In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, we're turning the spotlight on South Carolina's six national park sites.
Among them is Charles Pinckney National Historic Site, honoring the four-term South Carolina governor who played a critical role in framing the US Constitution. Located in Mount Pleasant, the 28-acre park was once part of Pinckney's 715-acre Snee Farm estate.
Significance of Park
While he never earned the notoriety of some of America's other founding fathers, Charles Pinckney was instrumental in helping frame the document that would become the supreme law of our country.
Pinckney was just 29 when he was chosen to serve as a South Carolina delegate to the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. The second youngest delegate among the 55-member group, he was the only one to introduce a complete plan for the new federal government of the United States. Many of his recommendations were incorporated into the final document, earning him the nickname of "Constitution Charlie."
In his 1791 tour of the Southern states, President George Washington stopped at Snee Farm to have breakfast.
Things to Do
Your first stop should be the visitor center, housed in an early 19th-century cottage built on the same site as Pinckney's plantation house. William Matthews razed the original hurricane-damaged home when he purchased the property in 1828 and built his Lowcountry farmhouse from native cypress and pine.
Upon request, park staff will play a 20-minute video that offers an overview of Pinckney's career and life on the coastal plantation. After viewing the documentary, take a self-guided tour of the exhibits, which include artifacts unearthed by archaeologists on the property. Park rangers are always around to answer any questions you might have about Pinckney, his plantation and the slaves who worked for him.
