Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site |
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Rose Hill
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| Nearest city | Whitmire, South Carolina |
| Area | 44 acres (0.18 km2) |
| Created | 1960 |
| Website | http://www.southcarolinaparks.com/park-finder/state-park/540.aspx |
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Rose Hill
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| Area | 44 acres (18 ha) |
| Built | 1832 |
| Architect | William H. Gist |
| NRHP reference No. | 70000605 |
| Added to NRHP | June 5, 1970 |
Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site is a special place in Union County, South Carolina. It protects the old home of William H. Gist (1807-1874). He was the 68th governor of South Carolina. Gist played a big part in South Carolina deciding to leave the United States. This decision happened just before the Civil War.
Contents
Welcome to Rose Hill Plantation!
Rose Hill is a historic site that lets you step back in time. It shows what life was like on a large farm in the 1800s. The main house is a beautiful old mansion. It has seen many important events in South Carolina's history.
Who Was William H. Gist?
William Gist was born in 1807. His father, Francis Fincher Gist, was a merchant from Charleston. Francis bought land in Upstate South Carolina by 1811. Either Francis or William built the first brick house at Rose Hill. It was built between 1811 and 1830. The house was named Rose Hill because of the many roses in its gardens.
William Gist became the governor of South Carolina. He served from 1858 to 1860. During this time, Rose Hill was like the governor's official home.
The Mansion's Amazing Makeover
The Rose Hill house was first built in the Georgian style. This style was popular in the early 1800s. In the late 1850s, William Gist updated his home. He added large porches to the front and back. He also covered the bricks with stucco. This changed the house to the more modern Greek Revival style.
The finished house had three floors. The first two floors were for living. The third floor had living and storage areas. Rose Hill was known for its fancy decorations. These were more detailed than most homes in the area. A winding staircase led to the second floor. This floor had a large room that could be a ballroom. It had two fireplaces. This meant it could be split into two bedrooms for guests.
A Governor's Important Decisions
From Rose Hill, Governor Gist wrote letters to other state governors. He wrote to leaders in Louisiana, North Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. He suggested that if Abraham Lincoln became president, South Carolina might leave the Union. This idea led to a special meeting in South Carolina. At this meeting, they created the Ordinance of Secession. This document declared that South Carolina was leaving the United States. This event helped start the Civil War.
Life on the Plantation
Rose Hill was a very large working farm, called a plantation. It covered about 2,000 acres. Enslaved people were forced to work on this plantation. They grew crops like cotton, corn, and oats. In 1820, there were about 20 enslaved people. By 1860, this number grew to 178.
After the Civil War ended, slavery was abolished. The plantation then used tenant farmers and sharecroppers to work the land. These were people who farmed land owned by others. They paid rent with crops or money.
Rose Hill's Journey Through Time
William Gist passed away in 1874. But his family kept the mansion and the land. They often rented it out to other people. In 1938, the US Forest Service bought Rose Hill. It became part of the Sumter National Forest.
In 1942, a man named Clyde T. Franks bought the house and 44 acres. He was an antique collector. He opened the house to the public in 1943. He worked to restore the house and its gardens. He also added old furniture to make it look like it did in the past. In 1960, Franks sold the property to the South Carolina State Park Service.
What You Can See Today
Today, Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site is open for visitors. The park has restrooms and a picnic shelter. There is also a small gift shop. An old brick kitchen, built in the 1850s, is the only other building from before the Civil War. The exact location of where the enslaved people lived is not known.
You can walk a nature trail that is about one and a quarter miles long. It goes through the park and into the Forest Service land. The trail reaches the Tyger River. The Gist family cemetery is also nearby, about one mile south of the main house.
