The Packing House

Built in 1946 by O.H. “Boss” Bishop, the packing house became the center of all the farm’s activities, and eliminated the need for a middleman to pack the vegetables for shipment. His packing house design included a domed roof supported by large wooden beams, high enough for the heat to rise in the sultry Sea Island summer. Large rolling doors could be opened on all sides to let the breeze through - a gift without air conditioning.

While the packing house was used year round, the 4000 square foot building buzzed with activity in late May and early June, when the cash crop of tomatoes was harvested. The packing house ran from sun-up to nearly midnight every day for about two weeks, with trucks and farm workers coming and going, machinery humming, and thousands of tomatoes rolling down conveyor belts and into boxes for shipping.

In 1957, Hurricane Gracie destroyed the packing house. But Boss knew that the best way to deal with adversity was to pick up and begin again, so he collected the scattered cinder blocks and rebuilt the building.

The vision he had for this central location included a beautiful red brick and white cinder block entryway and driveway that welcomed workers and visitors to Yard Farm. When first built, the columns were topped with a variety of concrete animals. However, it wasn’t long before someone decided they liked the animals as well, and they were all stolen. The brick entryway stood for many years until decay has left only one small column still standing as a reminder of Boss’s dream.

The packing house is now the home of The Lowcountry Store and Vendor Market, a unique gift store that sells locally crafted wares and items unique to the Sea Islands. Visitors to the store are not only treated to a unique shopping experience, but can also take a step back in time to an era when truck farming was one of the most important economic drivers on the South Carolina Sea Islands.