City: Georgetown, SC

Category: Accommodations

Telephone: (866)717-1776, (843) 546-6961

Address: 1776 Mansfield Rd.

Description: A National Historic Landmark on the site of many archaeological digs, Mansfield is an authentic antebellum plantation of the Old South, offering bed-and-breakfast stays and historical tours. The plantation dates back to 1718, but Civil War buffs will enjoy retracing of the footsteps of Dr. Francis S. Parker, a signer of the South Carolina Ordinance of Secession, who planted rice here from 1842 to 1862. Parker was forced to leave his beloved Mansfield in April 1862 when federal gunboats crossed into Winyah Bay and raided plantations along the Black River. The Parkers were forced to sell Mansfield in 1912, but in 2004, after a 92-year absence, it returned to the hands of the Parker family. Sallie and John Parker have committed themselves to running a bed-and-breakfast like no other and have restored both the manor and guesthouses.Situated on 1,000 idyllic acres of pine forest, rice fields, and dikes, Mansfield retains the original plantation house, avenues of 220 live oaks draped with Spanish moss, more than 100 blooming camellia bushes, the antebellum slave village, chapel, schoolhouse, winnowing tower, and parts of the rice threshing mill. The unspoiled environment plays host to alligators, beavers, fox, deer, otters, and birds, including an occasional bald eagle. Eight charming and comfortably outfitted rooms in historic guesthouses, featuring hand-carved woodwork and mantelpieces, are for let. Private baths and air-conditioning keep each room comfortable. A full breakfast is served every morning in the elegant dining room of the plantation house. Guests have the opportunity to fish for bream and bass or play golf on the adjacent 18-hole Wedgefield Plantation course. Weekend getaway packages are also offered at the plantation. Smoking is permitted outside on the grounds.