South Carolina Department of Archives and History
National Register Properties in South Carolina

Loch Dhu, Berkeley County (off S.C. Hwy. 6, Cross vicinity)
S1081770800801 S1081770800802 S1081770800803 S1081770800804 S1081770800805
Facade Left Oblique Right Oblique Interior
Trim Detail
Interior
Mantel

Loch Dhu is a two-story clapboard building typical of the early nineteenth century plantations in the upper St. John’s area of South Carolina. It has a square floor plan, high hipped roof, tall, square chimneys, two front doors, and raised, one-story porches. Each front door, which leads into a separate front room, has a rectangular transom. Only the front rooms have decorative trim. Both mantels and cornices in these rooms have gouged festoons, sunbursts, and rope motifs. The rear reveals a modern, ca. 1961, two-story addition that was bricked over ca. 1971. It is not known exactly when Loch Dhu was constructed, but evidence suggests its having been built ca. 1812-1816 by Robert J. Kirk (1786-1828). Kirk was a planter, as his father had been. His son, Philip C. Kirk, later owned Loch Dhu and continued to farm the lands. The Agricultural Census of 1860 records his having 550 acres improved and 260 unimproved, cultivating cotton, Indian corn, sweet potatoes, etc. At this time, Philip C. Kirk was also involved in political affairs in the state, being a representative in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1854 to 1864. The structure sits upon an incline, with the Santee-Cooper reservoir located behind it. Several farm-related outbuildings are included within the acreage. Listed in the National Register September 22, 1977.

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