Tombee Plantation, Frogmore South Carolina
Tombee Plantation is one of the few surviving antebellum plantation houses remaining on St. Helena Island. The structure retains much of its original interior detailing and is an example of the smaller plantation house that once existed on the sea islands in Beaufort County.
Tombee stands as an example of the Beaufort-style house characterized by square posts supporting a two-story porch and with the tabby foundations previously found in this area.
Early deeds and records related to Tombee cannot be located. Much of the history is therefore based on local tradition. According to a map (ca. 1937) of St. Helena Island by Arthur Christenson, the land of Tom B. Chaplin coincides with the present location of Tombee Plantation.
It is believed that this structure was built in the late 18th Century, possibly by Thomas Chaplin (1747-1835?) who is recorded in a 1790 census as owning 65 slaves on St. Helena Island. The first Chaplins are found planting on St. Helena in 1725 and remained a prominent family on the island until the beginning of the War Between the States.
Thomas Benjamin Chaplin (1822-1890) left a 780-page journal with entries from 1845 to 1857 (there is one entry after the war: January 1, 1886). These daily entries give an insight into life on a sea island plantation. Chaplin's plantation is believed to be Tombee. The main crop on this plantation was Sea Island cotton and the staples of corn, potatoes, and peas.
Tombee Plantation was divided into tracts during the days of the "Port Royal Experiment" in 1862. It remained in the hands of descendants of freed slaves until 1971.
Building Description
Tombee Plantation house is a two-story clapboard structure set on a high tabby foundation. Probably built ca. 1790-1800, Tombee was constructed in a T-shape, allowing each room to have window exposure on three sides. Windows are 9/9. The structure has a gable roof. The front portico is single-story with 4 square columns and balustrade. There are two exterior end chimneys; the south chimney was rebuilt during restoration (1972) to match the north chimney. The rear facade has a two-story balustraded porch with six square columns on each floor. Doors on each floor of the rear facade have transom with a semi-circular fanlight inset. Before restoration, (1972) the rear porch had deteriorated; was rebuilt upon the tabby foundation. (The front of Tombee was historically the side facing the marsh. For modern convenience, the front is now the side facing the road.)
There are three rooms on each floor. The walls and overmantel in the parlor are feather-grained. The floors are of heart pine. Wainscoting remains throughout the structure. Two bathrooms and a kitchen were incorporated into Tombee during restoration. The dining area does not have electricity. Hurricane bracing is located in the corners of the house.
There are plans to construct a bridge from St. Helena to St. Phillip's Island. The bridge will be located approximately 3300 feet from Tombee. At present, Tombee is located in an undisturbed area with marshlands behind the house.
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