Spring is in the air!

It's a wonderful time of year, and you can really see the beauty of spring at The Preserve. A picture is worth a million words.

Johns Island Open House Wednesday, September 21st!

Open House at The Preserve tomorrow from 4-6 pm (Wednesday, September 21st)! Heading to Johns Island tomorrow afternoon? Escape rush hour by turning into The Preserve for a drive through the neighborhood and a quick tour of one of our custom homes. Be sure to take a look at the gorgeous hand-crafted detail in the house done by students at The American College of the Building Arts. Also, take a moment to walk down the leisure trail to one of The Preserve's two community docks along Penny Creek! Come see why The Preserve at Fenwick Plantation is one of the best places to live on Johns Island!

Beautiful high tide and sunset on Penny Creek!

Check out these gorgeous photos taken by Preserve architect Mitch Laplante last week while enjoying an evening with his children and grandchildren. The photos were taken from one of The Preserve's two community docks along Penny Creek just off of the Stono River. This stretch of Penny Creek is so serene with very little boat traffic. Typically the dolphins, pelicans, egrets and the occasional kayaker are the only passers by.

The Preserve at Fenwick Plantation is truly a hidden gem on Johns Island with incredible deep water access only minutes from downtown Charleston. Looking for real estate in the Charleston area? Whether you are looking for a finished new home or a lot on which to build, we invite you to drive through The Preserve or request more information at info@thepreserveatfenwickplantation.com. It is one of those places you just need to visit to fully appreciate. We hope you'll stop by!

Groundbreaking Celebration at The Preserve!

Last Saturday, soon-to-be Preserve residents, John and Amanda Jacob hosted a groundbreaking celebration at their new lot on John Fenwick Lane. What an incredible turnout! Friends and family of the couple, Preserve neighbors and a number of John's Boeing co-workers and their families gathered for a casual cookout to commemorate the start of the project. It's not often a builder and architect handle all of the cooking at an event, but in true Preserve fashion, EPIC Development's Robby Robinson and Kevin Flynn and architect Mitch Laplante prepared an incredible lunch. Guests were able to envision the finished product, walking upstairs to the future first floor of the house, enjoying views of the lagoon and a canopy of towering pine trees surrounding the house. I could feel the contagious excitement as if many were thinking "what would my house look like if I designed and built it from scratch?"

Along with the groundbreaking celebration, Healthy Realty hosted an open house at 1612 John Fenwick Lane. Guests entered a free raffle to win a basket of wine from Lowcountry Wine & Spirits or 50% off a family portrait session with photographer Carrie Naas. Children were given coloring books featuring wildlife found at The Preserve which seemed to keep them very busy while parents toured the homes! In addition, Handsome Properties opened 1624 John Fenwick Lane to guests for an open house.

After touring the homes, guests explored the neighborhood, walking the nature trails to the community docks. Several guests even took a boat tour of Penny Creek to cool off!

We're looking forward to following the progress of the Jacob's home, and thank you for a wonderful afternoon Saturday!

Groundbreaking party and neighborhood open house!

 Don't miss The Preserve's neighborhood open house this Saturday from 12:30-3:30! We'll have several homes open on the property, so come wander through the homes on your way down to the community docks or "the back porch." In addition, we'll be celebrating the groundbreaking of another new home in The Preserve. We're thrilled to welcome the Jacobs into the neighborhood, and we look forward to following the progress of their new home. So after you've walked down to the creek and peeked at the crab trap to see what critters have wandered in, head over to the Jacobs' new lot for a delicious lunch. We'd love to have you!

Updated information on The Preserve website!

You can now find much more up-to-date information on The Preserve's website! We've added pages for Preserve Press, floor plans, a neighborhood map and upcoming events. On each tab, you'll find a link to one of the new pages. Looking for an upcoming open house or dates for a family kayak tour of Penny Creek? Check out The Preserve's events page. We'll regularly update these pages, so check back often!

Interested in visiting The Preserve and seeing what it would be like to live on Penny Creek? E mail us! We'd love to have you!

Living amongst the trees

I had the pleasure of interviewing Robby Robinson of Epic Development the other day. Robby is one of the builders for The Preserve at Fenwick Plantation. We discussed the approach the team took when laying out the initial neighborhood plan for The Preserve. "I literally walked in front of the equipment and pointed out exactly which trees to keep and which to remove," said Robinson. "It was a longer process, but we wanted it to be done right." With extremely careful planning, the team touched as little as possible and replanted trees after installing the roads. The winding roads throughout the neighborhood were planned under a least disturbance policy, ensuring the oldest grand trees were left untouched for wildlife and homeowners to enjoy. Custom homes in the neighborhood are designed to blend into the environment. Houses are strategically placed among the existing trees rather than disturbing what is there only to recreate the it once building is complete. This approach allows homeowners the most incredible natural canvas as a landscape. As towering trees define the neighborhood, it gives the feel of an old neighborhood- one that has been there for years and flora and fauna have had a chance to return to their natural habitat.

 An aerial view of The Preserve from Google Maps is an excellent illustration of the neighborhood layout and its incredible trees. The two docks in the top portion of the image are The Preserve homeowners' community docks on deep water Penny Creek.

What a night to be fishing!

Imagine running down to the community docks after school or work to throw a fishing line in the creek and see what is biting! That is exactly what these Preserve residents did Monday night. Even the family dogs participated! I'll have to follow up with them and find out what they caught!

Full Moon and High Tide Over Penny Creek

This photo says it all... no description needed.

The Back Porch- A place for the entire family to relax!

"The Back Porch" at The Preserve is how homeowners refer to the outdoor common area on the property designed to provide a place for residents of all ages to enjoy. And, it is exactly that, a back porch- a place to relax and enjoy nature in the comfort of your own neighborhood. A beautiful man made pond has been strategically placed and planned to provide aesthetic appeal as well as the most natural, environmentally friendly system for drainage on the property. A brackish pond, containing both salt and fresh water, it is home to spot tailed bass or redfish as well as resident swans, ducks and their nests. Two fixed day docks along the pond allow residents a perch to sit and fish, launch a kayak or enjoy a family picnic. A gazebo provides an excellent shelter for summer crab boils and winter oyster roasts while a large fire pit with seating is the perfect place for playing guitar by the fire, making s'mores or just sitting and thinking about the deep rooted history of the piece of land where The Preserve now sits. Pre-cut, stacked wood surrounds the area making it an effortless experience to enjoy a last minute family cook out by the fire. A state-of-the-art playground, with design features suggested by children living on the property, makes the back porch the perfect place to entertain the entire family. We invite you to drive through The Preserve and visit the back porch!

Johns Island farm fresh produce... right in our backyard!

Johns Island has been home to some of the most productive farms in the South Carolina lowcountry, from indigo, rice and cotton to livestock, fruit and vegetables. In fact, the marshland separating The Preserve from Penny Creek was once cultivated in Sea Island or "long staple" cotton which was used to weave the finest laces and fabrics and was a very valuable commodity. The number of farms on Johns Island increased from 61 farms in 1860 to 400 farms by 1870! It is no surprise that the island is still one of the best places to find fresh local produce grown by generations of farmers. In addition to quaint roadside fruit and vegetable stands brimming with character, there are a number of local farms open to the public for shopping and picking. Many of the Johns Island farms offer Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs, where members purchase a "share" or a membership and receive a box of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season. This is an excellent option for those who regularly buy fresh produce. Imagine getting it straight from the farm and knowing exactly how long it's been out of the ground! Or, for those not interested in a weekly commitment, a trip to a Johns Island farm is a great weekend activity for the whole family. Visit Stono Market's gift shop and Tomato Shed Café for an authentic southern lunch or Ambrose Farms to hand pick your own strawberries, find anything from hormone free beef to sod at Legare Farms, enjoy the farm shop and cannery at Thackeray Farms or pick up heirloom varieties of vegetables, fresh seafood and incredible flowers at Rosebank Farms. These are only a few of Johns Island's farms. It's just refreshing to know that places like this still exist. Take a break, drive outside of the city and enjoy the natural beauty and culture of Johns Island. It's a short drive, but you'll feel miles away.

Horse racing on Maybank Highway!

The land on which The Preserve is located was once part of the historic Fenwick Plantation. Original owner of the plantation, John Fenwick, passed away in 1747 leaving the property and 11,000 acres in the South Carolina lowcountry to his son, Edward Fenwick. An avid horseman, Edward imported fine Arabian and Godolphin horses from England and bred them on his Johns Island property. It is said that Fenwick often exhibited his horses at the Battery in downtown Charleston when they were not resting in the impressive two-story stable he constructed at Fenwick Hall. The stables no longer stand on the property. In 1758, Fenwick founded the South Carolina Jockey Club along with a number of recognizable names: John Drayton, John Mayrant, John Izard, William Moultrie, Samuel Elliott, Daniel Horry and William Williamson. Perhaps most impressive is the three-mile racetrack Fenwick built beginning at what is now the intersection of Maybank and River Roads (only a stone's throw from The Preserve's location) running down present-day Maybank Highway. According to David Wilkinson's Voyage of the Flora: Destination Charleston, "the most important race in this period in South Carolina was the Charleston Subscription Purse, the only pre-Revolutionary race for which there is a complete record of its winners. At the time, "Fenwick Plantation was also referred to as "The Johns Island Stud."

Turtles Galore!

Yesterday turned out to be a beautiful spring afternoon. So beautiful that it seemed everyone with access to a boat was out on the water. The boat landings and waterways were filled with people enjoying the weather. We decided to take a ride up Penny Creek past The Preserve at Fenwick Plantation. There was not a boat in sight on our entire trip up the creek. Such a peaceful retreat from the busier waterway. It would have been a perfect day for kayaking the creek.

Just across from the mouth of Penny Creek, we saw one of the most amazing sights – at least 100 small turtles were sunbathing on the bank at low tide. One by one, each turtle slid into the creek, first going all the way under water, then poking its head out of the water to look around. Imagine over 100 turtle heads all gathered in one area of a creek. I assume they had recently hatched. I'm interested in learning more about this, so I'll research and post an update on The Preserve blog as soon as I have it. Be sure to check back!

Living in Harmony with Nature at The Preserve

 

The minute I made that first turn into The Preserve, I was amazed at the immediate immersion into nature, giving a sense that I had driven miles from town into the country. A pair of Canadian Geese (who are now building a nest along the bank of the pond) completely ignored my presence as I drove under a canopy of mature trees on property once part of the grounds of Fenwick Plantation. 

I parked the car and walked along a waterfront trail watching two Great Egrets socialize, then fly off to find their next meal. The color of the marsh this time of year is beautiful, especially as the late afternoon sun sets.

I walked down one of the two community docks leading to Penny Creek, glancing down to see a pair of deer hoof prints in the mud exposed at low tide.

As the sun began to drop behind the trees, I headed back to the car, listening to a choir of birds welcoming spring perched in gorgeous flowering trees. This entire experience took place in a matter of minutes. Incredible.

Not just an ordinary open house!

Last month, Healthy Realty hosted its first open house at 1612 John Fenwick Lane located in The Preserve at Fenwick Plantation. The evening was a great success with an excellent turnout and sincere interest in the custom home. Guests were especially intrigued by a number of truly unique details of the home.  All handcrafted by students from The American College of the Building Arts, a wrought iron banister leading to the second floor, an ornate stone fireplace surround and true plaster columns add a touch of Charleston history- only fitting for a home situated on the grounds one of South Carolina's oldest plantations.

Having just been introduced to this amazing property, I was especially moved by the sense of family and community within the neighborhood. Homeowners and their children dropped in to meet guests and share their Preserve experiences. Owner and architect Mitch Laplante prepared his handmade Penny Creek Flatbread and tenderloin sandwiches. Guests were also given prepared, uncooked flatbread to take home and cook at their convenience or share with family that could not attend the event. "A Slice of Preserve Living."

As we left the home that evening, I was amazed at the visibility of the stars with the absence of bright city lights. Only minutes from modern conveniences, yet the feeling of complete privacy. I can only imagine how beautiful the view from the dock on Penny Creek was that evening. Perhaps next time we'll host an event on the dock!