Darby Plantation

plantation house A plantation house is the main house of a plantation, often a substantial farmhouse, which often serves as a symbol for the plantation as a whole. Plantation houses in the Southern United States and in other areas are known as quite grand and e ...

was built by Nathaniel Lipscomb Griffith, the father of Anne Patience Griffith, at the time of her marriage to Edgefield lawyer

Milledge Luke Bonham Milledge Luke Bonham (December 25, 1813August 27, 1890) was an American politician and Congressman. He was later the 70th Governor of South Carolina from 1862 until 1864, and a Confederate General during the American Civil War. Early life and ...

. It has a deep wraparound porch supported by twelve columns. The main rooms are twenty feet by twenty feet with twelve foot ceilings, and the house is built of pine. When Bonham returned from the United States' war with Mexico, he was elected to the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

. At the outbreak of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, Bonham was put in charge of South Carolina's volunteer army and served with distinction. In 1862, he resigned his commission and became governor of

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

. In 1863, the house was sold to Confederate Secretary of the Treasury

George Trenholm George Alfred Trenholm (February 25, 1807 – December 9, 1876) was a South Carolina businessman, financier, politician, and slaveholding planter who owned several plantations and strongly supported the Confederate States of America. He was a ...

. During the Civil War, the house was used as a storage place for some of the items from the

Charleston Museum The Charleston Museum is a museum located in the Wraggborough neighborhood in Charleston, South Carolina. It is one of the oldest museums in the United States. Its highly regarded collection includes historic artifacts, natural history, decora ...

. Since 1878, the plantation has been owned by the Wise family. The house was listed in the

National Register The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

August 13, 1974.

References

Plantation houses in South Carolina Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina Greek Revival houses in South Carolina Houses completed in 1842 Houses in Edgefield County, South Carolina National Register of Historic Places in Edgefield County, South Carolina {{EdgefieldCountySC-NRHP-stub