Magnolia Plantation is a photograph by Kathleen Struckle which was uploaded on December 4th, 2014.
Magnolia Plantation
Thomas Drayton and his wife Ann arrived from Barbados to the new English colony of Charles Towne and established Magnolia Plantation along the Ashley... more
Title
Magnolia Plantation
Artist
Kathleen Struckle
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Thomas Drayton and his wife Ann arrived from Barbados to the new English colony of Charles Towne and established Magnolia Plantation along the Ashley River in 1679. Thomas and Ann were the first in a direct line of Magnolia family ownership that has lasted more than 300 years and continues to this day.
Magnolia Plantation saw immense wealth and growth through the cultivation of rice during the Colonial era. Later, British and American troops would occupy its grounds during the American Revolution, while the Drayton sons would become both statesmen and soldiers fighting against British rule.
The establishment of the early gardens at Magnolia Plantation in the late 17th century would see an explosion of beauty and expansion throughout the 18th century, but it was not until the early 19th century did the gardens at Magnolia truly begin to expand on a grand scale.
Upon his death in 1825, Thomas Drayton, the great grandson of Magnolia�s first Drayton, willed the estate successively to his daughter�s sons, Thomas and John Grimk�. As he had no male heirs to leave it to, he made the condition in the will that they assume their mother�s maiden name of Drayton. Some time later, while in England preparing for the ministry, young John Grimk� Drayton received word that his older brother Thomas had died on the steps of the plantation house of a gunshot wound received while riding down the oak avenue during a deer hunt. Thus, having expected to inherit little or nothing as a second son, young John found himself a wealthy plantation owner at the age of 22.
Despite the prestige and wealth inherent in ownership of Magnolia and other plantations, he resolved still to pursue his ministerial career; and in 1838 he entered the Episcopal seminary in New York. While there, he fell in love with, and married, Julia Ewing, daughter of a prominent Philadelphia attorney. Returning to Charleston with his bride, he strove to complete his clerical studies while bearing the burden of managing his large estate. The pressure took its toll, and his fatigue resulted in tuberculosis. His own cure for the illness was working outside in the gardens he loved. He also wanted to create a series of romantic gardens for his wife to make her feel more at home in the South Carolina Lowcountry. A few years later, as though by a miracle, his health returned, allowing him to enter the ministry as rector of nearby Saint Andrews Church, which had served plantation owners since 1706 and still stands just two miles down the highway towards Charleston. But until his death a half-century later, along with his ministry, Rev. Drayton continued to devote himself to the enhancement of the plantation garden, expressing his desire to a fellow minister in Philadelphia, "...to create an earthly paradise in which my dear Julia may forever forget Philadelphia and her desire to return there."
In tune with the changes he had seen taking place in English gardening away from the very formal design earlier borrowed from the French, John Grimk� Drayton moved towards greater emphasis on embellishing the soft natural beauty of the site. More than anyone else he can be credited with the internationally acclaimed informal beauty of the garden today. He introduced the first azaleas to America, and he was among the first to utilize Camellia Japonica in an outdoor setting. A great deal of Magnolia�s horticultural fame today is based on the large and varied collection of varieties of these two species�not the abundant and lovely Southern Magnolia for which the plantation just happened to have been named.
The outbreak of the American Civil War would threaten the welfare of the family, the house, and the gardens themselves. But the plantation would recover from the war to see additional growth of the gardens as they became the focus of the plantation over agriculture when the gardens opened to the public for the first time in 1870 and saved the plantation from ruin. Since that time, the plantation and gardens have evolved and grown into one of the greatest public gardens in America with a rich history. To explore that history in-depth and hear the stories of those who lived and worked there over the centuries, visit Magnolia Plantation & Gardens today
Magnolia Plantation saw immense wealth and growth through the cultivation of rice during the Colonial era. Later, British and American troops would occupy its grounds during the American Revolution, while the Drayton sons would become both statesmen and soldiers fighting against British rule.
The establishment of the early gardens at Magnolia Plantation in the late 17th century would see an explosion of beauty and expansion throughout the 18th century, but it was not until the early 19th century did the gardens at Magnolia truly begin to expand on a grand scale.
Upon his death in 1825, Thomas Drayton, the great grandson of Magnolia�s first Drayton, willed the estate successively to his daughter�s sons, Thomas and John Grimk�. As he had no male heirs to leave it to, he made the condition in the will that they assume their mother�s maiden name of Drayton. Some time later, while in England preparing for the ministry, young John Grimk� Drayton received word that his older brother Thomas had died on the steps of the plantation house of a gunshot wound received while riding down the oak avenue during a deer hunt. Thus, having expected to inherit little or nothing as a second son, young John found himself a wealthy plantation owner at the age of 22.
Despite the prestige and wealth inherent in ownership of Magnolia and other plantations, he resolved still to pursue his ministerial career; and in 1838 he entered the Episcopal seminary in New York. While there, he fell in love with, and married, Julia Ewing, daughter of a prominent Philadelphia attorney. Returning to Charleston with his bride, he strove to complete his clerical studies while bearing the burden of managing his large estate. The pressure took its toll, and his fatigue resulted in tuberculosis. His own cure for the illness was working outside in the gardens he loved. He also wanted to create a series of romantic gardens for his wife to make her feel more at home in the South Carolina Lowcountry. A few years later, as though by a miracle, his health returned, allowing him to enter the ministry as rector of nearby Saint Andrews Church, which had served plantation owners since 1706 and still stands just two miles down the highway towards Charleston. But until his death a half-century later, along with his ministry, Rev. Drayton continued to devote himself to the enhancement of the plantation garden, expressing his desire to a fellow minister in Philadelphia, "...to create an earthly paradise in which my dear Julia may forever forget Philadelphia and her desire to return there."
In tune with the changes he had seen taking place in English gardening away from the very formal design earlier borrowed from the French, John Grimk� Drayton moved towards greater emphasis on embellishing the soft natural beauty of the site. More than anyone else he can be credited with the internationally acclaimed informal beauty of the garden today. He introduced the first azaleas to America, and he was among the first to utilize Camellia Japonica in an outdoor setting. A great deal of Magnolia�s horticultural fame today is based on the large and varied collection of varieties of these two species�not the abundant and lovely Southern Magnolia for which the plantation just happened to have been named.
Featured in T100Qualative Group.Out of the Ordinary Group and 500 Views on an image grouo Landscape and Landmark Photography and Waiting Room Group[
Uploaded
December 4th, 2014
More from Kathleen Struckle
Comments (83)
Catherine Wilson
Congratulations! One of your artwork is on the Home page of Jigsaw puzzle Group. HAPPEN TO NOTICE FEATURE.
Will Borden
Hi Kathleen~~a very picturesque and beautiful magnolia plantation!! The bridge and green foliage are superbly reflected in the river!! F&L!!
Kathleen Struckle
Thank you B. for the feature in the Daily Promotion Group. I am honored and I appreciate this very much 6/14/2018
Kelley Freel-Ebner
Congratulations! Your extraordinary work has been Featured in the Fine Art America group “The Earth Is Art”! You are invited to archive your featured image for permanent storage and for viewing on the Discussions Page in: “2018 Member's Extraordinary Features Images Archive 3.0!” theme. Simply copy your image’s Embed URL on your image’s profile page, and paste it into the Discussion Topic site: https://fineartamerica.com/groups/the-earth-is-art-.html?showmessage=true&messageid=4138611
Kathleen Struckle replied:
Thank you Kelley for the feature in The Earth Is Art Group. I am honored and I appreciate this very much
Kathleen Struckle
Thank you Cheryle for the feature in Vacations Group. I am honored and I appreciate this very much 6/6/2018
Kathleen Struckle
Thank you Stefano for the feature in the !0 Plus Group. I am honored and I appreciate this very much