History
Gilder Plantation
In 1973, Jim McNamara bought the land which once comprised Gilder Plantation to build Holly Tree Country Club and the subdivision which surrounds it. Gilder Plantation, founded in 1769, was the home of Nathaniel Austin, Sr. and his family.
Nathaniel Austin, Sr. was born in 1720 in York, England and moved to Virginia in 1750 with his wife Mary. Nataniel and Mary wed in 1742, and they had five sons.
Tragically, Mary died in 1753, shortly after the birth of her fifth son. In 1754, Nathaniel married Agnes Dickinson with whom he had six more children, five boys and one girl.
Austin Family Settlement
In 1769, Austin was awarded a Royal Grant for 500 acres on the Little River, a branch of the Saluda River. In 1774, Austin built a two-story log house to accommodate his family of thirteen, and he named it Gilder Plantation after a nearby creek.
This land, which would later become Holly Tree Plantation, in 1774 was a part of Indian Territory and would later be named Austin Township.
Shortly after moving to Gilder Plantation, the Austin’s daughter Mary was killed in an Indian raid while returning home from a quilting party at a neighbor's home.
Post-Revolutionary Austin
During the Revolutionary War, many of the Austins fought for American independence. Nathaniel Sr. became Captain of Infantry in General Andrew Pickens' Brigade, South Carolina Militia. He fought in battles at Charleston, Musgrove Mill, and Cowpens.
After the war, in the 1780s, Austin’s son William eloped with his neighborhood sweetheart, Jane Collins. Shortly thereafter, Gilder II, as the family called the second house, was built about 1783 to accommodate the growing Austin family. It remained standing until about 1920.
Gilder III, which is still standing at the intersection of Highway 14 and Bethel Road, was built in 1830 by William and Jane Collins Austin.
Nataniel Austin, Sr. died on February 13, 1798 at his home. He is buried near the thirteenth hole of the Holly Tree country club golf course.
Oakland Plantation
In 1823, Dr. Thomas Austin constructed Oakland Plantation off of Adams Mill Rd. Built on the eve of the Civil War, the property consisted of 550 acres of land, outbuildings, and slave quarters. Dr. Austin lived on the plantation until he died in 1883. In 2024, Upstate Preservation Trust acquired the plantation house, ten outbuildings, and 50+ acres of land with intentions to conserve the green space for public use and to restore the structures for future use and interpretation.
To learn more about the restoration progress of this exciting space, visit the Upstate Preservation Trust or the Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust
Oakland Plantation
In 1823, Dr. Thomas Austin constructed Oakland Plantation off of Adams Mill Rd. Built on the eve of the Civil War, the property consisted of 550 acres of land, outbuildings, and slave quarters. Dr. Austin lived on the plantation until he died in 1883. In 2024, Upstate Preservation Trust acquired the plantation house, ten outbuildings, and 50+ acres of land with intentions to conserve the green space for public use and to restore the structures for future use and interpretation.
To learn more about the restoration progress of this exciting space, visit the Upstate Preservation Trust or the Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust