An Essential American Experience
The historic preservation work and interpretation of history at Middleton Place focuses on major contributions of the Middleton family as well as the enslaved Africans and African Americans who lived and worked here. The stories are a microcosm of United States history. From the early Colonial period through the Revolution, the early Republic, the Civil War era and beyond, they made a mark on the land, the colony, state and nation.
learn moreThe Middleton Place National Historic Landmark is a place where the past greets the present on garden paths more than a quarter millennium old. Middleton Place is an American treasure and a testament to people, what they can accomplish and what they can overcome.
As part of Middleton Place’s mission to share the stories of the enslaved people who made a way of life and an economic empire possible, the Middleton Place Foundation conducted a 10-year research project to reveal the names and stories of the more than 2,800 enslaved people owned by the Middleton family from 1738 to 1865. A permanent exhibit in Eliza’s House, a book, and documentary film explore the lives, families, and contributions of some seven generations of enslaved people.
Beyond The Fields – Slavery at Middleton Place
The Beyond the Fields tour introduces visitors to the institution of slavery and the lives lived by enslaved Africans and African Americans – both slave and free - who labored at Middleton Place and other plantations throughout the South. It explores their personal and family lives, their faith, their leisure activities and the extraordinary cultural contributions they and their descendants made, and continue to make, to modern day America. Their story is a testament to the strength of the human spirit.
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June 26, 2021
Lest We Forget. . . A Story of the African American Experience
This engaging and thought-provoking program tells the story of one woman’s life and enslavement in the Low Country of South Carolina. Using such time-honored traditions as storytelling and music, Rose Atterberry weaves an emotional story that invokes memories of the...
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July 3, 2021
Independence Day Weekend July 3 & 4
The 4th of July is a day of remembrance, reflection, and celebration and a wide variety of activities will be presented to mark this special day. In addition to regular educational programs, additional programs on the Declaration of Independence...
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July 12, 2021
Junior Historian Summer Camp
Middleton Place will immerse young people in South Carolina history by introducing them to one of America’s Founding Families and to the daily activities of a working Low Country rice plantation. The Sparking Interest in History summer camp is filled...
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July 24, 2021
TANGLED UP IN BLUE: INDIGO IN SOUTH CAROLINA
Indigo, a plant that produces a blue dye, was an important part of South Carolina’s 18th century economy. This program will emphasize the many roles that enslaved people performed in the cultivating and processing of this crop. In addition, guests...
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July 31, 2021
THE HISTORY & CULTIVATION OF CAROLINA GOLD RICE
Rice dominated the Low Country’s economy for almost two hundred years, influencing almost every aspect of life in the region from the early 18th century to the early 20th century. This program will discuss the grains cultivation, historical and cultural...
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