Sams Plantation Complex Tabby Ruins, Archaeological site from colonial period in Beaufort County, South Carolina.
Sams Plantation Complex Tabby Ruins is a colonial-era archaeological site in Beaufort County containing twelve tabby structures across ten acres. The complex includes a main house, kitchen buildings, slave quarters, and various agricultural structures distributed across the property.
The Sams family established this plantation before 1783, growing indigo, cotton, and oranges with enslaved labor. The operation relied on a large workforce to maintain these crops and structures.
The structures show colonial-era tabby construction, a building method mixing oyster shells, lime, sand, and water that remains visible on site. This technique shaped regional architecture and allowed builders to create durable buildings.
The ruins are located at the southern end of Dataw Island near the intersection of Dataw Drive and Dataw Club Road. Visiting requires planning since site access may be limited and visitors should check conditions beforehand.
The site preserves the only known pitched tabby roof in the United States, positioned above the original smokehouse structure. This architectural detail shows how builders refined the construction technique and adapted it to more complex structures.
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