Estate Once Owned by Revolutionary War General

A 957-acre South Carolina property that was once owned by a Revolutionary War general and rebuilt in 1949 by a woman who was a pioneer in saving historic homes is for sale.

Brigadier General Peter Horry was a South Carolina planter who joined Francis “Swamp Fox” Marion in a campaign of guerilla warfare against British troops during the Revolutionary War. He fought at the Battle of Fort Moultrie and commanded a light horse regiment at the Battle of Quinby Bridge. After the war, he retired to his spectacular plantation, Dover, and served in South Carolina’s Senate and House of Representatives. Located on South Carolina’s Winyah Bay, the historic property has now been listed for sale at $14.75 million. 

Dover’s main house was built in the early 1800s but was destroyed by fire and later reconstructed by Cornelia Sage who, along with her husband, Henry, bought the property in the early 1900s. Cornelia was a pioneer of deconstructing and reconstructing historic homes, carefully maintaining the original materials and workmanship. Cornelia built her new home in 1949, mostly from parts of other homes, including the historic Woodlawn Plantation house that had previously been disassembled to make way for the Depression-era Santee Cooper Lakes project near Charleston, South Carolina. Cornelia had the disassembled house moved down the Santee River to Dover to keep it from being flooded. She then had it reassembled into the current home.  

The 7,910-square-foot home features intricate wooden moldings, a Vermont slate roof, and an exquisite two-story entry hall. Five bedrooms are joined by impressive entertaining spaces, including an expansive kitchen and a dining room enhanced by built-in china cabinetry, plus a handsome gun room, a temperature-controlled wine cellar, and a widow’s walk that offers birds-eye views of Dover and out to the Winyah Bay.

An impressive array of additional buildings include a striking standalone office with a screened-in porch, beautiful heart pine paneled walls, and a fireplace with a hand-carved mahogany mantle, a historic heart pine carved guesthouse that was also moved by Cornelia, a theatre with seating for eight, a fellowship hall with commercial grade kitchen and smoker, three additional guest cottages, a horse barn, a sauna, and a game room.

Presently used as a recreational retreat, the property features a diverse landscape, including cypress swamps, hardwood forests, towering piney woods, open fields, and wildlife food plots scattered throughout. Live oaks, rose gardens, and a spectacular array of over seven hundred varieties of camellias, azaleas, and gardenias surround the house. Trails wind through the grounds, connecting the pavilion, pergolas, fountains, reflection pool, and firepit - leading down to a brand-new dock. 

The 185-foot dock offers an 18’ X 20’ fixed platform pier, built-in shore power, a floating extension that accommodates larger luxury boats, and a vehicular-friendly levee. With 1.25 miles of shoreline frontage on Winyah Bay and the Intracoastal Waterway, the property is only eight miles by boat from the Atlantic Ocean. This spectacular coast has been well-protected and recognized as internationally important for shorebirds and other wildlife.

Only six miles from historic Georgetown (known for its historic homes), the property has easy access to the Georgetown County Airport and is convenient to some of South Carolina’s most desirable coastal destinations. Pawleys Island is only 25 minutes away, and the shopping, dining, and cultural opportunities of Downtown Charleston can be reached within an hour. The gated estate offers privacy and seclusion, with the main house located one mile down the driveway from the main road for ultimate peace and serenity.

The listing is held by Elliott Davenport of The Wings Group and Alex Webel of Hall and Hall.

Source: hallhall.com