Hobcaw Barony – A South Carolina Story

Standing at 6 feet and 2 and 1/2 inches tall, Belle Baruch was a towering figure. It was said that she could out shoot, out hunt, and out ride any women and most men. In 1931 the French President awarded her top prize for her equestrian prowess, where she swept the Prix de la Coup. She was the only contestant out of the 119 to finish with a perfect score.

Belle Baruch, right, courtesy Library of Congress

Her legacy to South Carolina is invaluable, Hobcaw Barony, meaning between the waters, is over 16,000 acres of unspoiled beauty, a place for the study of marine biology, forestry, and history on Highway 17 (Kings Hwy) near Georgetown, SC. There are 37 structures on the property, including slave villages, one with a Church, and the Hobcaw House that I toured. Belle Baruch’s Father, Bernard Baruch was an American financier, stock investor, philanthropist, statesman, and political consultant. Visitors to Hobcaw House see original furniture where he entertained important guests of the time. The docent pointed to Sir Winston Churchill’s favorite chair and the bed where President Franklin Roosevelt came for a month of rest at doctor’s orders during WWII. SCETV describes Hobcaw Barony as “a crossroads representing every era of human history…”

Go to http://hobcawbarony.org/ and https://www.scetv.org/betweenthewaters to learn more.

Winyah Bay from Hobcaw House