Historic Houses of South Carolina

413 Pages·2015·9.49 MB·English

by  Harriette Kershaw Leiding

71

HISTORIC HOUSES
OF
SOUTH CAROLINA

PHILADELPHIA AND LONDON
J.B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY
T.
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(oosikest eee,

ht FOREWORD

wees

“The Almighty gives dreams to some and realitios to
cothers."" The desu of the Huglisl: Empire builders was to die.
cover, and found « new civilization in the South, and it was
‘out of the reality of the lives of the men and women who
‘onme and carried out the business of the drosme thet South
Carolina was formed, her homies erscled, bor fields tiled, and
hher elvlifsation carvied forward and outward; far it is fect
‘thet from Colonial timae South Carolina had been furnishing
other South Atlantic States with the backbone of their of
zation, slthough it ia not ganerally known that uhe was one
of the great emigrant States.

J South Carolina is to bo judged by the aphorism that
“A Biate is the product of ite people,” then thie Little aeetion
of land, whioh hae stood for ao nach that ia admirablo, is
indeed & great State, Littl as it is known, Soath Carolina,
geographically iolntad in her early days, left to work out hor
own destiny in the following days of the davelopmont antil
‘the Revolutionary dayn ancrannded hy enemies on sl wides
(exoopt to the Northward), bae not only held ita own but hes
Jed the Southeast in may agricultural, mancfactnring nod
amining parenite, led the Union in the yiald per aure uf earn,
‘oats and cottou, ond atana ascend in astton mannfantusing ia
the entire Trion.

From the standpoint of inate ability, bravery, chivalry,
parity of charsoter and onsalish patriotism, fhe sous aud
daughters of Carolina are the equals of any o7 the Amoriean
Continent and today represent the finest type of Ameriosn
citizen; yot itis dificalt to try and teD the atory of this people
‘of mized racee, several religions, varions customs aud the
modifications of these various differentations ky dlimate,
cccupation, wera and tho physical eonfornetion of the land on
tha faco of which thoy lived, and moved, and bud their being.

It is an interosting peep into the past to envisage the
homes in which these pioneer peoplae end thafr dassondants
‘FOREWORD
welt. ‘These Lomos were the expression of their individuali-
tien readifed by their onoupations and meana ‘The wocial,
political and seonomie significance of these ampire builders
‘stands revealed in the homes they builded as well an the taste
that prompted the style. Mews were found for overvoming
Aintances, securing material, and workmen wore cither do-
‘veloped o imported to earry ont the design of the desired
habitation, while the Inndscepe gardenera were employed to.
ecorate and embeltich the neighboring grounds, All of these
fastora onter into the Kind of howe and the type of arubltse-
ture found in lowland und highland of South Carolin.

‘Undoubtedly it is the sense of story behind things thut
leads to the writing about fav bomos of oldcu timos and about
the inhabitants tharenf by ome set of people, and the reading of
story of these houses by ancther set. Nor need we be afraid
‘of being classed amouget thoes who have, as Rupert Hughes
expressed it, “Kicked themselves upetaize into that dreary
faltie where the crities go who ure what Horses called ‘ the
praicore of the past, "if we seek the human etary of the indi-
‘vidual honaos and thoie builders,

If social Gfe refegte the taste mud is tho meature of
grandear in the life of these desd and gone Carolinians,
‘We aun reconstruct for cursalves a picture of those yasteryeaes
‘which lie forgotton in men’s memories, bat which neverthelses
hold precisely the same human elementa an our owu existence
of life and love, fun and fications, women’s foars and so-
‘mon’a tears, und the langhter of Tittle childran, ell of whi
fare held together in the eckeme of things by wen and their
deep desires und uubitions

‘Stromg-mninded persous sre upt to think fashion a Selo
jade end a trivial thing.-yet in Caroling, indigo culture was
‘nlroducod in order to dye the home-wovon allke of milady
‘and it is even whispered that gentlemen wers partial to bine,
the product of their staple indigo, yet indigo eventually
rivalled rice and yielded fo cotton only after the Revolutionary
‘War, and bocamy @ standard of barter in foreign commerce
FOREWORD

So interwoven are social life, agrienitural interests, industrial
‘evolution with commercial interacts, that if ie said “The
lady of « Southern planter will ley ont the whole annual
produce of a riea plantation in wilver and geld, musling, laos
veils and now liverios, carry a hogshead of tobaoes on her bead
‘and trail bale of Soe-Tolund cotton at hor heela, while a lady
‘of Reston or Salem, will wrap herself up in the not proceeds
‘of a cargo of whale cil, and tie on her hat with « quintel
‘of ood-fsh” Thus itis that the beautiful old hoses in South
Carolina grew ap the external expreasion of a certain case,
grace snd dignity of lifa led by the landed gentry.

Near tho coast the apasious verandas came in response to
‘tha nesd for goainesr, snd shadowy retrents from the brilliant
sunshine of this aab-tropical climate, tall eilings, large ein-
dows, amd luttice julousie binds wars berrowed from the
neighboring Spanish Indies, while formal gardens and gete-
‘aye came over in the inner conseionmess of the Cavalior
stock that settod low- country Caroline and found expression
in manner fitting the locality.

Although the first settlers had confined themselves to tho
‘ucighborhood of Charlestos, the faot that Gaorgia wus being

led (1782-24) protected the Western frontior of the
Bate and gave 2 fooling of security hitherto anknown, 50
thet the interior of the Stete received many immigrante;
Germans, Seotch (after the battle of Culloden), and on Brad:
dock’s defeat, refugees from Pennsylvania und Virginia came
‘aud eetiled in the Pivdmout sections of the State, Besides
‘hene various additions to the State, Irish Protaatante, Swisa
Colonists, German Redemptioniste, Welsh Coloriats from
Pomylvania, all wont to the making up of the total popula-
‘ons and were added to the original Hnglish vsttlers, Cavuliars
and gentlernen adventurers as well as the Prench En-
womnot refugees.

‘Thus it is seen that various considerations enter into the
Gisoussion of the homes of rush a mixed people. The homes
of tho Bacon and Bice aristocracy, situated in the low oon
FOREWORD

try, conformed to the English Manor type, being Inter mdi-
fied to soit the climatio conditions, and becoming ax Bingo
Harrison delightfully pats it, “infected by the spirit of the
‘West Indian houses a¢ though blow weruse from the West
Initi,”" wile the homen of the people in the middle Innde
fof the State wore buildod and furnished to euit another set
of people and to meet othar needs, while the homes in highland
counties conformed to yet another eet of standarda and con-
ditions, So that the houses of Carolina the Pravinca, Caro
lina the Royal Ward, when Kings George the First and Sue-
‘ond, were said to he Navsing Fathers ” to the infant colony,
for the tomes of Carolina the devastated, by foreign or civil
strife, all bave different memniage and desiyns, but a spirit
of high Romance permeates the entiro history of the State,
ite people and theie homes,

‘The present volume hae bow undertaken 26 a loving
teibute to South Caruling, who gave t the writer the three
‘heings moat daer to her on earth; and, beeaune the history of
tha Houses in South Carolina is the biatory of the homes of
kindred and friends, thia effort has boon made to give to the
‘world a ylimpeu of the wonderful men and women of ths stale
sand the homes they builded.

Tehaa beon docmed boat, incidentally, to mention » few of
tho firet provincial lawe in order that the reader may obtain
some idea of the manner of life contemplated by those in
authority in primitive Caroling, ‘This is nosesnary becauta the
history of the colony and ita various ectilementa unwinds iteelf
ke a golden thresd from the gleaming wab of the hiatory of
the mother city, Charleston, until the onter threads are
far from the center, yet connected by invisible and im
tangible bonds,

‘The houses in the upper part of South Carolina were
ereoted at a later date then thos in the low country, and 60
Dave bean included in this volume with briefer mention, the
oldest horses naturally being found along tho rivers in the
Jower yart of thastate,
FOREWORD

Ay thanks gre dne to Mivnen Lilia Yates, Mary Von
Rolnita and Elsie Kielland for their offident and loving help.
My thanks are also due to the ruany friends and the owners of
properlies throughout the stale who so Kindly respondud to
letters writton te secure information. 1 have consulted all of
the standusd oareee of information available, and have
scanned tho De Sausaurs reoords (tho originals of whioh are
owued by amy aunt, Mine Inaballe De Bauarure) and have in
addition bed priaeless aid and information given me by 1
mother, Suase Boone De Saussure and my father, Reverend
John Kershaw, DD.

‘Hasmrron Kenssaw Lara
Casmastox, 8.0,
‘Mazeu 1, 1920