Sams Plantation Complex Tabby Ruins, Archaeological site from colonial period in Beaufort County, South Carolina.

Sams Plantation Complex Tabby Ruins is a historic plantation complex and archaeological site at Frogmore, Beaufort County, South Carolina. It holds the ruins or remains of at least 12 tabby structures, among them the main plantation house, a rectangular tabby-walled enclosure, a large tabby kitchen and five tabby slave quarters. Dependencies included a barn/stable, a smokehouse or blade house, a well/dairy house and a well, with the Sams family cemetery and Episcopal chapel enclosed by high tabby walls.

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 site lies at Frogmore on Saint Helena Island in Beaufort County, South Carolina. It is an archaeological site of ruined tabby structures, so expect uneven ground and overgrown masonry rather than marked paths; plan footwear and timing accordingly and confirm access before setting out.

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.