Inland Rice Fields, ca. 1701-1865

Front: Embankments and ditches dating from the early 18th century are still visible here and show the elaborate layout of rice fields that were part of Windsor Hill and Woodlands plantations. Before the American Revolution, lowcountry planters grew rice in inland fields that did not use the tides for flood waters. Reverse: Windsor Hill was established ca. 1701 by Joseph Child (d. 1717), and Woodlands was established ca. 1800 by Thomas Parker (d. 1821). The remnants of these rice fields are a tangible reminder of the skill and labor of the enslaved people who constructed them, many of whom had been rice farmers in Africa.