William M. Whitten - Wednesday, May 28 2008 - Jasper County Sun

Some 2,000 acres of Good Hope Plantation is never to be developed under an agreement just signed by Jane Powell, Good Hope Corporation president, and the Lowcountry Open Land Trust.

No public announcement has been made by the participants.

Other nearby properties already preserved under LOLT agreements are Mackay Point at about 6,375 acres and Roseland Plantation at about 822 acres.  Further south a portion of Strawberry Hill Plantation is also under easement.

The protected Good Hope acreage is visible for about 3,600 feet along Bees Creek Road and for about 7,000 feet along Old House Road.  A 300-foot vegetated buffer is to be maintained along both roadways.

A significant element of the Good Hope – LOLT agreement is the inclusion of the famous Honey Hill Civil War battlefield in the protected area.

The engagement and loss of life for several hundred participants, particularly black union troops on November 30, 1864 is described as one of the three largest Civil War battles fought in South Carolina.

 It is Jasper’s premier Civil War Battle site.

The “undeveloped and forested existence will help preserve this site by prohibiting development into perpetuity,” states the April 30 agreement.

While the site has been picked over by surface collectors for almost 150 years, it is believed to be topographically and archeology very close to the time of the battle.  It has been hoped by some historians that it would eventually be preserved, marked and open to the public under state or federal regulation. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but that designation offers little protection.

This agreement maintains the undeveloped status and keeps its relics and earthen fortifications off limits to casual collectors / trespassers.

Existence of the Pine Barron Hunting Club building on about two acres including a concrete block building with screened sides, a walk-in cooler, dog kennels, small aluminum feed storage building and 13 small camper trainers is acknowledged in the documents detailing the protected property. No other structures are on the site.

Other portions of the agreement include:

• No towers to be allowed, including broadcast, microwave, communication or cellular phone transmission
• Wildlife observation towers may not be higher than 25 feet
• No industrial use
• No impervious roads to be constructed
• Signage limited to no more than 8-feet square with minimal visual impact from the highways
• No sale of archaeological artifacts. Any found must be kept on site or preserved in museums.
• No golf course
• No junk sites

Good Hope Announces Major Grant

To the Lowcountry Open Land Trust

Ridgeland, SC, April 30, 2008 -- Good Hope Plantation, which owns approximately 16,000 acres in Jasper County, has announced the donation of a 2,000 acre conservation easement to the Lowcountry Open Land Trust of Charleston, SC.  Paperwork on the sizeable grant was completed on April 30, 2008.

The grant property runs from Bees Creek Road to Old House Road and includes a large portion of the historic site of the Civil War Battle of Honey Hill, fought on November 30, 1864.  In the words of the grant filed with the State of South Carolina and Jasper County, the donation, “will help to preserve the site in perpetuity.”

“We view this as really good news for Ridgeland,” commented Good Hope planning consultant and family member, Rick Webel.  “We have long looked forward to the day when we could officially preserve this valuable historical site and that day has finally come.”

Local resident, board member and President of Good Hope, Jane Powell, observed that this donation is part of “keeping the legacy of grandfather Pratt alive in Ridgeland.”  In 1910, Herbert Lee Pratt of Standard Oil fame, assembled numerous old plantation properties as something of a personal preservation project.  Those holdings today comprise approximately 16,000 acres.  Mr. Pratt also was instrumental in building the first hospital in Ridgeland and the Good Hope School.  His daughter-in-law Pauline Pratt Webel, established Ridgeland’s Fredric Pratt Memorial Library.

“The Good Hope board has always sought to keep the property in the family, preserve it in accordance with our shareholders wishes while endeavoring to enhance its value, and do what we can to benefit the Town of Ridgeland” commented Jane Powell. “This donation to the Lowcountry Open Land Trust is part of that commitment, the family’s part of carrying on the vision of Grandfather Pratt.”

The Good Hope Plantation family members also lauded the Town of Ridgeland on their recent addition of the Conservation Protection District to the Town’s zoning and land use regulations.  “By that action, they created a vehicle to promote balanced Town growth,” said the plantation’s Rick Webel.  “They enabled Good Hope to take this important step and we hope other large land owners will join us in preserving important parcels in this manner.”

The Lowcountry Open Land Trust

Based in Charleston, the Trust has the mission, “To protect, through private voluntary conservation measures, the irreplaceable Lowcountry forests, farmland, open spaces, wildlife habitat and wetlands, thus helping to preserve forever our community’s unique sense of place and quality of life.”  The Lowcountry Trust has been active in the Ridgeland area, having arranged for the preservation of 10,500 acres in the Lowcountry just last year.

“We appreciate the work of the Trust”, commented Rick Webel.  “We are delighted to be able to donate this conservation easement to that organization because we believe they will be responsible overseers.”

With the donation, Good Hope retains ownership of the property but foregoes forever the right to change from the current land use of forest management, farming and hunting to commercial or other alternative exploitations of the financial potential of the property.