Near Summerville in Dorchester County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Middleton Place
⎯⎯⎯
Arthur Middleton
Middleton Place. These famous gardens were laid out about 1741 by Henry Middleton (1717-84), President of Continental Congress. His son Arthur, Signer of the Declaration Of Independence, lived here as did his son Henry (1770-1846), Governor of S.C. and Minister to Russia, who introduced the comellias. His son Williams (1809-83) planted the first azaleas. The original residence was looted and burned by Federal forces in 1865.
Arthur Middleton. Planter, Patriot, Signer of the Declaration of Independence. Born here June 26, 1742, Arthur Middleton, after receiving his education in England, returned to make his home here in 1763. He served in the Commons House of Assembly, the Provincial Congress, the Council of Safety, the Continental Congress, the militia, and the state legislature. He died Jan. 1, 1787, and is buried in the garden here.
Erected 1964 by S.C. Daughters of American Colonists and Daughters of Colonial Wars. (Marker Number 18-4.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Government & Politics • Horticulture & Forestry • Landmarks • Notable Places. In addition, it is included in the Daughters of Colonial Wars, the Daughters of the American Colonists, the National Historic Landmarks, the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, and the South Carolina Historical Markers series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is June 26, 1742.
Location. 32° 53.981′ N, 80° 8.441′ W. Marker is near Summerville, South Carolina, in Dorchester County. It is on Ashley River Road (State Highway 61), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4300 Ashley River Road, Charleston SC 29414, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Lowcountry. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Archdale Hall (approx. 2.2 miles away); Windsor Hill Plantation (approx. 3.4 miles away); a different marker also named Windsor Hill Plantation (approx. 3.4 miles away); Magnolia Plantation (approx. 3½ miles away); Royal Judge John Drayton (approx. 3½ miles away); The Rev. John G. Drayton (approx. 3.6 miles away); Camellias: Up on a Pedestal (approx. 3.6 miles away); Azaleas (approx. 3.6 miles away).
Regarding Middleton Place / Arthur Middleton. Middleton Place is a National Historic Landmark and a carefully preserved 18th-century plantation that has survived revolution, Civil War, and earthquake. It was the home of four important generations of Middletons, beginning with Henry Middleton, President of the First Continental Congress; Arthur, a signer of the Declaration of Independence; Henry, Governor of South Carolina and an American Minister to Russia; and Williams, a signer of the Ordinance of Secession.
Also see . . .
1. Middleton Place. Wikipedia entry:
65 acres along the Ashley River, in an eighteenth-century former rice plantation with the earliest extensive formal gardens laid out in the thirteen colonies (Submitted on December 7, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina.)
2. Arthur Middletown. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on September 10, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

Photographed by Mike Stroud, 2008
3. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1971, Plaque erected in 1972
National Register Number: 71000770
Resource type: District.
Property type: Domestic - single dwelling.
Congressional District: SC-1 Certified Local Government: NO
Current use/information: House and gardens are open to the public..
Resource type: District.
Property type: Domestic - single dwelling.
Congressional District: SC-1 Certified Local Government: NO
Current use/information: House and gardens are open to the public..

Photographed by Mike Stroud, April 2006
6. Middleton Place House
in Charleston was built in 1775 as a gentleman''s guest wing beside the family residence. Today it serves as a museum. It is the only surviving portion of the three-building residential complex that once stood overlooking the Ashley River.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 24, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 7, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 2,845 times since then and 74 times this year. Last updated on February 19, 2009, by Michael Sean Nix of Spartanburg, South Carolina. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 7, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 5. submitted on September 10, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 6. submitted on December 7, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 7. submitted on November 11, 2009, by Michael Sean Nix of Spartanburg, South Carolina. 8, 9. submitted on December 7, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.






