William Ellis McLeod passed away at the age of 105 in the same room he was born in. In his will, he left his interest in the plantation to the Historic Charleston Foundation (HCF), with the stipulation that it be preserved as a "single family residence, to preserve the Oak Avenues, and to provide that as much of the property as possible be restricted to single family residence or residences having the lowest possible density" (p.5 will). HCF accepted the plantation with the responsibility of maintaining the property. One of the most daunting tasks they have had to face with this endeavor is how to pay for the enormous expense involved with the restoration and maintenance of such a property. At one point, a group that wanted to turn the plantation into a living history museum and restore the site was turned down. After much consideration, HCF felt that The College of Charleston Foundation would be the best option for seeing the property cared for. We, however, disagree with any plan that would call for changing the main house or construction of athletic facilities on the property. There are major concerns from the neighborhoods that surround the plantation as well, most notably Dogwood Park. Dogwood Park is located to the east of the plantation and will be the most impacted by any construction.

The Friends of McLeod, Inc. is working to coordinate other options, such as the offer from Charleston County Parks and Recreation Department, to purchase, restore, and maintain this valuable historic asset and make the property accessible to the public. We believe the economic value to this area as a tourist attraction is far greater than a school. As one can see by looking at the Charleston Area Visitor Industry Impact Overview at pressomatic.com/charlestonchamber/upload/VisIndustryFacts.pdf, the top 2 reasons why people visit Charleston are touring/sightseeing and visiting historic attractions. As stated in the report, the number one asset of Charleston is history/historic places! So why not keep it as a historic attraction where visitors can see one of the only intact plantations of its kind?