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Fenwick Hall Plantation, LowCountry, John's Island, SC

Fenwick Hall 
circa ~ 1715

You are invited on a journey back in time inside the gates of 
Honorable John Fenwick's Colonial Home on the Stono River.
Please come in & take a virtual tour one of America's oldest and little known treasures still remaining. Fenwick was built long before the colonies became the United States.
Come in,  have some tea, and stay awhile.....
Experience Fenwick's many previously lost secrets. 
Fenwick is not open to the public. 

Colonel John Fenwicke, Northumberland,
Fenwick Castle

Fenwick Hall 
A member of the Fenwick Hall Historical District
(Also known as Fenwicks, Quarter House, Johns Island Stud, Fenwick Castle, Head Quarters House, Fenwick Place, Townsends, Fenwick Hall Plantation, Fenwick Hall Hospital, 
the Hall, and now Fenico!)

Home to the most prominent families of Charleston, Fenwick Hall is the legendary site of pirates, family betrayals, a hidden tunnel, secret rooms, and a fabled ghosts who rides through the marsh when the  moon is full.  The British occupied it.  The Union Army chose not to torch it.  Since the Civil War, it has survived dozen of owners, decades of neglect, and tawdry additions to its landscape.

Today, one of the most historic 18th-century plantations in the nation is once again being revitalized; home to not only the breathtaking wildlife which have resided there for centuries but to one lucky family and a few ghost.

P.S. TRESPASSING: Please enjoy the historical nature of this website on Fenwick Hall.  That is all it is meant to be is a historical record for those that may be interested.  Over Fenwick's 280 year history, it has had many owners, survived many wars and it does have quite an interesting family tree.  With this website I am trying to help preserve & share its history and let the interested see virtually what is (and was) behind the gates.  But....

I can not stress enough that currently Fenwick Hall is once again a private residence and not open to the public.   Please permit the owners to spend their time actively restoring & preserving the estate.  Over the past 300 years, the plantation has been open to the public on special occasions (benefits, etc) so maybe you can experience the estate during one of those rare times.  Please understand that trespassers on the Fenwick Hall Plantation Grounds will be prosecuted.  Please DO support John's Island and Fenwick Hall's survival, but leave the ghost (and owners) alone! Don't go to jail !  Directly to jail!  Thank you.
        Ownership:  While this attempt at a historical website has been researched, created and designed by me, I have zero ownership in the actual Fenwick Plantation.  All comments and such on this website are mine alone and not the owners of Fenwick.  And I do, sincerely, thank the owners for allowing me to publish and keep the plantation's past and current history alive for all.  Please do not send me request to tour Fenwick or for weddings, etc. 


Johns Island, SC, plantation
Colonel John Fenwicke's Fenwick Hall
    
"All houses wherein men have lived and died
   Are haunted houses.  Through the open doors
    The harmless phantoms on their errands glide
       With feet that make no sound upon the floors."
                                  The Builders ~ Longfellow



.
Fenwick Hall snow,  Hauser Graphics, John Hauser
Very rare snowfall at Fenwick Jan 2018. Only few snow images exist over its 300 years.
Fenico, octagonal wing, english brick, drayton hall
HeadQuarters House of John's Island
Robert and John, Edward Fenwick, British plantation
Fenwick's original brick changes color throughout the day depending on angle of sun & its strength.
Charleston Wedding, Fenwick Hall Charleston Plantation Venue, johns island, best wedding venue,
2009, A February winter at Fenwick. Photographer John R. Hauser.
John Fenwick of England, Johns Island SC, Stono River, Johns Island Stud, Godolphin Arabian,
John Fenwicke of Northumberland, England. Born ~ 1675, Died 1747. Believe in Reincarnation? John Fenwicke owned 11,000 acres surrounding the John's Island area and Fenwicke Hall was just one of many plantations that he owned.
Aerial Fenwick Hall,  hausergraphics.  john r hauser,  Vampire of Charleston, Charleston famous plantations, Johns Island Stud, Kiawah Plantations, Lulu,
The Wood Stork's View.
Charleston Wedding, Venue,georgian manor house, england king george, fenwick castle, john's island, hauser graphics.
Circa 1730 Georgian Manor House
Charleston Wedding, John Fenwick's Plantation on John's Island buil 1730 . Photographer John R. Hauser. Stono River, Hauser Graphics, Web design, Plantations in Charleston, Historical Houses, Buildings,
February 2009 Main Gate on River Road. Photographer John R. Hauser.
Elizabeth Verner's Gates of Fenwick, Charleston artist, pink house, Verner etching, verner sketch, Carolina plantations, Historic Gates of America,
1932 Etching by Charleston's artist, Elizabeth Verner. Liz called the sketch the "Gates of Fenwick". Lizzy-thanks for the sketch as I love that you captured the ruts in the drive and a slice of 1930's history.
Wedding Invitation Charleston, Wedding Anniversary Claude and Nellie Blanchard
1970's Invitation for Claude and Nellie Blanchard's Wedding Anniversary. All of Charleston was invited! Lucky for 'me', I was invited and I got to spend all that week at Fenwick. My room was the NE upstairs corner room with the hand rubbed cypress wood panels and great fireplace and antique bed. And the Blanchard's forgot to tell me, in advance, that is the most haunted room! (I'm glad I kept this invitation all these years so I can now share it.)
John Fenwick's entrance to his Fenwick Hall Plantation is thru this gate off River Roads, John's Island, Sc. Photo by John Hauser/HauserGraphics.com
2009, September, The River Road entrance to the 300 year old plantation built by John Fenwick, of England ~ 1730. Photographer John R. Hauser.
hanging at fenwick hall
What ghost glide behind the gates ?
Fenwick Oak Allee on John's Island, SC
Oak Allee, Southern Living Magazine, Johns Island SC, River Road, Hauser Graphics, Live Oaks, Magnolias, Camellias,
The Main Drive is a double row of Oaks at Fenwick.
Fenwick, Morawetz, Oak Allee Southern Living Magazine Cover, HauserGraphics.com
2010 Facing the Main Gate.
Charleston Wedding Venue, Fenwick Oak Allee, Johns Island, SC,   HauserGraphics.com,  Stono River,  Morawetz,
Fenwick's Oak Allee 2010
Fenwick Hall Allee, John's Island, SC,  Georgian Mansion, London, England Fenwick
Fenwick Hall Allee`
Live Oak Trees of Fenwick Hall, John's Island, SC, USA
2010, April, looking back toward the main gate at the River Road entrance to Fenwick Hall. Image by John Hauser.
Fenwick Camellias and Fenwick Live Oaks on John's Island, SC.
March 2010, the plantation's flowering trees (cherry's, dogwoods, etc) are starting to bud about a month late this year. Image by John Hauser.
15 miles from Seabrook and Kiawah Island area on John's Island, SC
2010, April on the Fenwicke Allee'
Ancient Live Oaks abound at Fenwick Hall on John's Island near Seabrook and Kiawah Island, SC
2010 Ancient Live Oaks have survived natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes and even wars with indians, the revoluntary and civil wars, and more. If the trees could only tell us their stories.
Image by John Hauser
Fenwicke faces the Stono River at Penny's Creek.
2010, April on the grounds of historical Fenwick Hall Plantation on John's Island. Image by John Hauser.
Fenwick Manor House, circa 1730.
2010 March. Fenwick Oak Allee. Photography by John R. Hauser
Fenwicke Hall Live Oak Allee, Charleston SC Wedding,  Vampire of Fenwick, John Hauser, Lulu, Charleston Ghost,
April 1, 2010, Bright sunny day at the end of the shady Fenwicke Hall Live Oak Allee.
Colonel John Fenwick of Northumberland, England.  Fenwick's had horse blood in their veins for many hundreds of years.
April 2010 view from a very old magnolia tree. Photography by John Hauser.
Fenwick Hall is the finest surviving example of an early Georgian two-story brick plantation house built on the Huguenot floor plan that was widely used in S.Carolina plantation houses during the 18th century.  The interior of the house is complete with magnificent wood panels.  The exterior wall are approximately 16" thick and the temperature in the manor remains fairly constant year round.  Fenwick Hall is a two-story structure over a high basement with a decked hipped roof surrounded by a balustrade.  The brick walls are laid in a Flemish bond, with corners marked by brick quoins.  ..for some reason, the Stono River side cornders does not have the quoins on the lower half.  No one alive now knows why. Added in 1931 were a one story verandah at the east end overlooking the reflection pond and 18th century garden.  The reflection pond was updated during the 2000's.   A small two story brick wing (1931-Virginia Style) was also added at the west end and contained a modern kitchen then.  In 1985, the hospital destroyed the old kitchenand installed a commerical kitchen.  That commerical kitchen has now be removed.

Edward Fenwick, John Fenwick, Fenwick Hall, Fenwick Castle, Johns Island, Victor Morawetz, John Hauser, Charleston Plantation,
Late March 2010, Photographer John R. Hauser.
Fenwick-Tower, Charleston haunted houses, john r hauser, johns island, historic houses, colonial manor,
Fenwick Tower: Long before YOU were born. Look closely and you can see the interior wood shutters (with arrow & bullet holes). You can also see remnants of the limewash (stucco) that covered the ancient building.
Georgian Manor House, Charleston Historic homes, robert fenwick, Magnolias of Charleston, Hauser Design
2010
Weddings of Fenwick Hall, Charleston-Wedding-Venue, Vampires of Charleston, Fenwicke Hall, Camellia Allee at Fenwick,  Fenwick's Camillas
March 2010, Very late spring at Fenwicke Hall.
Fenwick, Sea Dog, Charleston, SC, Johns Island, Stono River, Maybank Highway, Georgian Architecture, Slate Roof,
2010, Spring at Fenwick Hall Plantation. Image by John Hauser.
Cornice detail at night, John's Island Plantation, Kiawah, Seabrook Island.
April 2010, Fenwick at Dusk. Image by John Hauser.
View of Georgian Manor House and Carriage/Coach House of John Fenwick from Northumberland, England.
2010 Late Winter. Image by John Hauser.
John R Hauser. Fenwick's did own Seabrook Island and it was actually called Fenwick Island for those years.
2010, March, Spring is finally in the air? A cameo self-portrait.
Fenwick Camellias, Charleston Camellia Society, Plantations of the Low Country, Fenwicke, Wood Storks,
2010
John Fenwick, English, Stono River, Revolutionary War, Civil War, Charleston, Morawetz, HauserGraphics.com
John Fenwick's 1730 Georgian Manor House.
John Fenwick's Manor House called Fenwicke Castle
Circa 1730 Manor House, styled after familiar England Homes of that period.
John Fenwick choses to use quoins on his Georgian style Manor House.
April 2010. Decorative quoins were placed the full length of the manor house facing River Road. to give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of the 1730 building. Photography by John R. Hauser.
Johns Island, SC,   Seabrook Island, Kiawah Island,  Colonel John Fenwick.
2010 April. The true front of the Georgian Manor House does face the Stono River. As the Stono River was used as the highway for hundreds of years between John's Island and Charlestown. Image by Hauser,John
Fenwick Hall Restoration 2000- Charleston Preservation, Charleston Weddings, Stono River, Pennys Creek, Maybank Highway, River Road, Plantations, Historic Houses, 13 colonies,  Cornwallis,  Sir John Fenwick,  Lord Ripon,  Edward Fenwick,  Sarah Fenwick, Reflection Pond, Morawetz Cacti, Cactus, rare cactus,  masquerade wedding, Brick House, Drayton Hall, The Battery, Meeting St, Slaves, Historic Houses of America, Thoroughbreds, arabians, jockey club.
2000+, Fenwick Hall -windows/trim/structural/new slate roofing/hardware restoration. Note no pond, no landscaping = a clear slate.. Photograher Unknown ??
John Fenwick's Home, May 11, 1999, as left to the vines to care for the plantation.  Photo courtsey Carol Dawn
1999, May 11th, John Fenwick's Home, as left to the vines to care for the plantation. Photo courtesy Carol Dawn.
roof ballister, kiawah, james island plantation,  godolphin arabian,  charleston plantations,
Time Gone By
1980's as Fenwick Hospital. As the main house was used as a hospital during multiple wars, it was only approporiate it be used a such during somewhat peace times also
1980's as Fenwick Hospital. As the main house was used as a hospital during multiple wars, it was only approporiate it be used a such during somewhat peace times also. Eight bedrooms, 12.5 baths, 7,828 sq ft.
Fenwick, Johns Island SC, Stono River, Maybank Highway, Morawetz, Claude Blanchard, Hauser,
1964, December, Blanchard's Cadillacs were brand new. The blue cadillac was a convertible for cruising Charleston and the beaches. Photo courtesy of Robert Igoe Blanchard, composer.
fenwick castle, charleston ghost, vampires, castles, vampire of fenwick hall
1937 Courtesy Henry Vaiden
1934 Victor & Marjorie Morawetz Restoration and additions are complete!   Photo taken in 1934 by Ben Judah Lubschez.  Thanks Ben!
1934 Victor & Marjorie Morawetz Restoration and additions are complete! Fenwick has been saved! Victor's new Virginia style wing (which contains his modern kitchen) can just be seen on the very left. Portico at the front door has been removed and replaced with a simpler entrance and stairs changed. Barely visible on the east side of the castle is the new Veranda with balcony that overlooks the reflection pond in the formal walled garden. They did keep the huge old evergreen that you can just see in the very right of his photo. Photo taken in 1934 by Ben Judah Lubschez. Thanks Ben!

Words from 1920's below and with historical 'errors'. 
(Edward's father, John, built the plantation not his son, Edward Sr.)

Head Quarters House or Fenwick Castle, John's Island.  Cornwallis made his headquarters at one time in this old house now rapidly falling into ruin.  It was built by one of South Carolina's early settlers, Lord Ripon (Edward Fenwick(e)), who dropped his title.  Nearby, the first owner laid out a race course, but no trace of it remains now. 

~~~

 
1926's Fenwick Castle
1926's Fenwick Castle
1920's John Fenwicke's Castle
1920's John Fenwicke's Castle. Another of my favorite images. Note that you can see the original 'interior' shutters covering the windows. Originally used for protection from Indian arrows. The interior shutters still exist today. The latches were noted to have been made of pure silver back when the plantation was new. Also, there is remnants of stucco/lime that was used near the front door over the brick to excentuate the entrance. The portico, stucco, and octagonal wing was most likely added by John Gibbes in 1787. As those architectural features were 'in fashion' at that time.
John Fenwick Hall's oldest photo, thorough breds, johns island stud, arabians, Sir John Fenwick, English horse imports, horse importation, charleston jockey club, jockey club, Matchem, Godolphin Arabian, English Race horses,
1900's Fenwick Hall's oldest known photo--note stable ruins on right side of main house near the horse. Built by John Fenwicke who came to the new world from England about 1705. John built the main house (minus octagon wing) about 1730-1738. John became a planter in the new world. Most of John's neighbors were indians at the time.This image is one of the oldest (and a favorite) and is the only one that shows the former stables on the east side of the main house. The brick stable was said to contain mahogany stalls with silver fittings. And these stables once contained some of the most important british horse importations that lead to the current Thoroughbred line. Nothing remains of the former stable, but the matching carriage house on the otherside of the main house remains to this day.
Fenwick Cafe Art, John's Island Coffee, HauserGraphics, Charleston Plantations, Fenwick Camellias, Camellia Club of Charleston, Georgian Architecture, CLEMSON, Stono River, Wood Storks, Plantation Art, For sale plantation Art
Long Ago the house patiently waits...
John Fenwicke Fenwick Hall ruins
Early 1900'.s..no one had the money or interest to restore the home. The house was 'shunned' for years due to stories. The land was leased to farmers.
1730's Original Fenwick Hall
1730's What the manor house may have looked like in 1730 before the Octagonal wing was added.

Back to ruins?  NO! Fenwick is alive and well, but it is fighting its own internal atrophy besides fighting the damage us humans are doing to the Island.  The local Historic Charleston Foundation includes it on its list of Endangered Landmarks in the Carolina Lowcountry.  In February 1972, Fenwick was added to the list of National Registry of Historic Places (Thanks to the previous owners Nellie & Claude Blanchard and son, Robert).  But unfortunately that did not keep Charter Hospital from damaging the house and grounds in the 1980's. 

Today the planation home sits on a much smaller, 55-acre site, down from its original four thousand + acres, but one that still includes an impressive avenue of Oaks & coach house.  Fenwick Hall continues to go through a critical, long term restoration.   It is currently privately owned and not open to the public, but definitely has a following.


Fenwick Castle Main Gate to River Road.  Photo taken May 1999 by Carol Dawn.
1999 ,Fenwick Castle's Main Gate at River Road. Photo taken in May by Carol Dawn after Charter Hospital abandoned the Estate.
Fenwicke Hall grounds on John's Island, SC
4.2010 Fenwicke Hall Grounds. Image by John R. Hauser.
May 11.1999 Fenwick Allee as photographed by Carol Dawn
1999, May 11, Fenwick Allee as photographed by Carol Dawn
Fenwick Hall Oak Alley, Castle, Charleston Castle, Charleston Plantation, Stono River, Penny Creek, Tidewater, Edward Fenwick, John Roger Fenwick, Gibbes, Victor Morawetz, morawetz cactus, seabrook, kiawah, slaves, charleston fort, general greene, cornwalis, british revoluntary war, civil war charleston,
1970's Fenwick Hall Oak Allee' from River Road. Photographer John R. Hauser.
Fenwick Castle Oak Alley 1970, ghost, headless horseman, stono river ferry, penny creek,
1970's Fenwick Castle just barely visible down the Oak Allee. Photographer John R. Hauser.
Anna Hayward Taylor's Fenwick Hall 1930's
Anna Hayward Taylor's Fenwick Hall 1930's

<--    1930

Anna Heyward Taylor's Fenwick Hall Sketch-left-(1930) captures that iconic plantation house in the years before its renovation, a derelict old building dappled in sunlight. Watercolor on Board, Greenville County Museum of Art, Greenville, SC

HauserGraphics, Fenwick, Fenwick Cafe,  Fenwick Gallery,
1939
 
MSHP, Clemson, College of Charleston, Masters of Historic preservation, fenico, hausergraphics.
2011 Watercolor by a MSHP Gradutate
 
artist H.Cobb,  fenwick paintings, english garden charleston, georgian manor house, precolonial architecture, john fenwick
Pre-1920 painting of the west walled garden by H.Cobb
fenwick hall ghost, vampires of charleston,
Sketch from a 1960 Fenwick Hall Ghost Story
fenwick paintings
the walled garden by Scott Baylr
  Please do not copy any of the copyrighted photos on this website without asking first. 
 Please contact John@HauserGraphics.com 





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Fenwick, Johns Island, South Carolina, USA