Orton Plantation

The area around Orton Plantation was settled in the early 1700's. The land known as Orton was first owned by Colonel Maurice Moore, but he sold it to his brother Roger. It was Roger Moore who developed it into a leading rice plantation with a "reserve" over 5 miles in length. The first house built on the site by Roger Moore was destroyed by local Indians. "King" Roger obliterated the tribe and then built again at Orton around 1735, settling his family there. The plantation later passed into the hands of Benjamin Smith, whose financial misfortunes cost him the ownership of Orton. In 1824, the plantation's 4975 acres was put up for auction.