Named one of the Top 10 plantations to visit by USA Today, Poplar Grove Plantation offers tours of the manor house, outbuildings, and heritage crafts. On the 15-acre property is an animal sanctuary which currently includes horses, chickens, peacocks, and pigs.
“We are one of the South’s oldest peanut plantations,” said Felicia Greene, a historian at Poplar Grove Plantation. “It has been in the Foy family for six generations.”
Poplar Grove Plantation offers guided tours of the manor house Mondays through Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sundays, noon to 4:30 p.m. The animal sanctuary provides tours on Wednesdays and Saturdays only.
“Poplar Grove Plantation was recently designated as the northernmost point of the Gullah – Geechee Corridor,” said Greene.
The Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, a national heritage area, recognizes the important contributions made by the Gullah Geechee who lived in the coastal regions of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Known for their storytelling, basket weaving, and cooking, the Gullah-Geechee people are unique to the coastal south.
Poplar Grove Plantation recently completed an exhibit entitled “Civil War to Civil Rights.” Poplar Grove was a task plantation in which slaves completed their work and could hire out for wages they kept. Joseph Mumford Foy was an avowed Unionist and while he purchased slaves, he never sold a person.
Every Wednesday in April through mid-November, Poplar Grove Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Local vendors offer fresh produce, plants, a variety of specialty foods, baked goods, crafts and more. There is no admission fee to the Farmers Market and the grounds are open to market visitors.
Other activities at Poplar Grove include the Halloween activities slated for Oct. 24 and Oct. 25. There will be candlelight tours this Christmas too.
“Poplar Grove Plantation is a popular location for weddings,” said Greene.
The antebellum home, complete with a bride’s changing room, makes a romantic backdrop for a Southern union. The grounds are suitable for large reception tents as well. The gazebo offers a unique setting for wedding photographs.
For more information about Poplar Grove Plantation visit them online at www.poplargrove.org or call 910-686-9518 to set up a discounted group tour.
