Hamlin Beach Community in Charleston County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Cook's Old Field Cemetery / Copahee Plantation and Hamlin Beach
Cook's Old Field Cemetery
This plantation cemetery predates the American Revolution. It was established by early members of the Hamlin, Hibben and Leland families. James Hibben (d. 1835), one of the founders of Mount Pleasant, is buried here. Generations of both white and black families are interred here. In 2003 this cemetery was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
Copahee Plantation and Hamlin Beach
Thomas Hamlin established Copahee Plantation here in 1696. Later divided into Copahee and Contentment Cottage, it is now known as Hamlin Farms. In 1881 African American farmers bought 31 ten-acre lots from the Hamlins and founded the Hamlin Beach community. White and black descendants still live here today.
Erected 2011 by The Christ Church Parish Preservation Society. (Marker Number 10-74.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 2003.
Location. Marker has been reported missing. It was located near 32° 50.483′ N, 79° 47.865′ W. Marker was in Hamlin Beach Community, South Carolina, in Charleston County. Marker was on Rifle Range Road near South Carolina Highway 10-51, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 2543 Rifle Range Road, Mount Pleasant SC 29466, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this location, measured as the crow flies. Confederate Lines (approx. 0.9 miles away); Sweetgrass Baskets (approx. 0.9 miles away); Christ Church (approx. one mile away); a different marker also named Christ Church (approx. one mile away); Snee Farm (approx. one mile away); Brickyard Plantation (approx. one mile away); Boone Hall Plantation (approx. 1.2 miles away); Shell Rings and Shell Middens (approx. 1.2 miles away).
Regarding Cook's Old Field Cemetery / Copahee Plantation and Hamlin Beach. Cook’s Old Field Cemetery, also know as the Hamlin cemetery, contains graves dating from 1805 to 1916, with the majority of them dating from the 1840s and 1850s. It is significant as an excellent example of a mid-nineteenth century plantation cemetery associated with the Hamlin, Hibben, and Leland families, and as an excellent example of mid-nineteenth century gravestone art as executed by several significant Charleston stonecarvers. It is also the last extant resource associated with the Hamlin, Hibben, and Leland families, as none of their plantation houses survive in the Mount Pleasant vicinity. The cemetery consists of thirty-eight marked graves, including headstones, box tombs and one obelisk. Two stone markers remembering the descendants who began the reunion committee in 1949 are just inside the entrance gate. The stones, arranged by family units within the cemetery boundaries, show some evidence of wear from the elements and from occasional vandalism but retain their integrity. Two brick columns which once held an iron gate mark the entrance. Listed in the National Register May 9, 2003. (South Carolina Department of Archives and History)
National Register of Historic Places:
Cook's Old Field Cemetery (added 2003 - - #01000679)
Also known as Hamlin Cemetery
♦ Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event
♦ Architect, builder, or engineer: Walker, Thomas, White, John, et al.
♦ Area of Significance: Art, Social History
♦ Period of Significance: 1900-1924, 1875-1899, 1850-1874, 1825-1849, 1800-1824
♦ Owner: Private
♦ Historic Function: Funerary
♦ Current Function: Funerary
Credits. This page was last revised on May 24, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 18, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 1,534 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on February 18, 2012, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 9. submitted on May 22, 2023, by Dave W of Co, Colorado.