Here's something interesting: Laurelwood, as this 1845 plantation house is known, was rediscovered a few years ago amid a "tangle of bamboo and wisteria" by the Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation, a South Carolina organization that helps derelict architectural wonders find new owners. Built for James Seay as the seat of his 2,500-acre plantation, the house was purchased in 1909 by J.H. Campbell. It remained in the Campbell family for almost a century, before being sold and essentially abandoned in 1995.
Clearly, those 15 years haven't been kind to the ol' place, but for $175K—or best offer—Laurelwood packs a lot of backstory and old-world detail into an affordable package. It's going to take a particular sort of buyer to undertake the inevitably expensive reno, so the Campbell clan is lending a hand, in doing so discovering a bit more about their family's history. They've been documenting their findings on a heartfelt family blog, The Legacy of Laurelwood. Consider it a love story.
· 200 Campbell Road [Palmetto Trust]
· The Legacy of Laurelwood [blog]
· Laurelwood [S.C. Dept. of Archives & History]