By Delayna Earley
The Island News
A fire occurred at the historical landmark Auldbrass Plantation in mid-October and reportedly caused an estimated $2 million worth of damage.
The fire, which destroyed an outbuilding, took place sometime late Wednesday, Oct. 16 or early on Thursday, Oct. 17. A source told The Island News that the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s (SLED) Arson Unit was called out to investigate the source of the fire.
A secondary source, who is close to the property’s owner said that the fire destroyed two vintage Lincoln Continentals that had been owned and modified by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1940s.
The home was designed and built by Wright from 1939 to 1941 for Charles Leigh Stevens, and it was purchased and restored by Hollywood producer Joel Silver in 1986. Silver also purchased the cars that had been owned by Wright.
Sheldon Fire Department responded to the fire but attempts to speak with Fire Chief Walter F. “Buddy” Jones, III regarding the fire have not been successful.
What is Auldbrass
Auldbrass is one of two structures designed by Wright in South Carolina.
The design for Auldbrass was inspired by the surrounding Lowcountry landscape and it incorporates aspects of his characteristic organic architecture.
The property is near the Town of Yemassee and is situated on the Combahee River.
The plantation was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and is currently open to the public one weekend every two years with the money raised from a limited number of tours benefiting the Beaufort County Open Land Trust.
Auldbrass Plantation was designed as a collection of buildings that included the main residence, cottages, guest house, caretaker’s quarters, chicken runs, kennels, stables and a Granary.
The main residence along with a few of the other buildings make up a hexagon module floorplan and when approaching the home there is not a grand entrance as the driveways are angled to lead visitors to the property past the farm buildings before getting to the main building.
Wright designed the main residence to reflect the nature around it with vertically oriented brick walls and cypress wood walls with narrow windows.
The roof is made of copper, and the rainspouts mimic the Spanish moss that can be seen hanging from the live oak trees.
When Silver purchased the home in 1986, it was falling into disrepair. He restored Auldbrass with help from Wright’s grandson, Eric Lloyd Wright.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
