Sir John Colleton’s 18th Century PlaygroundThe Colleton River Plantation Club lies within a historical tract of land that was once known as the Devil’s Elbow Barony. This 12,000 acre parcel was granted to Sir John Colleton, the grandson of the first Sir John Colleton, one of several original landowners who were given the land for their loyalty and constancy to the crown by a grateful King Charles II of England. Throughout the 18th Century, the barony was used primarily for farming with rice, indigo and cotton as the dominant crops. The landowners and their families lived in plantation homes that became increasingly more elaborate as their Antebellum lifestyle flourished. The Civil War changed everything. Crops, homes, and equipment were destroyed, and the plantation economy collapsed. Northern speculators, led by John Sergeant Cram, moved in and the land eventually passed into the hands of large companies that were more dedicated to timber and hunting preserves. In 1926, Henry (Harry) Cram Sr. acquired Foot Point Plantation from his father. Harry passed away in 1997 leaving behind a legacy of adventure and a joy of life, admiration for nature, and a true love of the Lowcountry. The original developer of the Colleton River Plantation Club acquired a large parcel of this land in 1990. The Jack Nicklaus Golf Course was completed in 1991 and the Pete Dye Golf Course was completed a few years later, in 1998. |
