“M” is for Middleton Place

“M” is for Middleton Place (Dorchester County). Middleton Place is an Ashley River plantation located on the Ashley River Road just outside Charleston. When Henry Middleton married, he acquired the property through his wife. He then expanded the land holdings and began the elegant gardens that have made Middle Place internationally famous. The gardens are renowned for their collection of Camellia japonicas, first introduced into the country by the French botanist André Michaux. The property continued in the family until 1984, when ownership was vested in the nonprofit Midleton place Foundation. The historic interpretation of Middleton Place reflects the lives of all of the persons associated with the property—both free and enslaved. In 1990 the United Nations International Committee on Monuments and Sites named Middleton Place one of the six United States gardens having international importance.