The Gardens at Mepkin Abbey, SC

On 3/9/2021 I headed to Moncks Corner with my mother. We stopped by stunning Mepkin Abbey and wandered through its gorgeous gardens. Mepkin Abbey’s documented history goes back to 1681 when 3,000 acres were granted to the three sons of sir John Colleton, one of the Lords Proprietors of Carolina. The acres were passed down to their descendants until sold to Henry Laurens in 1762. Henry Laurens was a planter and a statesman who played a prominent role in South Carolina’s politics. His ashes are buried at Mepkin that he left to his son Henry. In 1916, Mepkin plantation was purchased by J.W. Johnson who also acquired other neighboring plantations and left the lot to his daughter. The property was sold again in 1936 to Henry R. and Clare Boothe Luce who donated part of it to the Roman Catholic Church in 1949. In 1960, it became a monastery for the Trappist monks of the Cistercian Order. The stunning gardens were designed by architect Loutrel Briggs who was hired by the Luces to landscape their gardens. The gardens of Mepkin were opened to the public in 2007 during certain hours.

References Visitors Information, Mepkin Plantation, South Carolina Plantation, Charleston Currents