City: Georgetown, SC

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (800) 355-3223, (843) 546-6961

Address: 1776 Mansfield Rd.

Description: Mansfield really isn’t a museum per se, but it sure is filled with history. To experience this rarity, a reservation is required, as are groups of 15 or more. This authentic antebellum plantation stands as a poignant reminder of the Old South. It was once owned by Dr. Francis and Mrs. Mary Parker; the gentleman was one of the signers of the Ordinance of Secession. Approximately 100 slaves once lived and worked at Mansfield. Today Mansfield is owned by Parker’s descendent John Parker and his wife, Sallie, who invite guests to come visit one of the most beautiful Lowcountry plantations around. The 45-minute tour costs $12 per person and takes visitors through the old slave village and chapel, the old rice fields, serene marshlands, and the only winnowing building (where rice chaff was separated from rice kernels) that still stands in these parts. Because Mansfield is now an exclusive bed-and-breakfast, entrance to the house is limited. Spend the extra money and pay $17.50 for the Tea and Tour, which gives you the opportunity to see the interior of this incredible plantation home filled, with mid-19th-century American paintings and furnishings. You’ll also enjoy the residence’s special features: double parlors, a grand dining room, beautifully carved woodwork, elaborate mantelpieces, and genuine antique furnishings. The tour is capped off with tea and sweets served in the dining room of the big house. The tea is poured from antique silver teapots, and the homemade sweets are created from 19th-century recipes adapted for 21st-century tastes. (Both the original recipes and the adapted versions are available to visitors.)