Dr. Harold Chalmers Poston, Jr. is an American physician, board-certified pathologist, United States Navy veteran, and land steward based in South Carolina. He is the founder of The Poston Preserve, a private nature and wildlife sanctuary in Manning, South Carolina, established as a long-term project in conservation, heritage preservation, and responsible land stewardship.
A member of the ninth generation of the Poston family in America, Dr. Poston represents a modern continuation of a family legacy tied to the Pee Dee region for more than 250 years.
Founder of The Poston Preserve in South Carolina
Dr. Harold Chalmers Poston, Jr. is an American physician, board-certified pathologist, United States Navy veteran, and land steward based in South Carolina. He is the founder of The Poston Preserve, a private nature and wildlife sanctuary in Manning, South Carolina, established as a long-term project in conservation, heritage preservation, and responsible land stewardship.
A member of the ninth generation of the Poston family in America, Dr. Poston represents a modern continuation of a family legacy tied to the Pee Dee region for more than 250 years.
Service to Country
Lieutenant Commander Harold C. Poston, MC, USNR, served as a physician and officer in the United States Naval Reserve Medical Corps. His years of military service helped shape the discipline, analytical rigor, and sense of duty that later defined both his medical career and his stewardship of The Poston Preserve. The existing founder materials consistently describe him as a U.S. Navy veteran and physician.
Professional Career
Dr. Poston attended Clemson University, where he earned his undergraduate degree, and later graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina, going on to build a distinguished career in pathology. His work as a board-certified pathologist reflected the same precision, discipline, and commitment to sound judgment that also shaped his approach to land stewardship and long-term conservation.
Stewardship & Vision
Through the creation of The Poston Preserve, Dr. Poston united a lifelong appreciation for the outdoors with a serious commitment to conservation. The Preserve was established as a private nature and wildlife sanctuary dedicated to protecting habitat, preserving the family’s historical connection to the region, and maintaining the land with care and intention. From the open fields to Dragonfly Pond, his vision is reflected in every acre.
Family Legacy
The Poston Preserve is not only a conservation property, but also a living extension of a multigenerational South Carolina family legacy. Dr. Poston and Maxine Moody Poston have stewarded the Preserve alongside their sons, Eric Chalmers Poston and Lane Strom Poston, representing the continuation of a family tradition rooted in land, history, and public life.
Family Tree
Born in Conway, South Carolina, on December 4, 1954, Dr. Poston is the son of Harold Chalmers Poston, Sr. and Ruth Mae West. He belongs to a South Carolina family line whose roots in the region extend back to the eighteenth century. That lineage is historically associated with the community of Poston, South Carolina, named for Andrew Poston, a family forebear whose role in railroad-era development left a permanent mark on Florence County history.