City Directories and History: Gravel Hill Plantation is important not only as an example of Greek Revival architecture, but also as one of the few remaining plantations of the Buddenville area. In the first half of the nineteenth century Buddenville was a “region inhabited by large planters and land owners where wealth, affluence, culture and high standards of living were reflected in palatial homes and surroundings. Gravel Hill is one of the few structures in the Buddenville area that was not destroyed during the Civil War. Gravel Hill is a two-story white frame Greek Revival structure set upon a raised basement. Benjamin Lawton Willingham constructed this one-time plantation between 1857 and 1859. A gable roof and a one-story portico, which is supported by four wooden square columns, characterize the front façade. Wooden balustrades both enclose and top the portico. A balustraded piazza with five small columns extends along the east façade. A raised terrace connecting the front portico and side piazza was added ca. 1900, and the foundation was enclosed with cement ca. 1955. Two small wings have also been added to the building. The property also includes a two-story frame smokehouse. Listed in the National Register May 28, 1976. [Courtesy of the SC Dept. of Archives and History]
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NATIONAL REGISTER IMAGES(S)
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