Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site

Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site is a 44-acre property centered on a brick house built in Georgian style and later modified with Greek Revival details. The three-story structure includes a spiral staircase that climbs to a flexible room that once served as a ballroom.

William Henry Gist, who served as South Carolina's governor from 1858 to 1860, directed the state's secession movement from this residence during a pivotal moment in American history. After the Civil War, the property shifted from a slavery-based economy to a tenant farming system, reflecting the region's dramatic transformation.

The site tells the stories of the enslaved people and tenant farmers who worked the land across different eras. Visitors can understand how these communities shaped daily life and agricultural work through the objects and spaces they left behind.

The site welcomes visitors for guided tours of the house and grounds. Plan to arrive during designated tour times and expect a walking experience through both the main building and outdoor areas of the property.

A detached brick kitchen from the 1850s survives as one of the few remaining structures from the antebellum era beside the main house. This separate building offers rare evidence of how food was prepared and daily domestic work was organized during that period.