Ashley Rhodes

Orange Grove Plantation
Where History Comes Home

story by BEAUFORT LIFESTYLE STAFF              photos by PAUL NURNBERG

Sitting along Wallace Creek, surrounded by sweeping live oaks and just a short drive from downtown Beaufort, Orange Grove stands as both a reflection of the beauty and history of St. Helena Island and a destination entering an exciting new chapter.

Today, the historic property welcomes guests for weddings, retreats, milestone celebrations, and other thoughtfully curated gatherings. Whether coming together to celebrate, create, connect, or simply experience the Lowcountry, Orange Grove offers something increasingly rare: a place where history, natural beauty, and Southern hospitality come together.

At the center of this new chapter is Ashley Rhodes, a longtime Beaufort event planner whose connection to Orange Grove turned out to run much deeper than she ever imagined. Ashley grew up just across the river in Ridgeland, South Carolina, and has been coming to Beaufort for as long as she can remember. After attending the University of South Carolina, she eventually made Beaufort home, where she has now lived for almost 20 years.

For nearly two decades, Ashley has worked as an event planner, primarily designing and producing Lowcountry weddings and celebrations. In 2013, she joined The Inn at Palmetto Bluff as a wedding designer, further expanding her experience in luxury events and hospitality.

When COVID-19 brought the events industry to an abrupt halt, Ashley found herself taking an unexpected professional turn. Already serving on the board of the Open Land Trust, she joined the organization professionally for several years, gaining firsthand experience in land conservation and the stewardship of some of the Lowcountry’s most treasured places.

That experience would ultimately prove instrumental in what came next.

AN UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITY
In 2024, the Trask family reached out to Ashley to plan a Celebration of Life for their mother, Mrs. Caroline Trask, two years after the passing of their father, John Trask Jr. The service was held at Orange Grove, the longtime Trask family home, a historic house set within approximately 900 acres along Wallace Creek on St. Helena Island. After Mrs. Trask’s passing, the home sat empty for the first time in decades.

Shortly after the celebration, the four Trask children approached Ashley to discuss the future of Orange Grove. They understood they had something incredibly special, but they also knew the property’s conservation easement would play an important role in determining what came next.

Held by the Open Land Trust, the conservation easement permanently protects the natural, scenic, and historic qualities of Orange Grove, from its waterfront and majestic live oaks to its open farmland and sweeping Lowcountry views.

Because of Ashley’s previous experience both on the board and in the office of the Open Land Trust, the Trask family knew she could help them understand the easement and envision a future for Orange Grove that would honor the property while allowing others to experience it.

“I got to work,” Ashley says. “I created a business plan that outlined a new vision for Orange Grove — one that would preserve the character and integrity of the property while thoughtfully opening it to a new generation of guests.”

That vision ultimately led Ashley into a leadership role at Orange Grove, bringing together nearly two decades of experience in event planning and hospitality with her knowledge of conservation and deep appreciation for the Lowcountry.

“I have done a lot of different things in my life, and this opportunity combines so many of the things I love,” she says. “I am able to help care for and maintain this incredible property while creating meaningful experiences for the people who come here.”

BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO A FAMILY HOME
The work began with the monumental task of sorting through more than 70 years of Trask family life within the house. From there came a thoughtful refresh and restoration. Hardwood floors were refinished, rooms received fresh paint and wallpaper, upholstery was updated, and furnishings were refreshed — all while maintaining the warmth and character of a home that had been loved by generations.

The vision was never to transform Orange Grove into a traditional hotel or vacation rental. Instead, the seven-suite home would serve as an extension of the events and retreats held on the property, a place where hosts and their guests could stay together and experience Orange Grove in a more intimate way.

Then, about six months into the restoration process, the story took an extraordinary turn. Ashley participated in an interview with WHHI-TV about Orange Grove and later shared the clip on her personal Facebook page, so friends and family could see what she had been working on. Her great-aunt Beth, who lives in Augusta, Georgia, responded with a note. Its opening sentence stopped Ashley in her tracks: “Glad to see Orange Grove back in the Carter family even though many generations passed.”

“I remember thinking, ‘What in the world is she talking about?’” Ashley says.

Ashley knew her great-grandmother had been a Carter. What she did not know was that her own great-great-grandfather, Lewis Henry Carter, had owned Orange Grove from 1928 until 1942.

“I never knew it. I was shocked,” she says. “My great-grandmother, who took care of me as a child, grew up at Orange Grove.”
Suddenly, the property Ashley had been entrusted to help preserve and reimagine was also part of her own family’s story.
“It truly felt like kismet,” she says.

A PLACE TO GATHER
While Orange Grove provides an extraordinary setting for a Lowcountry wedding, the vision for the property extends well beyond weddings. With seven king-bed suites, generous common spaces, expansive grounds, and breathtaking waterfront views, Orange Grove lends itself naturally to wellness and writers’ retreats, corporate gatherings, intimate celebrations, and creative experiences.

In many ways, the landscape itself becomes the canvas. It can be a place to marry, a place to retreat — a place to write, create, plan, heal, celebrate, or simply reconnect. Events unfold outdoors against the property’s waterfront setting, while the historic home gives overnight guests the opportunity to experience Orange Grove as more than a venue. For a brief time, it becomes home.

For Ashley, the opportunity to help guide Orange Grove into its next chapter feels particularly meaningful. “I’m able to be close to home, and I get to give back to this community that means so much to me,” she says.

Orange Grove has already begun welcoming a new generation of guests, hosting weddings and gatherings with additional celebrations and retreats scheduled for 2027 and 2028.

HONORING THE PAST, LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE
In 2027, the house at Orange Grove will celebrate its 100th birthday, a milestone that will coincide with a Grand Opening celebration in May. It will be a fitting moment for a property whose story has never really stopped evolving.

Families have lived here. Children have grown up here. Generations have gathered beneath its live oaks and looked out across Wallace Creek. Now, through the foresight of the Trask family and the protection of the conservation easement, Orange Grove is being carefully prepared for the generations still to come.

The beauty of Orange Grove is not simply that its past has been preserved. It is that the property can continue to be lived in, gathered in and loved, while the land and character that make it so special remain protected.
The Orange Grove of yesterday is becoming the Orange Grove of tomorrow, a place rooted in history, renewed with purpose, and ready to welcome its next century.

To learn more about Orange Grove, visit orangegrovesc.com or call 843-368-2554.