These photos are from a site I visited in 2011.

The area of Sea Pines Plantation on Hilton Head Island was named Braddock’s Point Plantation in the 1700s. An Irish privateer, “Captain Jack” (John) Stoney arrived in South Carolina in 1774 with his wife and his own merchant ship. He fought for the Patriots in the American Revolution and acquired a fortune for his efforts. He bought the 1,000 acre Braddock’s Point Plantation in 1776.

The Stoney-Baynard Ruins are the foundation of the plantation house built by John Stoney. This was my fifth trip to Hilton Head since 2003, but I had not been to this site. I signed up for a tour that was cancelled because they did have enough people register for the tour. I did a self-tour and spent about 30 minutes at the site. I later found a number of Internet references with varying stories about the history of the house. Some of the references appeared to have contradictory information.

The date that construction began on the plantation home is in dispute, but most accounts placed it between 1790 and 1796. The ruins of the plantation house are the primary attraction on the site, but other smaller ruins from the plantation are also preserved in the area.

The above ruins are the side (foreground) and back of the plantation house.

The house apparently extended beyond the foundation and reportedly had 1,840 square feet, plus a wrap around porch. It faced Calibogue Sound on a bluff to take advantage of the cooling breeze off the water. The area is now wooded, but it is presumed that the home had a clear view to the Sound.

(One of the front corners of the house)

“Captain Jack” Stoney died in a hunting accident in 1821. His extensive holdings were jointly managed by his two sons, James and John. There is confusion about how many generations of Stoney heirs owned the property. One site listed four generations, but I noted a number of contradictions in that resource and confusion in the names of the owners. One of the resources said the name of “Captain Jack” merchant ship was the “Saucy Jack.” Other references said that “Saucy Jack” was his son, John. James died in 1827. John died in 1838.

Some stories said that John “Saucy Jack” lost the plantation in a poker game before he died. That does not appear to be supported. It does appear that the plantation, which had been mortgaged to the Bank of Charleston, was taken over by the bank after John’s death.

(Front of house)

William Eddings Baynard owned two plantation on Hilton Head, Spanish Wells and Muddy Creek. He acquired Braddock’s Point Plantation from the Bank of Charleston in 1840 and moved his family to the plantation house. William Baynard died in 1849. His family lived in the home until the Civil War arrived in 1861.

(Side of the house with the Main Floor corner wall)

Union forces took Hilton Head Island in November of 1861. The army reportedly occupied the house through 1864. The house burned sometime in the latter half of 1867. Some stories attributed it to Confederate arson, but I doubt that is true since the Civil War ended in 1865.

The Baynards paid back taxes and re-acquired the plantation after the Civil War, but they did not reconstruct the burned house. The foundation and part of the walls remained since they were constructed of “tabby,” which did not burn. The site is noted as one of the largest and best remains of tabby construction.

(Back corner and side of the house)

Sea Pines Plantation was the first real estate development on Hilton Head Island. Charles Frazier, the developer, was interested in preserving the forests and the artifacts within Sea Pines. He set aside the area around the Stoney-Baynard Ruins as part of Baynard Park. The site is on the National Register of Historic Sites.

It is an interesting place and a challenging photographic site. I wish that the story behind the site was less confusing. Maybe I can catch a tour and get the more definitive story on a future visit to Hilton Head.