Credit: Matt Peacock
Charles Towne Farms, a new master-planned community located about 30 minutes from downtown Charleston in the Historic Ashley Plantation District, is officially welcoming its first residents. The property, once a rice plantation and later a Civil War site, spans more than 3,100 acres that developers say have been intentionally preserved to emphasize conservation, natural beauty and Lowcountry living.
More than two decades of planning and land preservation preceded the launch of Phase 1, which introduces 16 land parcels ranging from 12 to 66 acres. Larger parcels from future phases will also be available. The homesites offer unusually private settings where owners can design custom homes along with additions such as ponds, orchards, buffer areas and stables.
Planned community amenities include equestrian facilities with extensive pastures and trail networks; a private boathouse and deepwater boat launch with access to regional waterways; a saltwater pool; a fitness center with an elevated marsh deck; freshwater fishing ponds; preserved oak groves; and quail fields.
Although the property was once zoned for a 3,500-home subdivision, developer Southeastern Residential pursued a lower-density approach. The company partnered with local conservation groups to protect the land and create what it describes as a community centered on open green space, luxury living and classic architectural design. The long-term vision, the developer says, focuses on creating “family legacies” rooted in the landscape.