Eliza Devereaux Limehouse

March 2024 Issue
Polo Photography by Candace Ferreira
Family Photography by Hailey Morris Photography

Eliza Devereaux Limehouse
Hometown: Charleston, SC

Family: Husband Struthers McBride and 3-year-old Patton. Parents: Sue and Chip Limehouse, brother Chase, and sister Paige. (I’m the middle child)

Claim to Fame: Former Southern Charm Reality TV Star

Career: Family Hotels—Meeting Street Inn, Indigo Inn, Jasmine House Inn & Choice Hotel chains, Entrepreneur Snaffle Bit Bracelet Company (named after a horse bit). “I live for the hustle. My grandfather, Buck Limehouse, worked until he couldn’t anymore. Retirement was not in his vocabulary.”

Passion: Being a mom and my horses; they give me such clarity and peace.

Favorite College Team: Clemson!
I grew up a Gamecock, but I graduated from Clemson.

As a long-time hotelier family in Charleston, SC, and a 9th generation Charlestonian, tell us when your career in hospitality started?
I started working in the office with our accountant at age 7. I put bills and checks in numerical order. She’s been with us since 1980. I got bored in the office, so at age 10, I started working the front desk at Meeting Street Inn. I wanted to talk to people, greet everyone, and see our repeat guests who have been coming every year since before I was born. Now their children come and even grandchildren. We have one employee who worked at the hotel before my grandparents bought it. He’s still with us! I love working with so many of our longtime employees who have been with us 40 and 50 years and hearing their stories. We are about to celebrate 150 years in business. They are family to us, and they’ve become family to many of our guests, as well.

Your name is synonymous with Charleston. Who are you named after?
Eliza is a family name on both my mother and father’s sides of the family. Devereaux is my great grandfather’s first name. (Devereaux Jarrett 1785-1852 on my mother’s side.) He was from Tugaloo, Georgia, and his home, which was Georgia’s last stagecoach inn, is now a museum people can tour and get a glance at early American travel. It’s still filled with original artifacts and furnishings.

To be in your 20s, you have vast experience in both the workplace and as an entrepreneur, tell us three of the top business lessons you’ve learned over the years that you swear by.

1. You can’t take things personally. Business is business. You have to have thick skin.

2. Building trusted, genuine relationships with the right people means everything. Connections are everything. You never know what’s around the next corner. Opportunities are everywhere, and it’s all about who you meet, who you know, and how you interact with them.

3. If you want to be an entrepreneur, you have to work extremely hard, but it’s worth it. The rewards are worth the risk and hard work.

What is the best advice your mother has given you so far?
My mother constantly tells me to speak with better English, she corrects my grammar, and she loathes that I wear yoga pants. She dresses every day like she’s going to a party. She can talk to anyone. She will treat the US president (and she has met several) and the grocery store bag boy the same. She talks to everyone as they are equally important. She has supported me so much and always told me to “not listen to the noise.” She is so strong and so gracious, and such a great mother. I hope I become the parent to Patton that she has been to me.

Your life had an unexpected plot-twist when you were
asked to become part of the cast of Southern Charm.
What was your biggest “Aha” moment when you
stepped into the arena of reality television?
On camera you have no friends; you’re on your own. You have to accept the fact that you have no control over how the world sees you. You have to be strong and secure with yourself because the internet will tear you apart.

You were placed under a microscope during your stint on television. Despite the Hollywood spin, what is something people have no clue about you?
I’m a huge animal person! I rescue animals—mostly dogs—from the side of the road all the time. I’ve kept so many of them. I still have one I rescued 11 years ago. I named her Emmie Laine. Laine was my great-grandmother’s last name. I didn’t have children then and thought it was a beautiful name for a little rescue. She was homeless, hanging out at a gas station in Jacksonboro. I’ve actually rescued other dogs from her “family”.

You are a self-described “maniac,” basically high-strung, a go-getter, into-a-million-things kind of woman. What do you do to find calm and peace?
I snuggle my 3-year-old and sit and watch my horses eat hay.

Sometimes, when someone is blessed with beauty, intelligence, and personality, as well as from an influential family, people believe they have it all and everything comes easy. What is an obstacle you’ve overcome and are very proud of?
I was given the last name and encouragement, but I’ve never been handed anything. I’ve been taught to work hard for everything. When my grandfather was still alive, he made me work for everything. For instance, when I finally got to have a say in the decor at the hotels, I wanted to have leopard print carpet installed in the lobby of Meeting Street Inn. My grandfather wouldn’t take my word that it would be perfect; he made me prove it. I had to get approval from four different people in our organization, plus put a full presentation together on why leopard print made sense. Then, I had to formally present all the details, including durability, on-trend numbers, costs, etc. We got the print, but it was not easy. I had to prove my knowledge and work ethic to be heard. In the case of my jewelry business, I built that from scratch in spite of severe learning disabilities and dyslexia. I’m proud of that.

Your life has greatly changed in the last few years
with marriage and a baby. Tell us how you met your husband.
It’s such a cool story!
We “got married and kissed” on our first “date”. I had to model as a bride in a wedding photo shoot. The model groom called out at the last minute, and they asked me if I knew anyone who could fill in. I had known Struthers for at least 10 years, but we had never dated or anything. Anyway, he is very handsome, and I called him. He showed up to be the “groom” for the shoot. That was April 2019, and we married in August 2020. We eloped during Covid at my grandparents’ family estate. The only guests were the horses. My grandparents watched from the window. I would do the same all over again. It was stress-free and about us and our love, not some giant wedding. Eloping was the best!

Your great grandfather, Walter Fennell, was one of the first breeders of the Quarter Horse in South Carolina. Your grandmother, Frankie Limehouse, always loved horses and introduced your father and his three brothers to the love of horses. You were put on a horse before you could walk, and now you are a 3rd generation Polo player. Tell us about the thrill of the sport.
Playing Polo is a huge adrenaline rush. You’re going 30-40 mph on a horse, trying not to get taken out by other players. When I’m playing, my whole world steps aside and my only focus is on the field. I’m an adrenaline junkie and just love the fast pace and hitting a great shot. Polo is a lifestyle, and the players are like family. My family has known most of them for years. There are no age barriers; children hang out with adults. It’s a huge family, my Polo family.

Polo is a fast, physical, and tough sport. Is it harder for women?
Yes! Polo is a male-dominated sport, and it’s hard to go up against men, but that’s what makes it more special. It’s nice to be considered an equal. It requires a lot of strength and size helps, too. I have a disadvantage not being a man because I’m not nearly as strong or big.

You are playing in the Spring 2024 Charity Polo Classic in Bluffton on April 7. Have you played there before?
I have played in this tournament my whole life! My grandfather announced this tournament every year for years. Being with my family and playing Polo brings happiness and fulfillment I can’t describe. I’m sad when we aren’t playing, and this tournament means I get to play one more polo match with my family.

What would you say to encourage people, who have never been to a Polo match, to come out and be a part of the day?
Polo is a friendlier, more interactive sport than horse racing. Spectators can come over to our trailers, pet the horses, and talk to the players. However, don’t be a rookie and wear stilettos or heels. This isn’t the Derby. You will be right near the field walking through grass. You may get dirt on you. People do wear big hats, but the horses don’t like them. Wear comfy shoes, a sundress is perfect—cute, casual attire is your dress code for the day.

This Hear Me Roar column is all about being a woman and having a voice! What are you currently “roaring” about?
I love being a mom! I’m so grateful to be Patton’s mom, working together with Struthers (He is the best dad!) to mold our little guy into being a good person. Patton has given me a whole other level of purpose—I’ve grown so much. And yes, I struggle to juggle it all—career/mom/wife/friend/daughter/personal balance. It’s not easy, but I don’t hesitate to ask for help when I need it.

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Don't Miss the Match:
Spring 2024 Charity Polo Classic

Sunday, April 7
Presented by Rose Hill Equestrian Club
Rose Hill Polo Field, One Equestrian Way, Bluffton

Traditional and Enhanced Experienced Tickets
On Sale Now at www.rosehillequstrianclub.com
Gates open at 10 a.m. for VIP Sponsors
12 Noon for Traditional Experience Spectators
Match starts at 2:00 p.m. (Rain date is 4/14/2024)

Spring Beneficiaries: Coastal Discovery Museum and
Boys and Girls Club of Hilton Head Island and Bluffton