Through marriage to Mary Williams in 1741, Henry Middleton acquired the plantation that would become known as Middleton Place. Henry was the younger son, of Arthur Middleton and the brother of William Middleton, the owner of Crowfield.

The main house was a three story brick built by John Williams in 1705. After his daughters' marriage to Middleton, a pair of flankers was added to the main house in 1755. The dependencies or flankers on either side of the main house were set exactly thirty five feet apart and reflected a classic Georgian design element. The horizontal lines of the flankers added to the vertical lines of the main house, creating and impression of grandeur as visitors approached from the Ashley River.

Click Here for Historic American Buildings Survey of Middleton Place.

Henry Middleton transformed the grounds at Middleton Place into landscape and gardens that surpassed Crowfield's and became acclaimed on both sides of the Atlantic. Middleton Place along with nearby Drayton Hall was described in Gentleman's Magazine, July, 1753 "as villas far renowned."

Middleton Place was ransacked during the Revolutionary War and the landscape along with the gardens incurred serious damage. The main house and dependencies survived but during the Civil War they were not so lucky. The main house along with the flankers was burned by Union soldiers.

The south flanker or bachelors quarters was less severely damaged and became the family residence. The earthquake of 1886 destroyed the remaining ruins of the main house and north flanker leaving only remnants of charred bricks.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the south flanker was rebuilt in a Jacobean style unlike the original Georgian design.

In 1915, the Pringle Smiths, who had inherited Middleton Place, set about restoring the gardens to their former eighteenth century grandeur. Over a period of years, the Pringle Smiths through sheer grit and determination uncovered the landscape and gardens, sometimes working on their hands and knees.

Middleton Place was named by the Garden Club of America "One of the most interesting and important gardens in United States." In 1972, Middleton Place was designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service, as the home of Arthur Middleton one of the signers of The Declaration of Independence.

Images Courtesy of Middleton Place Foundation.

www.middletonplace.org