Oakland Plantation
Simpsonville, SC
Why Oakland Is Important
The home at Oakland Plantation was constructed in 1823 by Dr. Thomas Austin. The property was part of an original 15,000-acre land grant given by King George III to Dr, Austin’s grandfather, Nathaniel Austin, in 1761. Dr. Austin died in 1883, and the house and 550 acres were sold to Thomas Vaughn in 1897. Vaughn died in 1939, and the property became the home of his daughter, Lucille Rice, when her mother, Ida, passed in 1952. The Rice family cared for the property until 2002, it was transferred to the Greenville YMCA for an outdoor recreation center.
In 2024, Upstate Preservation Trust acquired the plantation house, ten outbuildings, and 50+ acres of land in the heart of Simpsonville. UPT then deeded the property to the County of Greenville to conserve the green space for public use and to allow UPT to restore the structures for future use and interpretation.
Oakland is a rare example in Upstate SC of an intact antebellum plantation complex and therefore offers an opportunity to represent the estate in the historical context of our region. The property has one of three remaining slave dwellings in Greenville County, and the only one on its original site. The house and outbuildings are an invaluable historic resource that must be protected.
Oakland in the News
Read what local media has to say about the plans for Oakland Plantation: Greenville Journal, The Post and Courier, Fox Carolina, and GSA Business Report
Funding
UPT received funding from the Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust and the South Carolina Conservation Bank for the purchase of Oakland Plantation.
UPT has secured some community funding to be used for partial restoration of the house but is actively fundraising for the anticipated $1 million needed for full rehabilitation.
Restoration Needs
The house’s roof and siding need to be replaced and the house repainted by hand.
Missing shutters need to be recreated to match the original, historically accurate shutters.
The awnings need to be removed and the window surrounds repaired where necessary.
Several of the outbuildings need attention and repair. The original wash house was destroyed by a fallen tree during Hurricane Helene, but the fireplace survived. UPT would like to rebuild that structure to match the one that was demolished.
