23 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com house” – long and narrow – and was likely a precursor to the design of these traditional houses in downtown Charleston. Its simple architectural style is believed to have originated in Barbados, where many of the early Lowcountry settlers migrated from. A hipped roof, two chimneys and clapboard walls are also architectural features of its early years. The fact that this house is still standing after 327 years is nothing short of a miracle. It’s rumored that during the Revolutionary War, British Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton had ordered it to be burned. But for some unknown reason, it wasn’t. Evidence that Tarleton was there is a gash, purportedly from his saber, left in the column by the front door. Another officer etched his name in a surviving windowpane. In the early 19th century, the first public rice mill, thought to also be the first in the country that was steamdriven, was built on the property by Jonathan Lucas, a descendant of the original owners of Middleburg. For more than two centuries, the property was owned by various extended family members, a list comprised of other Who’s Who Lowcountry names – Ball, Dingle, Gibbes – who continued to produce rice there until 1927 when the industry was taking root elsewhere in the South. In 1981, Max and Jane Hill purchased the property and began renovations of the house. Few alterations had been done prior to their ownership and other than the porch and exterior rooms, the house was pretty much the same as it had been since the beginning. The Hills used the property for weekend getaways for 25 years, but eventually put it up for auction in 2007. After failing to obtain an acceptable offer, it was taken off the market. Eight years later, however, the Hills sold it for $3.5 million to a Charlotte restauranteur, Howard Martin Sprock III, the founder of Moe’s Southwest Grill and the Planet Smoothie franchises. Sprock embarked on a complete restoration of the historic house and two auxiliary buildings; the original kitchen house and a storage building initially used for drying seed rice. In 2021, he sold the property to another Charlotte businessman, Jeffrey T. Wise, owner of the National Whitewater Center, for $4.49 million. Although the 2,500-square foot 4-bedroom house and surrounding property will probably never be seen by most of the public, it was registered as a National Historic Landmark in 1970. The Hills granted an easement on the property to the Lowcountry Land Trust to further ensure that the future of the house is guaranteed to be protected in perpetuity and its walls will continue to hold the legacy of its indelible mark on Lowcountry history, culture and cuisine. our town 1037 Chuck Dawley Blvd., Suite D-100 Mount Pleasant, SC Bringing you over 20 years of combined cosmetic injection experience. Trust us to find your natural, true beauty! AESTHETICS True Beauty 843-790-2034 TRUEBEAUTYSC.COM AESTHETICS True Beauty Malissa LaRoche, PA-C Rebecca Zerwick Johnson, PA-C Hello Spring 626 Coleman Blvd bloomtownflowermarket.com 843-388-7543 BloomTown *Walk-In Flower Cooler - *Workshops - *DIY *Pre-Made Arrangements - *Preorder flower market EASTER SUNDAY March 31st MOTHER’S DAY May 12th
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