Blessing Plantation sold for $15.2M to Berkeley County, OSI

The first thing visitors notice at Blessing Plantation isn’t the stately mid-19th-century home or the mile of waterfront along French Quarter Creek – it’s the sense of stepping into a place that time left untouched. 

After centuries of private ownership, that experience is about to become public. 

For $15.2 million, Berkeley County and the Open Space Institute have jointly acquired the 630-acre property in Huger – one of the crown jewels of the 33,000-acre Cooper River Historic District – and will transform it into the county’s newest passive park.  

The purchase – made possible through the Berkeley County Greenbelt Program and, what officials say is a rare bargain sale from the plantation's longtime owners, the des Francs family  – opens long-restricted land for fishing, kayaking, hiking, events, and historical exploration on a former colonial rice plantation. 

“We are here to celebrate the acquisition of probably one of the most important properties in coastal South Carolina,” OSI’s Michelle Sinkler said during a walkthrough of the plantation. “I’m almost teary at how important this property is, not just to protect it for itself, but as a springboard for the next generation of conservation in the region.” 

CENTURIES IN THE MAKING 

Blessing Plantation’s recorded history dates to 1682, when settler Jonah Lynch named the land after the ship that carried him to the Carolina colony. Over the next three centuries, it passed through prominent families including Henry Laurens and James Poyas, who built the plantation home that still stands. 

The des Francs family purchased it in 1987, turning it into a family home. 

“My late mother bought this place as a timberland investment,” Edouard des Francs said. “At the time, me and my college roommates all piled in the car, drove in the gate, and it was a wild kingdom. We walked in the house and said, ‘let’s move here.’” 

Decades of weddings, christenings, and family traditions followed. “My mother turned it into a home. Forty years later, we’re here,” he said, holding back tears. 

Protecting the land instead of selling it for development was intentional. 

“We had a lot of options for this property, and we are delighted that Blessing Plantation will now be open for recreation and enjoyment of the public.” 

PAYING FOR THE PLANTATION 

Paying for the $15.2 million acquisition involved a wide coalition: 

- SC Conservation Bank / OSI: $7.4 million 

- Berkeley County Greenbelt Program: $5.8 million 

- Lowcountry Land Trust: $2 million 

- Donated value from des Francs family: $5.22 million 

For Berkeley County Supervisor Johnny Cribb, Blessing Plantation represents the purpose of the Greenbelt Program created when voters approved the penny sales tax referendum in 2022.  

“The top three concerns of mine every day are roads, roads, roads… but the Greenbelt Program was something the public clearly wanted,” Cribb said. The referendum passed with a 74% approval. “You don’t often see 74% of people agreeing on anything,” he said. “If we weren’t purposeful about protecting what we hold dear, it would be gone.” 

WHAT THE PARK WILL OFFER 

The property includes the historic home, an African American church and cemetery, wetlands, woodlands, multiple outbuildings, and a dock on French Quarter Creek. The county envisions a low-impact park focused on nature and preservation. 

“There’s not going to be an extensive amount of vertical structures or playground equipment,” Cribb said. Instead, the focus will be on trails, ecological preservation, and public access to the creek. “One of the coolest parts about this place is the old cemetery here… a hilly area, wetlands. Personally, I think it’s screaming for a hiker-biker trail." 

The historic plantation house – soon to be named for Louise Carton Colas des Francs – will become a venue for weddings, family gatherings, and community events. With more than a mile of waterfront, the property will also offer access for kayaking and fishing. 

PRESERVING A LANDSCAPE 

Partners saw Blessing Plantation as one of the Cooper River corridor’s last major unprotected tracts, facing increasing pressure from regional growth. 

“Conservation is about protecting those places you thought would always be there,” said Raleigh West, executive director of the South Carolina Conservation Bank. “This is a real homecoming for me, and I’m glad there are places I can take my kids to experience the same things I did growing up, in spite of all the change.”   

“You can’t talk about conservation on the Cooper River without talking about Father Francis Kline at Mepkin Abbey (in Moncks Corner),” Charles Lane with Holcombe, Fair and Lane Real Estate shared during the walkthrough. 

Lane recounted how Kline, terminally ill, sought to protect the abbey’s land, and received approval “within four days from Pope Benedict” to place a conservation easement.“So this area is truly blessed,” Lane said. 

Matt Williams, president of the Lowcountry Land Trust, highlighted why greenspaces like this matter. “Some of the best conversations I’ve ever had were in a duck blind or fishing with a friend,” he said. “Places like this really matter, and they're important to our well-being and our existence in the Lowcountry.” 

While the county has not set an opening date, maintenance and safety teams will begin evaluating the land. 

“There’s a lot that goes into making it publicly accessible," Cribb said, "but executing this was a massive win."