Tea bushes (Camellia Sinensis) first arrived in the U.S. from China in the late 1700s, but early attempts to cultivate tea in South Carolina failed. In 1888, Dr. Charles Shepard established the Pinehurst Tea Plantation in Summerville, SC, where he successfully grew award-winning tea until his passing in 1915. After his death, the plantation closed, and the tea plants grew wild for the next 45 years.

In 1963, a 127-acre potato farm on Wadmalaw Island was purchased, and Shepard’s tea plants were transplanted there for research. For 24 years, scientists studied tea cultivation, but it wasn’t until 1987 that William Barclay Hall, a third-generation tea taster trained in London, transformed the farm into a commercial operation. Under Hall’s leadership, "American Classic" tea became the first tea made entirely from U.S.-grown leaves, quickly gaining popularity in the Carolinas.

To preserve the majestic nature of the farm from being sold to developers the Bigelow family of Bigelow Tea purchased the beautiful garden in 2003 from William Barclay Hall.  Soon after, the Charleston Tea Garden prospered, unveiling new tea varieties while upholding its iconic ”American Classic” blend.

In 2020, the name changed from Charleston Tea Plantation to Charleston Tea Garden, honoring the land’s agricultural roots and recognizing the historical weight of the word “plantation.” Today, the Garden continues to thrive under the Bigelow family, offering visitors a one-of-a-kind experience on America’s oldest and largest tea farm.