Lowndes Grove

Lowndes Grove, also known as The Grove or Grove Farm, is a historic waterfront estate on the Ashley River in Charleston, South Carolina. The property occupies a triangular parcel in the Wagener Terrace area, bounded by St. Margaret Street, Fifth Avenue, and Sixth Avenue. Its principal house is generally dated to about 1786 and is associated with the evolution of Charleston's plantation landscape, later residential development, historic preservation, and event use. The site has earlier colonial associations. Before the Revolutionary War, John Gibbes maintained a house, garden, and greenhouses known as The Grove. That earlier house was probably near Indian Hill, on land now associated with The Citadel campus, and was likely destroyed in 1779. The gardens appear to have survived, and the Gibbes heirs divided the surrounding land into smaller tracts after the war. Three northern parcels were acquired by George Abbot Hall. Because Hall's 1791 estate inventory referred to a house, historians generally place the construction of the surviving residence around 1786. The property later passed to the Beaufain brothers, who operated a small agricultural enterprise there. They called the house Wedderburn Lodge and sold it to Mary Clodner Vesey. In 1803 Vesey conveyed the property to William Lowndes, a South Carolina politician who served in the United States Congress until resigning in 1822 because of ill health. The estate subsequently changed hands several times before being acquired by Frederick W. Wagener, a prominent Charleston businessman. Wagener played a major role in the South Carolina Inter-State and West Indian Exposition of 1901–1902, an ambitious regional exposition held on approximately 250 acres associated with his property. Lowndes Grove served as the exposition's Woman's Building, giving the house a public and institutional role beyond its earlier residential and agricultural uses. In 1918, James Sottile purchased the estate. Sottile was involved in the development of the Isle of Palms and later operated Sottile Farms. He subdivided much of the original plantation acreage into streets and residential lots, creating the urban setting that surrounds the surviving house today. The house is a one-and-a-half-story frame residence over a raised basement. The basement and lower level are stuccoed brick, while the upper portions are frame construction. Although it was probably conceived in a Georgian idiom, successive alterations changed its original appearance. A double portico was apparently modified around 1830 into a five-bay upper piazza with Doric columns and balustrades. The central bays project beneath a pediment with an oculus, and the exterior includes classical entablature, modillion blocks, and dentils. The roof is hipped and was covered with terra-cotta tiles during the 1920s. Dormers, interior chimneys, a central hallway, original floors, plastered surfaces, period decorative details, and a spiral staircase with a circular skylight contribute to its architectural significance. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 30, 1978. In 2007, the Patrick family acquired the house and restored it for use as an event venue. Its later public profile was broadened when the property appeared in the Netflix series Outer Banks, where it portrayed the Cameron family's home. Lowndes Grove is therefore best understood not as a conventional consumer brand, but as a preserved historic estate, cultural landmark, filming location, and private-events venue.

Lowndes Grove developed from an earlier colonial-era landscape known as The Grove. Before the Revolutionary War, John Gibbes maintained a house, garden, and greenhouses on the broader site. The original house was probably situated near Indian Hill, in the vicinity of the present Citadel campus, and likely disappeared during the destruction associated with the Revolutionary War in 1779. The gardens and surrounding land remained significant, however, and the Gibbes heirs later divided the property into smaller tracts. Around the mid-1780s, George Abbot Hall acquired three of the northernmost parcels. A reference to a house in the 1791 inventory of Hall's estate has led historians to place the construction of the surviving residence at approximately 1786. The Beaufain brothers, who came from the West Indies, became later owners and operated a modest farming enterprise on the property. They gave the house the name Wedderburn Lodge before selling it to Mary Clodner Vesey. Vesey sold the property in 1803 to William Lowndes, a South Carolina political figure and member of the United States Congress. Lowndes remained associated with the estate until his retirement from Congress in 1822 because of poor health. After additional changes of ownership, Charleston businessman Frederick W. Wagener acquired the house. Wagener was president and a leading promoter of the South Carolina Inter-State and West Indian Exposition, held in 1901 and 1902 on approximately 250 acres connected with his holdings. Lowndes Grove was adapted for the exposition as the Woman's Building. James Sottile purchased the estate in 1918. His commercial activities included development at the Isle of Palms and operation of Sottile Farms. During his ownership, much of the original plantation acreage was transformed into streets and residential lots. This subdivision explains why the historic house now stands within an urban Charleston neighborhood rather than within an intact agricultural tract. Architecturally, the surviving building is a one-and-a-half-story frame house above a raised basement. The lower level is stucco-covered brick, while the upper floors are frame. The building probably began as a Georgian-style residence, although later work substantially altered its appearance. Around 1830, a presumed double portico was remodeled into a five-bay piazza with Doric columns and balustrades. The central bays extend forward beneath a pediment and oculus. Classical exterior details include entablatures, modillions, and dentils. The hipped roof received terra-cotta tile covering in the 1920s, and dormers were added or retained on the side and rear roof slopes. The interior follows a four-room plan organized around a central hall. Original floors survive, while major rooms contain Adams-style decorative features such as cornices, ceiling medallions, and carved mantels. Rooms on the northwest side display Regency-style work associated with the enlargement of the house. A northeast first-floor room was seriously damaged by a twentieth-century fire and subsequently rebuilt as a kitchen and library. A spiral staircase and circular skylight are among the notable interior features. Lowndes Grove was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 30, 1978. The Patrick family purchased the property in 2007, restored it, and adapted the estate for events. Its later appearance as the Cameron family residence in the 2020 Netflix series Outer Banks connected the historic site with a contemporary international television audience. The property's modern identity consequently combines preservation, hospitality, private events, and screen production with its earlier associations with agriculture, political ownership, exposition history, and Charleston's urban expansion.

• 2020

  Television appearance in Outer Banks

  [1]Lowndes Groveen.wikipedia.org

  The estate appeared as the Cameron family home in the Netflix series Outer Banks.

• 2007

  Restoration and event-venue conversion

  [1]Lowndes Groveen.wikipedia.org

  The Patrick family purchased the property, restored the house, and adapted it for events.

• 1978

  National Register listing

  [1]Lowndes Groveen.wikipedia.org

  Lowndes Grove was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 30.

• 1918

  Purchased by James Sottile

  [1]Lowndes Groveen.wikipedia.org

  James Sottile acquired the estate and later developed much of the surrounding plantation land into streets and residential lots.

• 1901

  Used during the South Carolina exposition

  [1]Lowndes Groveen.wikipedia.org

  Under Frederick W. Wagener's ownership, the house served as the Woman's Building for the South Carolina Inter-State and West Indian Exposition, which continued into 1902.

• 1830

  Major architectural alterations

  [1]Lowndes Groveen.wikipedia.org

  The presumed original double portico was modified into the house's characteristic five-bay upper piazza, and the residence was extended toward the rear.

• 1803

  Property conveyed to William Lowndes

  [1]Lowndes Groveen.wikipedia.org

  Mary Clodner Vesey sold the property to William Lowndes, after whom the estate later became known as Lowndes Grove.

• 1791

  House documented in Hall estate inventory

  [1]Lowndes Groveen.wikipedia.org

  An inventory of George Abbot Hall's estate referred to a house, supporting the approximate late-eighteenth-century construction date.

• 1786

  Construction of the surviving house

  [1]Lowndes Groveen.wikipedia.org

  The residence is generally believed to have been built around this time after George Abbot Hall acquired three northern parcels of the former Gibbes property.

A preserved Charleston waterfront landmark positioned around historic architecture, scenic setting, cultural heritage, and private-event use.

• Hospitality and heritage property · 2007

  Historic estate and event venue

  Lowndes Grove operates as a restored historic estate used for private events and hospitality functions. Its waterfront location, formal architecture, period interiors, and landscaped setting are central to the property's appeal. The offering is experiential rather than a packaged consumer product, combining access to a preserved Charleston landmark with an event setting.

• Location services · 2020

  Film and television location

  The estate is also used as a screen location. Its appearance as the Cameron family residence in Outer Banks demonstrated how the site's historic exterior and waterfront setting can support fictional residential and prestige-period imagery.

• 2020

  Screen-location use in Outer BanksOther

  Background

  The restored estate's appearance and waterfront setting made it suitable for fictional residential use in a television production.

  Action taken

  Lowndes Grove was used as the Cameron family's home in the Netflix series Outer Banks.

  Aftermath

  The appearance introduced the property to a broader contemporary audience and added a screen-location dimension to its public profile.

  Source

• 2007

  Adaptation as an event venueStrategy

  Background

  After the Patrick family acquired the historic estate, the property required continued preservation while also supporting a viable contemporary use.

  Action taken

  The house was restored and repositioned for private events and related hospitality use.

  Aftermath

  The adaptation maintained the property's public relevance while preserving its architectural character and historic identity.

  Source

1. 1Lowndes Groveen.wikipedia.org