Four years later, James Laurence Sprunt wrote a book about the history of Orton Plantation entitled The Story of Orton Plantation. They were genius in how they moved water in and out, Epp said. In my experience, it is reminiscent of my visits to Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA. Once open to the public, this grounds are now under new ownership and closed! How To Add Oil To Your Murray Lawn Mower For Optimal Performance, The Benefits Of Using Liquid Fertilizer After Mowing Your Lawn, Troubleshooting Your Riding Lawn Mower: Identifying And Resolving Common Issues, How To Determine The Correct Amount Of Oil To Fill Your Toro Lawn Mower After A Change, How To Troubleshoot And Repair Your Cub Cadet Riding Lawn Mower, How To Minimize The Risk Of Blowback When Using A Riding Lawn Mower. Orton Plantation, on the west bank of the Cape Fear River, first was owned, in 1725, by Maurice Moore, son of S. C. Governor James Moore. After the death of Laurence Sprunt in 1973 and Annie Gray Sprunt in 1978, the ownership was shared by their four sons: James Laurence Sprunt Jr., Kenneth Murchison, Samuel Nash, and Laurence Gray Sprunt. This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. We had to learn from that.. It was bought by a decendent of the original builder & owner (1700's) and his vision is to restore it back to a rice plantation. They understood that the critical part of growing rice was getting water in and out of the fields.. It fits almost everyones image of a prototypical antebellum southern mansion. "Those two plantations were owned by a man named Roger Moore and he had about 250 slaves on those two plantations. [2][3] Although the home is privately owned and closed to the public, the Orton Plantation Gardens and family-owned chapel have become a tourist destination in Southeastern North Carolina, attracting thousands of visitors each year. The Orton House, dating from 1725, was built by Roger Moore, known as "The King" in this area because of his imperious manner. Louis Bacon has remained quiet in his efforts, which according to the article, go well beyond his purchase of Orton Plantation in 2010. Richard Stradling: 919-829-4739, @RStradling. From alligators on the bank to the elevated plank walk across the watery swamp, it was truly a spectacular place to visit. The new owner, however, is doing a great job of restoring the entire area to its natural habitat. Unfortunately because the public is no longer allowed on the grounds, you will have to look at this through pictures, videos and the many motion pictures that were made on location at Orton Plantation. The Orton sale provides an excellent opportunity to learn more about one of the earliest and most important antebellum homes in the Lowcountry. Roger constructed the current Orton Plantation home in 1735 and developed his land into a leading rice plantation with the unpaid labor of hundreds of slaves. Orton Plantation Cemetery is a cemetery located in Brunswick County, North Carolina. The plantation is now a museum and is open to the public for tours and events. Happy to respond.Daryl. The first home at Orton was built in 1725, but it was destroyed a few years later by local American Indians. The Orton Plantation is a historic plantation house in the Smithville Township of Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States. A Real Plantation South of Wilmington - CHeck to be Sure it's Open. Orton is now visited by thousands of people each year and has served as the backdrop for 35 films. The Russellborough monument was dedicated in 1909 and was made from stones from the houses foundation. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. In 1884, Orton Plantation was purchased by a former Confederate military officer, Kenneth MacKenzie Murchison. Orton Plantation, Wilmington: See 21 reviews, articles, and 3 photos of Orton Plantation, one of 368 Wilmington attractions listed on Tripadvisor. But the house is off-limits. Could you tell me if the chapel is opened to the public? [5], Orton Plantation Gardens contains 20 acres (81,000m2) of lawns and formal gardens, as well as 60 acres (24ha) of fountains, statues, forests, lagoons, old rice fields, and a family cemetery. The grounds and the home are well-kept; it's not too expensive, and well worth your time. The grounds are gorgeous, there are beautiful lakes and streams full of wildlife, the azaleas are vibrant and large, and the oak trees are so amazing. Forbes estimates that he is the 312th wealthiest person in the United States, with a net worth of $1,402 million. He is doing extensive rennovations, restoring it to its 18th century form, down to working rice patties. No date given for that as yet.The new owner, a descendant of the original 19th century developer, has publicly pledged to spend whatever it takes to modernize the house without impinging on the historical beauty of it. The slaves at Orton Plantation were treated relatively well compared to slaves at other plantations. BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WECT) - The Orton Plantation in Brunswick County is coming full circle. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Orton Plantation is no longer open to the public, It is now a private residence. 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James, a lawyer, encouraged his wife to remodel the home and in 1910 he and Luola began the development of a flower garden and expansion of the house. Thank you. The Moores were Royalists, and, most likely . Oh, I just saw it is privately owned and wont ever be open to the public again. We do not have any. There was an alligator almost as likely to live on a road from Orton to Brunswick Town as there was a Model T. These fowl have long necks and bills similar to domestic birds. [13][14], Since 1983, Orton Plantation has been featured in 23 films and 34 television movies and series. This is a local destination - check for hours. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. However, they were still slaves, and were not allowed to leave the plantation without permission. A descendant of the founder of Orton Plantation re-purchased the plantation and the large acreage of former rice fields and formal gardens surrounding it, as well as the family chapel and graveyard close by the plantatation's large mansion. A rice expert says it is a miracle that so much rice has been planted. Our Rating Hours Mar-Aug daily 8am-6pm; Sept-Nov daily 10am-5pm Transportation Take U.S. 17 across the river and turn onto N.C. 133; the gardens are 18 miles south of Wilmington and 10 miles north of Southport Phone 910/371-6851 Prices Admission $9 adults, $8 seniors, $3 children 6 . This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in Canada. Glad to be of help..>Daryl, Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Historic Sites Points of Interest & Landmarks, Orton Plantation, Wilmington: Address, Orton Plantation Reviews: 4/5. Maurice Moore bought Orton Plantation, located on the banks of the Cape Fear River, in the early 1900s. [2][3][5][9][10], The Orton Plantation used to be a tourist attraction with the gardens and chapel open to the public. Visitors flock to see the gardens, which begin blooming in late winter and reach their height in spring, when camellias, azaleas, pansies, and flowering trees burst into bloom. Beautiful Orton was bought by a billionaire descendent of the early owners of Orton. You should e able to visit this real plantation restored by a new owner to reflect what things were like. If you have any concerns, Orton officials suggest contacting the North Carolina Forest Service. level of our approval. Some of the movies that feature scenes from Orton Plantation include Lolita, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Hounddog, and A Walk to Remember. Orton Plantation is best known for its role in the American Civil War, as it was occupied by both Confederate and Union troops at various times. Originally a .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}1+12-story white brick building, a second floor was added to the house in 1840 along with four fluted Doric columns. Exploring The Pros And Cons, Exploring The Pros And Cons Of Adding Carb Cleaner To A Gasoline-Powered Lawn Mower Fuel System. When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site. However, after the War, Orton Plantation was abandoned and the house sat empty for 19 years. The house had been abandoned following the war and was left vacant for 19 years. He entertained them at his town home and Orton Plantation, in addition to treating them to an oyster roast at the Cazeauxs. Bacon wants to expand the designation to include the rice fields, 465 acres in all. One of the world's leading conservationists, the billionaire is a descendant of the original owners of the site. The Russellborough monument, made of stones from the houses foundation, was dedicated in 1909. Ownership of the Orton Plantation was passed down to each generation of the Sprunt family for 126 years. Were focused on restoring the fields.. In the 1930s, James Laurence Sprunt and his second wife Annie enlarged the garden to its current size of 20 acres (8.1ha), with some of the landscape design done by Robert Sturtevant. Orton Plantation Gardens. Try contacting the Wilmington, N.C. Chamber of Commerce they might be able to give answers here. If you travel toward Fort Anderson you may see the gates, and the alligators that reside in the ponds along the way. This is one you won't forget. By Michael Tedder Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Please inform me if you find out anything & THANK YOU for your ? Orton Plantation, a former rice plantation during slavery, is no longer open for public visit. Following its purchase in 1884, a series of owners gradually restored the mansion house to its former glory. On average, only one in four white families owned a slave, and most owned only a few. The plantation was built in 1735 and was in operation until 1865. The plantation is now a museum and a historic site. Fire is necessary to maintain longleaf pine forests, which resemble a grassy savannah randomly dotted with tall pines and support several rare plants and animals, including the red-cockaded woodpecker. SE, Winnabow, NC, USA. The owner stated that he may at some time in the future reopen the plantation to visitors, but he had not made a final decision about that. No parts of this location are open to the public and no plans to open at any foreseeable date. There has been a company that has been in operation for 74 years. ONE OF THE VERY BEST SITES IN EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA! The Orton Plantation sale, for a variety of reasons, is extremely important. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ). During the Civil War, the plantation served as a military hospital for Union soldiers. After I showed pix to my daughter, she always wanted to get married there!! The plantation has been closed since then. We visited there with our girls some time ago but we were enchanted with its natural beauty! The est time involved will be 3-4 years, but I believe the new owner plans to reopen the plantation once everything has been completed. The park has a small, but fine, beautifully organized and presented museum that chronicles the area's interesting past, that extends to pre-Revolutionary days, when the area was called Brunswick Town, and was one of the earliest and most important towns in North Carolina's early days. Happy to respond.Daryl. No. Though the house itself remained a private residence, the garden and chapel were open to the public, and the old rice fields became a wildlife sanctuary. On April 11, 1973, the Orton Plantation was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Restoring the fields, like restoring the 280-year-old home and the longleaf pine forests at Orton, is part of Bacons quixotic effort to preserve a 17th century landscape and, he says, honor the African slaves who built it and made it economically viable. If he can restore even a fraction of them, he could become North Carolinas largest rice farmer. Dr. Laurence Sprunt spun yarn for a group of Delawareans whose family trees contained tartans. Orton Plantation is located at 5600 Orton Road, Southport, NC 28461. If you are in the area, plan to visit Fort Anderson and Old Brunswick Town. No word when, if ever, it will reopen to the public. Many years ago people would have weddings here because it is so Enchanting. On Cape Fear River at jct. What to know about daylight saving time in NC, Goofy dog had no adoption inquiries for months. Orton Plantation has not produced rice since 1931. No date for reopening at present time, but when it does, it will be spectacular! Removing that will actually take the salt with it, he said, holding a flower in his hand. The current Orton plantation house was constructed in 1735, and the surrounding land was developed into a leading rice plantation. Very disappointed after having found this place on the map and driving a good distance out of our way to find that this place no longer exists. The old rice plantation's owner is restoring the plantation to look like it did 300 years ago. The new owner, however, is doing a great job of restoring the entire area to its natural habitat. Eagles Island 50 minute Narrated Boat Cruise, Half-Day E-Bike Tour of Wilmington's History, Haunts & Breweries, Morning Aerial Adventure Adult Course from Riegelwood, Fun City Scavenger Hunt in Wilmington by Operation City Quest, 2-Hour Wilmington Guided Tour on Electric Bikes, Scavenger Hunt Adventure in Wilmington by Zombie Scavengers, Day Trip to Charleston Tour #5: Bus Tour, Boone Plantation, Lunch and More, Day Trips to Charleston Tour #7: See INSIDE Ft Sumter,Carriage Tour,Lunch & more, Brunswick Town and Fort Anderson State Historic Site, Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. Title Orton Plantation, near Wilmington, Brunswick County, North Carolina; Names Johnston, Frances Benjamin, 1864-1952, photographer Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. They are currently working on restoration of the pine forests, gardens, rice plantation & the actual plantation home itself.