History of King's Grant

The Distinguished History of King's Grant

King's Grant is a part of the Carolinas that Charles II of England entrusted to eight lord proprietors in the 17th century. In 1671, Lord Ashley Cooper, one
of those proprietors, sent Maurice Mathews to the Carolinas to find the best location for establishing a manor house. After an exhaustive search, Mr. Mathews recommended the area now known as King's Grant as the most ideal location:

"The river is wholly between and upon a rock, very good land, timber abundance and chiefly oaks, cedar and much near ye water side."

During the 300 years that followed Mathews' report, the King's Grant area shared in a great deal of America's heritage. In the 18th century, two plantations were built on the property. At the end of Seven Oaks Lane, overlooking the Ashley River, stood a large brick mansion, the main house of Oak Forest Plantation. Of all sites along the river, Oak Forest was possibly the finest.

The mansion, along with its outlying buildings, was completely destroyed during the Civil War. To the southeast of Oak Forest, at the end of Stratford Drive in an oak grove overlooking our golf course, stood the other grand residence - The Jeny. The site shows evidence of a brick house of considerable size. The Jeny was spared from destruction by Northern troops since it, along with Drayton Hall and Archdale Plantation, was believed a haven for small pox victims. Unfortunately, it too was destroyed by fire some years later.

Construction on King's Grant, as we know it today, was commenced by the Ervin Company of Charlotte, N.C. in early 1970, with Section One being developed in 1970, Section Two in 1972, and the Patio Houses in 1973. The first house completed and occupied in the subdivision, in November 1970, was 216 Shaftesbury Lane.