LITCHFIELD, S. C. -- If Scarlett O'Hara happened to be in this neighborhood, she would feel right at home staying the night at the Litchfield Plantation Inn.

Looking very much like a picture postcard of the famed Tara mansion of Gone With the Wind literary/cinematic legend, Litchfield Plantation tugs at your romantic heartstrings as it sits like a white jewel on a sea of jade forests.

One is immediately swept away by the impact of the 251-year-old Litchfield Inn.

After coming through the large metal gates at the property entrance off Kings River Road, you are immediately facing a spectacular view: 200 giant live oaks, dripping with Spanish moss, framing a quarter-mile avenue directly to the front door of the mansion. The scene is almost a time warp, sweeping you back to the more genteel, gracious period of the 1700s.

A sweeping circular drive fronts the mansion.

Once the home for a wealthy landowner given the 3,000-acre property in the 17th century by King George, the land was the site of a booming rice plantation, producing more than a million pounds of rice per year for exporting back to England.

Following the banning of slavery in the 1860s the plantation fell on hard times and the land was sold to a variety of owners over the years. Now, some 600 acres of the central property is the heart of the Litchfield Inn, located off U. S. Highway 17 just west of Pawley's Island.

The main Plantation House building (which was once the subject of an Architectural Digest cover story with photos) is composed of a large ground-floor commons area (with fireplace and antique furniture) and four well-appointed bedrooms (each with private bath).

There are several other retreat cottages and guest villas, marina, heated pool, beach clubhouse, tennis courts, retreat-meeting center, etc. on the property and a beautifully-designed 10,000 square foot restaurant (called the Carriage House).

But the real attraction of Litchfield Plantation is the privacy and solitude you have. The romantic grounds are perfect for strolling through the giant trees, flowering dogwoods and blazing azaleas or alongside the grass-dotted waterways connecting the Intercoastal Waterways.

James Dickey, South Carolina poet laureate and author, said: "The moment you come into Litchfield Plantation from the ordinary world is as dramatic as Alice going through the looking glass . . . you are enveloped in wonder. Here, there is nothing else." Dickey has lived at Litchfield Plantation since 1973.

Just outside this hideaway heaven is a bustling plethora of businesses and first-class golf courses. There are at least half a dozen highly-rated golf courses within five miles of the plantation. The plantation also offers concierge service.

American Historic Inns magazine recently named Litchfield Plantation one of the nation's Top 10 Most Romantic Inns. Travel and Leisure magazine called it one of America's Top 20 Fall Getaway sites and the respected Zagat's Survey gave the plantation the highest rating of all accomodations on South Carolina's famed Grand Strand (the approximate 60-mile stretch centered at Myrtle Beach). Zagat's rated the plantation one of the Top 50 U. S. Inns and B&Bs.; Resorts and Great Hotels named the plantation one of its Connoisseurs Choice 2000 designation.

The romantic setting has proven a popular location for weddings, says General Manager Karl Friedrich, with dozens of couples tying the knot here every year.

"We offer a variety of wedding packages, including a carriage ride down the main entrance road and lodging for the wedding party," said Friedrich, a native of Austria and longtime inn manager.

The facility offers a variety of rates and package programs, including an ecological package.


Phone: 800-869-1410
Internet: www.litchfieldplantation.com

This story was published on 15 May 2002.