In the heart of the ACE Basin adjacent to the Combahee River lies Plum Hill, a 945-acre private property where Lowcountry Land Trust supporters will convene for the 2025 Spring Gathering. Longleaf Society member and former Trustee Dr. Ann Kulze and her large family (Gregorie) are reverent and dedicated stewards of this multi-generational landscape, placing a conservation easement on it in 1995.
History
Plum Hill’s sheltered location, tucked by the Combahee River, is rich with resources and, therefore, has been utilized by humanity for centuries, dating back to the Indigenous people who called it home. The historic property was once part of Nathaniel Heyward’s 3,000-acre rice plantation known as Bluff, where he primarily resided and cultivated rice until his death in 1851. Several generations of the Heyward family owned Bluff Plantation until its sale to the Combahee Corporation in 1915. After a failed attempt by the Corporation to drain the rice fields and cultivate upland crops, Felix DuPont took over the land and later sold it to the Lane family in 1946. In 1978, Bluff was sold to a partnership of sportsmen, and in 1995, the three partners separated the property into three tracts, with 945 acres of the original plantation becoming Plum Hill.
Conservation Legacy
Thirty years ago, Dr. and Mrs. Harry B. Gregorie, Jr. and their seven adult children (Ann, Becky, Brien, Dicksie, Etta, Jane, and Henry) donated a conservation easement on Plum Hill to Lowcountry Land Trust. The easement was designed to protect the property’s ecological, historical, and scenic qualities for future generations. The 945 acres form a contiguous protected landscape with other private and public properties. Bluff and Rose Hill plantations (both originally part of Bluff) border the property to the west. Combahee Plantation, which is also under easement with the Land Trust and the ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge, borders the property to the east.
Plum Hill is an ecological and historical haven that provides a home for the family’s interests, from hunting, cattle farming, organic gardening, and rice harvesting to social gatherings, bird watching, floral art, and meditation. The property’s diverse ecosystem holds an incredible number of naturally available plants that can be foraged for food and medicinal properties. Winding the property’s acres, you will find bottomland hardwood and oak-hickory forests, tidal freshwater marsh, and Civil War mounds telling stories of past battles.
One of the most prominent views on the property is the two hundred inland acres of sweeping handmade rice fields that exist in harmony with the ecosystem. The Gregorie family intentionally maintained the rice fields to supply habitat for ducks and other waterfowl species, and they are credited with a resurgence of bald eagles and alligators in the area.
Run, Forrest, run!
The ACE Basin property’s allure is so strong that even Hollywood (California) felt its energy. In the early 90s, Paramount Pictures leased the shared Bluff landscape from Dr. Gregorie and his two sportsmen partners to film Forrest Gump. Forrest’s childhood home was constructed on the property for filming, and most famously, the “Run Forrest, run!” scene was filmed underneath one of the property’s two avenues of oaks. Plum Hill’s Rosey Oak is prominently featured in the film as Forrest and Jenny’s playground and, later, Jenny’s gravesite, and scenes of the Vietnam War took place in its historic rice paddies—both of which guests will be able to see at the 2025 Spring Gathering.
Post-production, the Gregorie family’s decision to protect and steward Plum Hill allowed its conservation values, from ecology to history to scenic viewsheds, to be preserved in perpetuity. Plum Hill is a testament to the enduring cultural and natural resources of the ACE Basin and conservation as a way to honor generations of human’s connections to the land.
2025 Spring Gathering at Plum Hill
We invite you to celebrate conservation with us at Plum Hill this April! The family-friendly event will highlight the private landscape’s rich ecology and history, from the inland rice fields to the adjacent Combahee River.
Saturday, April 5, 2025
12 to 3 pm
Plum Hill | Yemassee, SC
Adults $95 | Children (2-12) $25
Tickets are all-inclusive, and guests will enjoy a southern-style, healthy harvest lunch with ingredients grown and sourced by Peculiar Pig Farm, local beer and spirits, bluegrass music from The Cluster Shucks, and a dedicated play area for children.
In addition to a silent auction featuring local products and experiences, the event will offer Plum Hill-inspired or produced vendor items like seasonal wreaths and flowers, organic produce, and sustainable beef products. Main attractions will include property tours with Dr. Ann Kulze, garden tours with Lucie Kulze, and rice culture talks with Virginia Beach.
Based on last year’s fast sell-out, we expect tickets to move quickly. Click here for more details and to secure your tickets to this one-of-a-kind Lowcountry experience!
