Carolina Plantations: Lost Photographs from the Historic American Buildings Survey

by William P. Baldwin III

Uncover the history of an era long forgotten by war and progress in this unique look at the plantations in the Carolinas. These great plantations are symbols of the South and days gone by. Today perhaps only a hundred along the coast and another hundred inland remain. Many of the great plantation homes were lost during the time of war, and many more were simply allowed to collapse in the aftermath. This collection of photographs represents some of the most stunning work present in the Historic American Buildings Survey, an effort to catalogue and document the architecture and building culture of America. In the South, especially, these photographs became invaluable records of a way of life that was quickly disappearing. The selections here, presented by William P. Baldwin, capture these lost dwellings--sometimes as a fragment, sometimes a whole building--and showcase the grand tradition and romantic detail of these icons of the South.

Genres: Photography, History

168 pages, Paperback

First published October 16, 2007

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed looking through this book. The pictures of the homes and their interiors are great. There are some details to accompany each picture, but like another reviewer stated, I wish there were a little more details! Especially about the family who suffered great misfortune! Also,I wish the houses were organized by geographic location, and that the locations were given with each picture, instead of on a back page. Overall, I enjoyed it and learned some new things, and added some new places to my "hope to visit" list!

[Lesley Looper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed looking through this book of South Carolina plantation homes. Some were a little surprising (like a Frank Lloyd Wright house, complete with a dog kennel--also designed by Wright--in back), but mostly it shows numerous big old homes, with plenty of porches, columns, staircases, Spanish moss, and ivey. I enjoyed the captions with each picture as well, which sometimes explained a little bit of history about the house.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

While an interesting glimpse into post-Revolution, pre-Civil War Carolina plantation architecture, the book did not attempt to answer questions raised by its text (seriously, why tell us that a house was built for "a young English couple of great misfortune" and then not elaborate?) nor does it provide context for the images it presents. The result feels disconnected and a bit unsatisfying. Without the human connection, they're just old houses.