Our History

Enveloping you in lush green and colorful blooms, Sleepy Hollow Barn and Plantation is over 180 years in the making. “BEAUTIFUL” Historic Wedding and Event Venue Circa 1823 sits on a 44 acre farm in the heart of Clemson, S.C.

The home was built in 1837, Sleepy Hollow is home to the lovingly preserved J.C. Stribling Barn has rustic red brick and pine floors. The historic brick barn is a National Registered Site of the United States of America. From the barn, a granite cobble stone walk takes you to the sprawling green lawn of the “Wedding Green” which is an elegant backdrop weddings and special occasions.

Sleepy Hollow was once a working farm of 270 acres. Called “The Plantation” on the deed, this property was purchased by Jesse Payne Lewis from David Cherry circa 1822. The farm consisted of a farmhouse (rumored to be a log cabin built by David Cherry of Pendleton), smokehouse, barn, and outbuildings. Jesse Lewis is the one credited with naming the farm “Sleepy Hollow.”

The farm was sold to Virginia E. Stribling, wife of Jesse Cornelius Stribling, in 1887.

In 1890, a devastating fire started in the stables and quickly consumed the original barn all of the outbuildings. The brick workers, farm hands, and the family saved the house through great effort. After the fire, the house was repaired and eventually updated over time, primarily in 1890, to the larger middle Victorian plantation house that exists today. Sleepy Hollow is also home to the largest white oak in South Carolina.

The J.C. Stribling Barn was also constructed in 1890 to replace the barn lost in the fire. The barn housed 50 animals with purebred Jersey milk cows located on the lower level and Percheron horses housed in the upper levels. Lofts and drying floors housed the food for the stock. The J.C. Stribling barn was added to the National Historic Registry October 22, 2001.

There are several features that make the J.C. Stribling barn particularly unique. The barn is assembled with hand-made bricks that were fired in a kiln on the plantation. The bricks were made using mud from the Sleepy Hollow property.

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