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Long White Bridge
The historic gardens’ most celebrated landmark was built by enslaved workers in 1840. This makes it one of the oldest structures at Magnolia. The bridge, which has weathered hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and the general depredations of time, was damaged beyond repair by a falling maple tree in July of 2020. It was carefully reconstructed by Magnolia’s staff using old-growth cypress wood salvaged from the bottom of Lake Marion, and reopened to the public in 2021.
Big House Veranda
The first Drayton family house burned to the ground in an accidental fire. A second house was burned by Union troops at the end of the Civil War. The current house, built piecemeal in the decades that followed, was lived in by family members until 1975, when it was opened to the public. In 1995, the porch was widened and the large white columns were added.
Schoolhouse Pond
The red bridge across Schoolhouse Pond was constructed in 1975. Its name commemorates the schoolhouse (now the administrative office) in which the Reverend John Grimké Drayton and his wife Julia educated Magnolia’s enslaved workers beginning in the 1840’s, in defiance of South Carolina state law.
The Carriage House
The building now known as the Carriage House dates from the mid-nineteenth century. Originally built as a stable, it was later used as a barn and a maintenance facility. In 1998, it was converted into a space for events.
Bridge to the Nook
Magnolia’s smaller white bridge is a lovely spot for photographs. It was constructed in the mid-nineteenth century, shortly after the Long White Bridge.
Live Oak Pavilion
The Pavilion is an outdoor space flanked by 300-year-old live oak trees. Preliminary archaeological research has uncovered evidence of prior habitation among these oaks; it is likely that another row of slave cabins was originally located here.
Flowerdale
Flowerdale predates the rest of Magnolia’s historic gardens. This tiny 17th-century formal garden is believed to have been adjacent to the original house, which burned in 1810.
Tropical Conservatory
Built-in 1993 as a tribute to the Drayton family connection to the island nation of Barbados, the Conservatory is a unique enclosed solarium showcasing an abundance of tropical plants and flowers.