|
Hanover
Plantation
St. Julien and Ravenel Families
|
| |
5 Black &
White
|
|
|
|
| We, the people of Berkeley County,
have failed to keep within the communities and even within the bounds of
the County much of the movable items of historical connection with our
section. We fail to realize too often the depletion caused by our lack
of interest and money and the appreciation of others for our heritage. |
| One of the most significant
of these is the Hanover Plantation House which was moved to the Clemson
University Campus as it was considered the "most interesting and valuable"
of the old houses in the area flooded by Santee-Cooper when the Project
was being accomplished. |
| In the early years of
the 18th Century the St. Julien-Ravenel connection was moving up geographically
and financially in St. John's Parish and acquiring large plantations along
Ferguson Swamp with its headwaters in the Cross section. In his Plantations
of The Carolina Low Country, Samuel Gaillard Stoney credits the building
of Hanover House to Paul De St. Julien who is named in the 1718 will of
his father, "Pierre De St. Julian of Berkeley County," who left him :land
on Santee River and in the 1736 will of his mother Damaris De St. Julien
of St. John's Parish. It is interesting to note that mention is made in
these wills of the French Church in Charles Town and of the Rev. Phillipe
de Richebourg, who is said to have come over into St. John's, Berkeley
and conducted Huguenot services for the Huguenot families here. |
| In his will of 1741, Paul states
that he had bought Hanover from Daniel Couturiere and left the use of it
to his wife Mary until his daughter Mary should.become of age or marry,
and it was to go to her at that time. Hanover House had been on its original
site two and a quarter centuries when moved: It is thought that the house
was':named for the House of Hanover which had come to the British throne
about that time. |
| In his 1741 will; Paul De St.
Julien refers to the store on Hanover Plantation which he ran in co-partnership
with his cousin, Mr Isaac Porcher. |
| Althongh there'was little outward
resemblance between this house and other remaining early plantations, yet
the Hanover house was bmlt according to the early colonial arrangement,
and the inner partitions were of vertical boarding like Middleburg House.
The building is of wood and was found to.have been built almost entirely
of cypress. The "Dutch roof" of the upper half-story had dormer windows
and was ceiled with planking put on like weatherboarding but "lapped" to
the top so as to funnel down any water that might penetrate the shingles.
The massive chimneys are the most striking feature of the house and were
said to have been constructed of brick of many colors, vlhich some writers
say were made on the plantation. The mortar was made of the marl which
underlies this section and showed shell fragments. |
| A stucco band at the top of
one chimney bore the words "Peu a Peu" taken from an old French proverb
"Peu a peu l'oiseau fait son nid" (Little by little the bird builds its
nest), which might indicate that the house was built Iittle by little and
could also refer to the fact that the Huguenot family had achieved affluence
through thrift and hard work. |
| In an article in The News
& Courier, Aug. 14, 1946, Frank Kirk, who grew up in upper St. John's
and was Superintendent of the Cross Schools quoted from a Report of The
Department of The Interior that this house is "probably unique in this
country." The Report is further quoted as stating that Hanover "is the
only house in the proposed region of inundation the loss of which can be
considered of national importance." Most of the other houses were
constructed after 1800, but this blend of French and English construction
"seems to be unique in the Colonies." |
| |
|
Information and Article from
"Historic Ramblin's Through
Berkeley"
written by and used with permission
of
Mr. J. Russell Cross
|
| |
|
|