walking in their footsteps

While David and I were in Charleston we had the pleasure of walking in the footsteps of some of my family from many many years past.

It just so happens that my 6th great grandfather back was Peter Horlbeck, one of the builders of the Old Exchange Building. He and his brother John came to American about 1764 from Plauen in Saxony, Germany. They were master builders or contractors in Charles Town before the Revolution (1776).

Peter Horlbeck and his brother John Horlbeck were contracted to build the Exchange in 1767. It still stands to this day.

The building was completed in 1771. 

The cellar of the Exchange was originally used to store goods such as rice, indigo and cotton waiting to be shipped or delivered. South Carolina declared their independence from Great Britain from the steps of the Exchange in 1776.

(original brick, notice how it is arched...all original bricks and structure)

In 1780 the cellar became a dungeon and was also used to hold American prisoners for 2 years during the British occupation during the Revolution. In 1791 President George Washington attended a ball in the Great Hall of The Exchange.

 In  1773, Peter Horlbeck was married to Anna Catherine Fillhaur (Vilhaur).  In 1785 he purchased Oak Grove Plantation, about 350 acres in the parish of St. George, Dorchester on the Ashley River near the town of Summerville.  Peter and his wife made the property their residence and it is said that Catherine planted a lane of live oaks down to the river.  Some are still standing today.

Prior to Peter purchasing this property in Dorchester, the city of Charles Town fell to the British in 1780.  There was a Fort....Fort Dorchester located close to the propety that he purchased (we have a map) and the village of Dorchester as well as the fort were both occupied by the British.  The fort changed hands several times, the last being in December 1781.  The British, learning of Col. Wade Hampton's advance, destroyed all they could at the fort and retreated to Charles Town before the attack took place.

  So it was after all this that they bought the property close to the old location of the fort.  There was also a church, St George's  Parish Church that also "suffered at the hands of the British".  A fire and earthquake late in the nineteenth century gutted and brought down the walls of the church.  The church tower remains and this is where Peter Horlbeck is buried.   Gammy and Papa have been there and have pictures.  Peter died in1797 and Catherine died in 1819.  We have a copy of Pete's will....very interesting.
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 David and I also visited Boone Hall while in the Charleston area. The Plantation is known as Boone Hall Plantation from the Major John Boone, the first owner.

It was purchased by Peter's nephews, John and Henry Horlbeck in 1817 (just prior to Catherines death).  John and Henry were sons of John Adams Horlbeck, Peter's brother.  The nephews planted the pecan grove. 

These are the original slave quarters, 9 brick buildings that are on your left hand side as you enter the plantation. It would not have been typical to have the slave quarters in front of the main home, but this served as an advertisement that bricks were made here.

Besides a brickyard, Boone Hall also produced agricultural products.

The house that stands today, this is a reproduction of a plantation home. The Horlbecks would have lived looked more similar to a white farmhouse.

Looking out at the marsh

oldest existing structure on the plantation

It is pretty amazing to stand where family so many generations back once stood. I am grateful that Gammy has taken so much time to properly document our family history. She has spent many hours in libraries, churches, and cemeteries uncovering our family's past.

(an example of just one sheet of her documentation)

(and a simplified version of just this one little piece of family history)

The history, the people, and the stories really begin to come alive as you stand where your family once stood. I look forward to being able to take Owen one day to walk in the footsteps of his relatives.