" What really begins in the late seventeenth century when. In the migration from Barbados to South Carolina brought Edward Middleton here in sixties certainly yeah his grandson was the first Middleton to come to Middleton place and 1741. Acquired this property by marriage to into the William's family. And had acquired by then enough wealth to really want to lay out there. -- grand headquarters for users of plantations. That he owned some twenty plantations. The central family dwelling was built in something very far. The garden he began. In 1740 ones."

" Although middle of the eighteenth century really that the heyday of the property. The ruins that we see today are all the result of not only obviously the civil war and Sherman coming through and burning down everything in sight but also vindictiveness -- The Middleton had been not only signers of the declaration of independence but also the articles of secession."

" Exactly prevent Middleton Williams Middleton who lecture was -- signer of the ordinance of secession so perhaps there was some vindictiveness when. -- union troops arrived here and fare war every conflict we -- we have to thank -- certain amount of you know let's get back government that brought them here just. Couple months before the end of the civil war's main house and actually the whole complex with the three parts of the house was put to the torch and burned and god. Building behind us was simply the least badly damaged. And it survived. Well enough that when the family came back they re roofed it -- rigidity. And and allowed it to survive the famous earthquake that came through Charleston twenty years after the civil war -- committed six. That earthquake just fell the free standing walls of the main family residence in the north flanker but spared this flanker that had been. Restored -- future."

" And the story of the the twentieth century members of the family is really closely linked the to the idea of preserving the land we've got. Many acres of beautiful virgin land here that you've preserved."

" Well at that point it's too early begins in the nineteen point five when mark grandparents moved out here. And under unbelievable conditions no electricity no telephones no water no. Mail service and really begin the process of restoring -- which are there fifteen years to really uncover what it. In fifty years sixty years of neglect following the civil war."

" You mentioned the formal gardens that. What can net roots and we can get an idea what's there today through."

" So these formal gardens that were created here are a couple of centuries -- 259. Years old and if it's 1741 and as you were saying a minute ago it's been. A big job to reclaim them after. Practically. Sixty years of abandonment. Exactly the neglect following the civil war this is an octagonal garden that we're missing and one of the many geometric forms within the overall geometric plan regard and it's an octagonal sunken garden so it's a series of garden rooms exactly here is an octagonal garden will be going to the circular rose garden. We're -- pie shaped pieces yes then there's the mount. And there long canal that the which kind of the punctuation of the western -- with -- An inner garden secret gardens places where. Amusements would have taken place quote carrier or tennis or bowling and all of it filled with statuary and many -- any pieces of sculpture that would have been at this at the end of a focal point long list of most of the sculptures were broken up are carted off. During the civil war and the American revolution earlier ones still remaining and only one there was an original sculpture and we've tried to restore. Classic. Italian marble sculptures as his confinement were appropriately placed. And I understand there's I know that's them. Kind of the the charter oak or the Middleton place so ordered the -- when the garden was laid out it did accommodate the natural surroundings that included large old trees -- the granddaddy of our options we call -- little you know the is somewhere between 900000. Years old that is a magnificent tree a thousand years old is -- It's it's approaching that and it's a spot from which you can really appreciate the importance of preserving that river state. There's development right behind it and really the biggest challenge our foundation faces is. Preserving the contrast of that natural environment of this man made environment that really makes the garden saying in this important of them. Basic landscape design it's a terrific goal for the foundation though preserving all this wild land that's what we're trying to do. One of the key things in the last it though is the contrasts right constant contrasts really exemplifies the principles of longer note and we see here. Wilderness -- today which was just let go wild contrast to the octagonal sunken garden with its. Geometric precision and it's that Yang Yang that you see throughout the garden related. This is a microcosm of renewing and Yang of the whole garden contrast with the natural surroundings of the reversed the -- And Le notre is the classical French landscape gardener from the eighteenth century. Now these along chalets in the garden again are feature of the design on -- not true. Absolutely and long vistas with focal points at it and them. You know when you turn ninety degree is the surprise that awaits you there or -- simply a tunnel of flower material or change in elevation. All of the vocabulary of -- seventeenth century work in France and of course the use of water. So here -- got water at its most civilized that used just as a mirror and the two birds with notre. Insisted on in the classical garden the mute swan that we see here and the peacock."