El Dorado Plantation

Deep in the Santee Coastal Reserve, near the South Santee River, lies the ruins of El Dorado. The house was built in 1797, and tragically burned to the ground in 1897. Stories of the strong women of the St. James Santee parish are numerous, this story is no exception. The house was built on land owned by Rebecca Brewton Motte, who purchased 400 acres in 1784. Rebecca helped to design the house along with her son-in law (times 2) Major-General Thomas Pinckney, Sr. Thomas Pinckney was married to both Elizabeth Motte, in 1779, and after her death married her sister, Frances, in 1797. The property remained in the Pinkney family until the late 1950s

1891 photograph of the Eldorado Plantation house with its columned portico, courtesy of The Charleston Museum
Eldorado Plantation 1891
© The Charleston Museum Archives
Front of the Eldorado Plantation ruins behind a rail fence, January 2023
Front of Ruins January 2023
Tall pines on the Eldorado grounds
Standing brick chimney of the Eldorado ruins under live oaks
First View from El Dorado Road
Brick arch of a cellar opening under brush
Water inside an old brick cistern among vines
Well Near the House Site
View from the front of the Eldorado house through the trees toward the marsh
View from the Front of the House
Brick chimney ruin beyond a rail fence and tall grass
Trees framing the marsh and river beyond Eldorado
Low ruins hidden in the undergrowth
Row of brick arches in the Eldorado foundation ruins
Brick arch in the ruined foundation with a green shrub
Brick foundation arch of the Eldorado ruins beside a shrub
Overgrown brick wall of the Eldorado ruins
Side view of the brick foundation arches
Brick chimney rising among the trees at Eldorado
Brick chimney and a stuccoed wall section of the ruins
Stuccoed brick wall section standing in tall grass
Brick chimney and wall ruins under a blue sky
Mound of rubble and brush at the house site
Ruins and trees across the clearing at Eldorado
The Collapsed Chimney
Weathered brick chimney stack in the woods
Top of a brick chimney against the sky
Distant brick chimney beyond the field and trees
The Standing Chimney
Brick chimney rising above the shrubs at Eldorado
Brick chimney with a small tree growing from its top
Weathered top of the chimney with a sapling
Close view of the brick chimney's open firebox

Away from the main house, down the El Dorado Road trail, there was another small ruins, with the standing chimney below. This must have been an enslaved people’s homestead, the fireplace was far too small, and it was too far from the main house to be an old kitchen.

Open woods with a distant chimney at Eldorado
Crumbling brick cabin chimney standing in the woods
Side view of the crumbling cabin chimney
Open firebox of the crumbling cabin chimney
Tall brick chimney standing alone among the trees
Brick chimney seen through the trees

More Photos

El Dorado Plantation ruins rising above the brush under a blue sky
Brick arches of the El Dorado Plantation foundation ruins
Front left corner of the El Dorado ruins with brick arches
Tall brick chimney standing in the woods at El Dorado
Open firebox at the base of an El Dorado chimney

Resources

El Dorado Plantation

Santee Coastal Reserve Wildlife Management Area

Trail Map

Santee Coastal Reserve trail map