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A group that organizes pilgrimages to the only Frank Lloyd Wright home in South Carolina’s Lowcountry says it won’t offer any tours at all in 2020.

Auldbrass Plantation, built by Wright in 1939 for Michigan industrialist C. Leigh Stevens, is located just outside Yemassee in the northern reaches of Beaufort County.

Visitors come from all over the world for the event that has, for the past several years, been a fundraiser for the Beaufort County Open Land Trust.

Tickets are still available for this year’s tour weekend, set for Nov. 1 and 2, said a news release from Beaufort-based event planner Ashley Rhodes. They are $175 per person.

About 500 tickets are being sold for each day.

The tours are primarily self-guided, but small groups will be ushered through the inside of the home. Ticket-holders may tour the inside of the home once, either in the morning or the afternoon. The gates will close at 6 p.m.

Tickets are available through eventbrite.com by searching Auldbrass Tours 2019 or following the link on the Open County Land Trust’s website.

The property was bought by movie producer Joel Silver in 1987 and restored during the past three decades.

The 4,000-acre property on the Combahee River, is “one of the largest and most complex residential projects Wright ever undertook,” according to the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.

Architectural Digest has featured Auldbrass, explaining that Wright worked on the home for nearly 20 years until his death in 1959.

Buildings on the property include a main house, caretaker’s house, kennels and stables.

There will be no food or beverages available on the site, Rhodes previously told The Island Packet. Parking will be along the street, and golf cart shuttles will bring visitors to the home.

Photos of the inside of the home are not allowed because it is a private residence containing Silver’s personal belongings.

This story was originally published June 28, 2019, 2:43 PM.

YEMASSEE — The Cotton Hall property located in northern Beaufort County has long been high on the wish list of Lowcountry land conservation organizations.

When it went up for sale late last year, those organizations were well aware of the important role it could play creating a region-spanning conservation corridor.

“It’s been a target of the conservation community for a long time,” said Nate Berry, chief land protection officer for the Open Space Institute.

Beaufort County officials also recognized the chance to purchase land with strong recreation potential for county residents.

Closing a deal on the property would be a win on multiple fronts. Getting to that point, however, required aligning a lot of moving parts.

Those efforts came to a head July 10 when the Beaufort County Council approved the $6 million purchase of the 527-acre property by a unanimous vote, guaranteeing its preservation in perpetuity under the county’s Rural and Critical Lands Preservation Program.

“I’d just like to say that this is an outstanding use of our funds, and it will be an asset to everyone in the region,” said Councilwoman Alice Howard as the motion went to a vote.

What makes Cotton Hall important?

There are about 300,000 acres of protected land in the ACE Basin, which is the watershed formed by the Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto rivers. To the south, the Savannah River Preserve includes approximately 430,000 acres of protected land anchored by the Savannah River National Wildlife Refuge.

Nestled between the ACE Basin and the Savannah River Preserve is Cotton Hall. Surrounded by other large tracts of preserved land, its location makes the property important in the long-term picture of Lowcountry conservation.

“It’s really our goal to create a bridge of protected land that connects those two conservation hotspots,” Berry explained.

The location also caught the county’s eye. Mike McShane, chairman of the newly established Green Space Advisory Committee, said the county was interested in finding a property that wouldn’t require a boat to gain access, which is the case for much of the preserved land that’s open to the public.

Cotton Hall fronts U.S. Highway 17 for nearly 2.5 miles. Eventually, it will allow easy public access to fishing, hiking and other outdoor, recreational activities.

“It’ll be the only property in Beaufort County where the public will have access to the ACE Basin without needing a boat,” said Beaufort County Administrator Eric Greenway.

The property features a variety of landscapes including mature upland forest, open fields, a saltwater pond, flooded impoundments and bottomland hardwoods.

“It’s jaw-dropping gorgeous,” said Berry.

Bringing the deal together

Cotton Hall hit the market in December 2022 as a 716-acre parcel brokered by Todd Crosby, who specializes in large-parcel land sales. Crosby also focuses on conservation opportunities and helped structure a deal between the land owner and the Open Space Institute.

“There are properties like this one that I just believe need to be protected,” Crosby said. “If it’s all developed, we’ve lost something that can’t be replaced.”

Once Berry was aware that Cotton Hall was available, he turned to Beaufort County officials knowing they were looking for an opportunity to put a passive park in the northern reaches of the county.

“We thought this would be perfect,” Berry said.

Berry toured the property with county representatives, and they agreed with his assessment.

The challenge was then to get the land off the market before it could be scooped up by a developer. To that end, the Open Space Institute agreed to act as an intermediary, purchasing the land and holding it until the county was prepared to move forward.

“Government entities generally can’t move as quickly as land trusts,” Berry explained. “That’s a big reason why we exist.”

The Cotton Hall property was divided into three parcels to facilitate the purchase. The 232-acre Deveaux Hill parcel was purchased by the Open Space Institute with a grant from the State Conservation Bank. When that purchase closed in April 2023, the institute secured a one-year option to purchase the second parcel that included an additional 295 acres. The sale on the second parcel is expected to be completed this fall.

Approximately 190 acres will remain in private hands, though a conservation easement is already in place that will prevent future development.

While Crosby and Berry were working their end of the deal, the Rural and Critical Lands Preservation Board was going through its steps to approve to purchase the both parcels from the Open Space Institute. The board approved the deal during its June 8 meeting.

With County Council’s approval now in hand, it’s expected that Rural and Critical Lands will complete its purchase of all 527 acres from the Open Space Institute later this year.

Kate Schaefer, director of land protection for the Open Land Trust, praised all parties involved in making the Cotton Hall purchase a reality.

“When important conservation priorities emerge on the market, everyone needs to react quickly,” Schaefer said. “It’s wonderful thing for the Rural and Critical Program and it’s a great investment for Beaufort County.”

David Paul Murray of Yemassee was on his way to work Friday morning when an unusual white animal stopped him in the middle of the street.

“I thought it was an escaped ferret,” he said. “I thought, ‘Oh no, somebody’s pet got loose.’”

But then the animal moved, and he realized it was a white squirrel.

He pulled his work van to the side of Salkehatchie Road near the town’s municipal complex and took a few photos and some video as proof.

“Nobody’s going to believe I saw a white squirrel,” he said. “I’ve never seen a white squirrel in all my life.”

Yemassee Town Clerk Matt Garnes confirmed that a white squirrel lives in the area around Town Hall.

“It’s famous around here,” Garnes said. “He’s a fixture in Yemassee.”

Mayor Colin Moore said the squirrel has lived in the area around the town’s municipal complex and the nearby Baptist church for around two years and seems to be “street smart” enough to stay out of the road and away from harm.

Murray said that, before the squirrel darted farther from him Friday morning, he saw its red eyes. He used to own an albino rabbit, he said, so he knew what to look for.

“I wish I could have gotten closer,” he said.

The color of the animals eyes is important because that would distinguish the squirrel as an albino as opposed to an Eastern Gray squirrel with a white coat, according to the White Squirrel Research Institute. The latter would have dark eyes.

The institute is in Brevard, N.C., which is known for its large numbers of white squirrels.

Neither Garnes nor Moore could confirm the color of the Yemassee squirrel’s eyes.

“We’ve never gotten close enough to him to tell,” Garnes said.

In 2014, a reader shared photos of an albino squirrel — with the distinct pink eyes — on St. Helena Island with The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette.

Both albino squirrels and white-coated squirrels are rare sights.

Biologist Rob Nelson tracks sightings of white squirrels, both albinos and “morphs,” as white-coated squirrels are categorized, at untamedscience.com.

In a video on the website, he talks about the first time he saw a white squirrel in his neighborhood.

“I was like hoooooooooo-ly moly. That’s a white squirrel. And I had never seen a white squirrel. It was pretty cool,” he says in the video.

Nelson’s website includes a form people can fill in to report sightings. A map created from those reports indicates both albino squirrels and morphs have been seen before in the Lowcountry.

This story was originally published May 3, 2019, 2:27 PM.

Eleven men, eight from metro Atlanta, and three from South Carolina, have been sentenced for their roles in a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud scheme.

According to the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Georgia, the men obtained approximately $3 million in PPP loans on behalf of ten businesses based in Georgia and South Carolina.

“The CARES Act and the PPP designated funds to aid struggling businesses during a pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan. “American businesses needed these funds to keep their companies and employees afloat during a national emergency and world-wide pandemic. These defendants took advantage of that program to obtain money to which they were not lawfully entitled. We will continue investigating and prosecuting those who attempt to steal these critical funds.”

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Authorities have recovered approximately $1,195,784.98 of the stolen money.

All of the defendants have received the following sentences:

Kenneth L. Wright, Jr., 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison to be followed by three years supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $242,177.81 on January 8, 2021. Wright was convicted on August 20, 2020, of conspiracy to defraud the United States and making false statements to a federal agency.

Thomas D. Wilson, 32, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to one year, nine months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $300,000, on October 24, 2022. Wilson was convicted of bank fraud on April 14, 2021.

Micah K. Baisden, 31, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to one year, six months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and order to pay restitution in the amount of $300,000, on November 8, 2022. Baisden was convicted of bank fraud on May 20, 2021.

Rodericque Jarmaine Thompson, 45, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to five years, ten months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,732,259.47, on November 9, 2022. Thompson was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud on May 20, 2021.

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Keith A. Maloney, 35, of Yemassee, South Carolina, was sentenced to one year, three months in prison to be followed by three years supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $114,828.19, on November 10, 2022. Maloney was convicted of bank fraud on May 4, 2021.

Antonio D. Hosey, 50, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison to be followed by three years supervised release, and order to pay restitution in the amount of $463,779.79, on November 16, 2022. Hosey was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States on November 19, 2020.

Stanley Dorceus, 36, of Marietta, Georgia, was sentenced to three months in prison to be followed by three years supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $207,829.85, on November 29, 2022. Dorceus was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States and making false statements to a federal agency on August 26, 2020.

Mark A. Stewart, 56, of Greenville, South Carolina, was sentenced to four months in prison to be followed by two years supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $300,000, on December 6, 2022. Steward was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States and making false statements to a federal agency on September 25, 2020.

Timothy Williams, 32, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to one year, three months in prison to be followed by three years supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $869,427.54, on December 8, 2022. Williams was convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States and making false statements to a federal agency on October 13, 2020.

Tabronx W. Smith, 45, of Buford, Georgia, was sentenced to one year, five months in prison to be followed by two years supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $118,818.45, on December 20, 2022. Smith was convicted of bank fraud on June 8, 2021.

Travis C. Crosby, 32, of Wellford, South Carolina, was sentenced to three years, ten months in prison to be followed by three years supervised release, and order to pay restitution in the amount of $897,172.61. Crosby was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, false statement to a bank, and money laundering.

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Passengers on the Amtrak train that stops in North Charleston had to push back their trips by at least 24 hours or find alternate transportation Thursday after another train partially derailed.

The Palmetto 89 and 90, which runs between New York and Savannah, is expected to resume normal operations Friday.

Amtrak blamed the disruption on the derailment of four vehicle carriers that were hitched to its Auto Train 53. The cars jumped the tracks around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday in North Carolina’s Halifax County, north of Rocky Mount. The cause is under investigation.

The accident prevented the train Amtrak operates on its Palmetto route from traveling south of Washington, D.C.

Auto Train 53 hauls travelers and automobiles between Lorton, Va., and Sanford, Fla. Amtrak said the derailed cars were back on the tracks by midday Thursday and on their way to Florida, as was the rest of the train.

“No customer cars were affected, and there were no injuries to the 394 customers or crew,” Amtrak spokeswoman Beth Toll said in a written statement.

The derailment triggered several scheduling disruptions in the Southeast “with no substitute transportation” for affected travelers, Amtrak said.

In South Carolina, the southbound Palmetto 89 and northbound Palmetto 90 makes late-afternoon and late-night stops in Dillon, Florence, Kingstree, North Charleston and Yemassee.

“All customers with affected travel will be notified directly,” Amtrak said.

Middleton Place has unveiled a new exhibit highlighting a collection of never-before-seen household items and private antiquities of historical significance.

The limited-time display can be found in the national historic landmark’s House Museum until the end of September. There are two components to the exhibit.

One tells the story of the plantation’s enslaved people, showcasing items from the home that were used daily, such as a marrow spoon, candle wick trimmer, shaving bowl, button stick and rope key bed

The other pays homage to John Izard Middleton and Edward Middleton, who each spent much of their pastimes collecting antiquities and researching ancient civilizations during their worldwide travels. Caitlin Smith, director of museums, said that one of the highlights is part of Edward Middleton’s military uniform from his time served in the U.S. Navy for 44 years.

“Edward Middleton’s rear admiral epaulets are a very recent donation to the Foundation from one of his descendants,” Smith said. “While most the Middleton family staunchly supported the Confederacy, Edward remained in the U.S. Navy and requested a post in the Pacific.”

Artifacts include archeological and antiquity items originating from the Mediterranean region that were kept in private collections.

John Middleton became known as “America’s first classical archaeologist” who was on the forefront of the then-emerging field. Personal notebooks and journals, letters, books and silhouette will be on display, as well as an assortment of objects ranging from Greek and Roman glass jars, sculptures, funerary figurines, oil lamps and ceramic cups.

Around 80 percent of the items have never been viewed by the public.

‘Stop the bus’

The city’s Board of Architectural Review last week declined to approve some of the changes made to a proposed seven-story downtown Charleston development of apartments, hotel rooms and condominium units.

The projects site is at 29-35 George St. and 84-88 Society St., between King and Meeting streets, which for decades has been a public parking lot.

BAR member Jay White said at Wednesday’s meeting that the design changes strayed too far from what was conceptually approved a year ago.

At the time, the six-story project was allowed an additional floor based on the overall “architectural merit” of the development. White said the basic elements that warranted the extra height have “disappeared or been lost in translation.”

“When we find that merit is dissolving, we have to stop the bus,” he said. “We need to treat the architectural merit and context provision like kryptonite, everything has to be handled carefully. If we put it forward to final (review) with faith that they’ll correct all this stuff may delay an uncomfortable decision.”

The developer’s vision is the build a 50-room hotel along Society, along with 16 residential condominiums, a rooftop pool, an event space and a ground-floor restaurant. The structure along George Street would offer a mix of 115 apartments, retail and restaurant space and a pool.

Los Angeles-based GS Acquisition LLC paid more than $13.1 million for the bulk of the property in 2019, according to public land records. Another separately owned parcel owned by 60 Calhoun Street Associates LLC also is depicted as part of the development footprint.

White said that when the project first went through the BAR it was “vehemently denied” but the version of the project that was conceptually approved became a “case study in how to recover” from a such a setback.

Changes from the previous design vary from less detailed and more simplified architecture to fewer windows and changes to the top-floor penthouse elevation.

BAR member Seaton Brown said he’d like to see the concerns restudied before the project moves on.