Wedge Plantation
A historic former rice plantation and Federal-style plantation house near McClellanville in Charleston County, South Carolina.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Wedge Plantation, also known as The Wedge or the William Lucas House, is a historic plantation property in Charleston County, South Carolina. It lies approximately five miles east of McClellanville, near the Santee River and off U.S. Highway 17. The property takes its name from its wedge-like shape between the former Harrietta and Fairfield plantations. Unlike a conventional commercial brand, Wedge Plantation is a historic place and architectural property whose significance derives from its association with antebellum rice cultivation, the Lucas family, architectural preservation, scientific collecting, public research, and South Carolina heritage management. The principal house was built for rice planter William Lucas around 1826, although some descriptions date the construction more broadly to about 1830. Lucas belonged to the Lucas family of South Carolina; his father, Jonathan Lucas, was associated with the development of a rice-pounding mill. The plantation remained in the Lucas family for roughly a century and operated as a working rice plantation until approximately 1914. Its agricultural history reflects the rice-growing economy of the South Carolina Lowcountry, while the later history of the property illustrates the transition of former plantations into private residences, research sites, and protected historic resources. In 1929, Elbridge and Mrs. Chadwick acquired the property and undertook restoration work with assistance from Charleston architect Albert Simons. In 1948, Charles H. Woodward and his wife purchased Wedge Plantation for use as a winter home. From 1966 to 1976, the property was owned by entomologist Richard B. Dominick and Tatiana Dominick. During his decade at Wedge, Dominick assembled an extensive collection of more than 25,000 moths and 1,000 butterflies. The collection was later held by the University of South Carolina's McKissick Museum in Columbia. Dominick also established the Wedge Entomological Research Foundation, which supported publication of the multi-volume Moths of North America North of Mexico. He died at Wedge Plantation in May 1976, and his estate retained the property for several subsequent years. During the 1970s, the State of South Carolina acquired Wedge Plantation, after which it became associated with the University of South Carolina. The university used the site as the International Center for Public Health Research, focusing on insect-borne diseases. The research program ended in 1995 after its funding expired and was not renewed. The university subsequently leased the property for hunting and other uses. Its later cultural visibility included use as a filming location for the 2009 film The New Daughter. The house is a two-and-a-half-story Federal-style clapboard structure on a raised basement. Its rectangular plan has a gabled roof, dormers, a central hall, four principal rooms, a front portico supported by four fluted Doric columns, and granite horseshoe stairs with an iron railing. A semicircular archway provides access to the basement. The facade includes fanlight transoms, French doors opening onto a balcony, and traditionally proportioned multi-pane windows. Interior features include parlors, a library, kitchen and laundry areas, a wine cellar, storage rooms, brick basement flooring, and a millstone incorporated into one room's floor. Wedge Plantation was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 18, 1975. In the twenty-first century, the University of South Carolina faced substantial maintenance obligations and made repeated efforts to dispose of or transfer the property. A 2014 offering did not attract a buyer, and a further public bidding process was opened in 2020. The property's preservation needs, historic significance, architectural character, and uncertain long-term ownership have remained central to its modern identity.
History
Wedge Plantation is a historic Lowcountry property located near McClellanville in Charleston County, South Carolina. It occupies a wedge-shaped tract between the former Harrietta and Fairfield plantations, close to the Santee River and U.S. Highway 17. The property is also known as The Wedge and the William Lucas House, the latter name referring to the planter who commissioned its main residence. William Lucas built the house around 1826, with some accounts placing its construction generally around 1830. Lucas was a rice planter and a member of the Lucas family, whose wider historical associations included Jonathan Lucas and his rice-pounding mill. Wedge remained in the Lucas family for approximately a century. Its economic function was tied to the Lowcountry rice system, and it continued operating as a rice plantation until about 1914. The site's history therefore encompasses both the architectural legacy of the plantation economy and the labor and agricultural systems that sustained rice production in coastal South Carolina. The house is a Federal-style, two-and-a-half-story clapboard building raised above a basement. It has a rectangular plan, a gabled roof with dormers, and a formal central-hall arrangement. The front portico is supported by four fluted Doric columns, while the entrance features a fanlight transom and granite horseshoe stairs. French doors open onto a balcony above the portico, and the building uses a regular pattern of nine-over-nine, six-over-six, and other multi-pane windows. The interior includes parlors, a library, service rooms, storage areas, a wine cellar, brick basement flooring, and a millstone set into one of the floors. After the plantation's agricultural period, it passed into private and preservation-oriented ownership. Elbridge and Mrs. Chadwick acquired Wedge in 1929 and restored the house with the assistance of architect Albert Simons. Charles H. Woodward and his wife bought it in 1948 as a winter residence. Richard B. Dominick and Tatiana Dominick owned the property from 1966 to 1976. Dominick's scientific interests had a lasting effect on the site's legacy: during his residence he collected more than 25,000 moths and 1,000 butterflies. The resulting Richard B. Dominick Moth and Butterfly Collection became associated with the University of South Carolina's McKissick Museum. Dominick also founded the Wedge Entomological Research Foundation, which supported publication of Moths of North America North of Mexico. He died at Wedge in May 1976, and his estate continued to own the property for about six more years. The State of South Carolina acquired Wedge Plantation during the 1970s. The property subsequently became connected with the University of South Carolina and served as the university's International Center for Public Health Research. The center studied insect-borne diseases, linking the site to applied biological and public-health research. The program closed in 1995 when its funding ended. The university then leased the plantation for hunting and other uses, and the site later appeared in the 2009 Kevin Costner film The New Daughter. Wedge Plantation was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 18, 1975. In later years, the university faced significant costs associated with maintaining the house and grounds. Efforts to sell the property included a 2014 offering and a renewed bidding process in 2020; the earlier attempt did not attract an offer. These efforts highlighted the practical tension between preserving a historically important but expensive property and finding an owner or use capable of supporting its continued maintenance. Wedge Plantation's present significance rests on the combination of its Federal-style architecture, rice-plantation history, association with the Lucas family, entomological research legacy, university ownership, and place in South Carolina's historic landscape.
- 2020
Renewed public bidding
[1]The university opens another bidding process for the property.
- 2014
First documented recent sale attempt
[1]The university offers the plantation for sale, but no buyer emerges.
- 2009
Film location
[1]The property is used in production of The New Daughter.
- 1995
International public-health research program closes
[1]The University of South Carolina's insect-borne-disease research program at Wedge ends after its funding expires.
- 1976
Richard Dominick dies at Wedge
[1]Richard B. Dominick dies at the plantation in May; his estate retains the property for approximately six additional years.
- 1975
National Register listing
[1]Wedge Plantation is entered on the National Register of Historic Places on September 18.
- 1966
Dominick ownership begins
[1]Richard B. Dominick and Tatiana Dominick acquire the property; Richard Dominick begins the collecting and research work later associated with Wedge.
- 1948
Property becomes a winter residence
[1]Charles H. Woodward and his wife purchase Wedge Plantation for use as a winter home.
- 1929
Chadwick ownership and restoration
[1]Elbridge and Mrs. Chadwick acquire Wedge and restore the house with assistance from architect Albert Simons.
- 1914
Rice-plantation operation ends
[1]The property is reported to have remained a working rice plantation until approximately this year.
Products and positioning
A protected Lowcountry historic property and architectural landmark rather than a consumer-facing brand.
Brand decisions
2020
Reopen bidding for the propertyStrategyBackground
Continuing maintenance and preservation obligations led the university to seek another disposition route.
Action taken
The university opened a new bidding process for Wedge Plantation.
Aftermath
The available reference material does not establish the final result of the bidding process.
2014
Offer Wedge Plantation for saleStrategyBackground
The university faced the challenge of maintaining a large historic property whose future use was uncertain.
Action taken
The university placed the plantation on the market.
Aftermath
The sale attempt received no offers, and a later effort was pursued through a real-estate agent.
1995
Close the International Center for Public Health ResearchStrategyBackground
The University of South Carolina's research program at Wedge focused on insect-borne diseases, but its external funding expired.
Action taken
The university ended the program after funding was not renewed.
Aftermath
The property was subsequently leased for hunting and other uses rather than continuing as a public-health research center.
Recent events
- 2020
University opens another bidding process for Wedge Plantation[1]
Other
The university reopened bidding for the property, reflecting continuing difficulty in funding its maintenance and securing a long-term disposition.
- 2014
Wedge Plantation offered for sale[1]
Other
The University of South Carolina placed the plantation on the market, but the offering did not produce a buyer.
- 2009
Wedge Plantation used as a filming location for The New Daughter[1]
Other
The property was used for filming the Kevin Costner movie The New Daughter, adding a film-production association to its modern history.
- 1995
University of South Carolina research program at Wedge Plantation ends[1]
Other
The university's International Center for Public Health Research at the property closed after its funding expired and was not renewed.
- 1975
Wedge Plantation added to the National Register of Historic Places[1]
Other
The William Lucas House at Wedge Plantation received National Register of Historic Places recognition on September 18, 1975.
Sources2 sources
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