Mepkin Abbey, Trappist monastery in Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States

Mepkin Abbey is a Trappist monastery near Moncks Corner, South Carolina, at the junction of the two forks of the Cooper River. The grounds include the Mepkin Abbey Botanical Garden, with live oaks and a camellia garden designed by Loutrel Briggs. A paved road lined with red and pink flowering bushes leads through the property.

The name Mepkin appears in a 1681 grant to the sons of Sir John Coleton. Henry Laurens bought the land in 1762 and built the Mepkin Plantation house, later burned by British troops in the Revolutionary War and again by the Union army. Henry R. Luce bought the 7,200-acre estate in 1936, and in 1949 the Luces gave part of it to Gethsemani Abbey, whose monks founded the monastery, raised to an abbey in 1955.

The monks here follow a tradition that weaves prayer and work together throughout their day. You can observe this rhythm as they move between chapel times and their work in the gardens and fields.

Visitors can join guided tours, workshops, and the annual nativity festival that features scenes created by national artists. The grounds also offer options for personal retreats and quiet visits for reflection.

The monastery switched from egg production to growing mushrooms in 2007, finding a new way to support itself. This shift shows how the community adapts its traditional way of life to meet contemporary needs.