History

The origins of Poplar Grove date back to 1696 when Thomas Elliot gained title to the property under a King’s Grant. The Elliots established a settlement made of simple brick and wooden buildings that produced crops of rice, Indigo and cotton. The settlement prospered during the l8th century, eventually growing to more than 7,500 acres.

During the Civil War, Poplar Grove and the surrounding rice plantations became buffers between Union forces garrisoned in Charleston and Confederate forces on nearby James Island. A large battery was built about a half of a mile from the banks of Poplar Grove. The war took a toll on the property and much of its infrastructure deteriorated; however, the beauty of the land remains. The now wild roses and poplar trees, which descended from the Antebellum Plantation gardens, remind us of a past time.

You can see the plantation roots of Poplar Grove throughout the community. Old rice fields have reverted to natural tidal marsh habitats that define the neighborhoods. The original entrance has been restored, and tree-lined avenues and bermed pathways that once brought workers to their fields now bring residents to their doorsteps.

In addition to dense stands of fir and hardwoods, the property is dotted with magnificent oaks, some of which are survivors from the formal avenue of oaks that greeted plantation visitors in the 18th century. Flowering dogwoods, bright yellow forsythia, wild primroses, honeysuckle, and many other native plants have been preserved to give today’s residents the same sense of delight and discovery enjoyed by settlers more than 300 years ago.