Tucked away behind housing developments on the Stono River lies one of the Lowcountry’s most distinguished historic homes. Fenwick Hall Plantation, pictured here circa 1900, is one of the earliest remaining examples of Georgian architecture in the state and the only surviving 18th-century building on John’s Island. John Fenwick built the original rectangular portion of the home in 1730, with an octagonal wing being added in 1787. Around 1750, an extensive race track was laid out on the property, though no trace of it remains today. After years of neglect, the home was restored in 1929 by the Morawetz family. Later, from 1980 to 1995, it served as a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center and then sat vacant for five years. New owners purchased the 55-acre property in late 2000 with a plan to return Fenwick Hall to its original condition. The gardens and outbuildings have been restored and now play host to weddings and events. According to the resident owner, “the manor house is a work-in-progress.”
Photograph attributed to George Johnson, courtesy of The Charleston Museum
