held by the South Carolina Historical Society
   

4. William P. Baldwin Jr., Plantations of the Low Country (Westbrook, ME: Legacy Publishing, 1994)
   
   

5. Lawrence S. Rowland, Alexander Moore, and George C. Rogers, Jr. The History of Beaufort County, South Carolina: Volume 1, 1514-1861 (Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 1996)
    Order The History of Beaufort County, South Carolina: Volume 1, 1514-1861

6. Carolina W. Todd and Sidney Wait, South Carolina: A Day at a Time (Orangeburg, SC: Sandlapper Publishing Company, 2008)
   
   

7. Information contributed by Robin White

8. Information contributed by Iva Welton

9. Information contributed by Steven Stempel, operating owner of Mansion at Rose Hill

— Fireplace at Rose Hill Plantation © Bill Segars, 2010 —
(Do Not Use Without Written Consent)

Contact Information

• Rose Hill Mansion
  199 Rose Hill Way
  Bluffton, SC 29910
  

  Rental Information: Click here