Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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- • ' 1 . ' \ >»! fWT*^* v r7 X * \ I. If Toe Don’t Rond THE CHRONICLB Too Don’t Got Tko Newt. VOLUME XXV r account of the birth of the idea to / !! THE STORY OF ROSEMONT Re-Published From The Stnte, June 12 1904—Written by H. L. Watson of Greenwood, South Carolina . I L Inevitably one must associate Old Rosemont with Mt. Vernon, for it was at Rosemont that the idea of preserv ing for the nation the home or is first and noblest president was first con ceived and within its Walls were form ulated the plans which were to suc- * cessfully save the home of the “father of his country.” The actual work was done by a gifted daughter of the Cun- ingham family of Rosemont, Miss Ann Pamela Cuningham, but to her mother, Louisa Cuni Mrs. Louisa Cuningham, belongs the distinguished honor of having sug gested and made the first effort to wards the organization of the Mount Vernon (Association. This lady was the daughter of Col. William Bird of Birdsborough, Pa. He moved to Geor gia in 1796. Mrs. Cuningham was six years old when her fatner moved to Georgia, she having been bpm irt Alexandria, Va., in 1790, at the liome of her grandfather, Col. Dalton. 'It was her mother’s eldest sister, who died young, who had the honor of win ding the heart mnd refusing the hand v df the great Washington, when he was surveying lands for Lord Fairfax j and only 17 years old. it is claimed, were made by English Mrs. Louisa Cuningham, one of the >y Eng workmen on the grounds. The blinds were made in England, and although they are today 147 years old they are in a splendid state of preservation and hold their shape better than some made nowadays which are some 145 years their junior. The frame work of the house is as plumb today as can be, the chimneys are as solid and erect as one could wish. Time, with its iron tooth, has made many marks on the old house, but "it is in a wonderful state of pres ervation. It is two stories high, with wide cellars underneath, and a large attic. The famous old wine cellar is used today by Maj. Robert ty. Cuning ham, the owner and sole occupant of 1 the place, to store lime in. The vint ages of ’76 or ’81 no longer have their abiding place there. Auer the Revo lution South Carolina confiscated Rosemont and the land belonging to it, but afterwards an act was passed by the legislature restoring to the family their ancestral acres. As stated above, Rosemont reached the zenith of its fame under its later mistress, Mrs. Louisa Cuningham, the mother of Miss Pamela Cuningham, mrs i^uisa ux d of the f her of Maj Robert N daughters of Col. Bird, was the wife rbn • . * nnw liv J _ s th<n . p _ 0 1 of Capt. Robert Cuningham, distin guished for his wealth, culture and noble hospitality. He lived at Jtose- Cbningham, who now lives there. Of Mrs.* Louisa Cunningham, Gov 4 B. F. Perry wrote: “She was not only beau- purchase Mount Vernon. In.the sum mer of 1853, on a bright and moon light night, a steamer was passing down the broad Potomac, and as it crossed the shadow of Mount Vernon, its bell tdlled out the customary re quiem to the immortal hero \n his last resting place.. On the steamer was Mrs. Louisa Cuni^ham, the mother of Miss Pamela, and as the tolling of the bell died away cross the hills she reflected sadly on the desolation which was inevitably the sacred spot. All ven idea seemed to take possession of her mind that if the women of America could own Mount Vernon it might be preserved to the nation forever. At this time Miss Cuningham was in South Carolina at Rosemont, her old ancestral home, confined to her room as a confirmed invalid, but within her frail body burned the fires of enthu siasm and intellectual ability and a and indomitable spirit creeping over spot. at once an inspiring and God- CLINTON, S. C., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1925 sym npathizing whicn would accept of no dispourage- ment or rebuff. When her mother wrote her of her proposition in re gard to Mount Vernon, her enthusi astic spirit. aroused itself and from her invalid’s couch she said: “I will do it.” And she did. At first her timidity and her modesty compelled her to use in her letters to the press the name of the “Southern Matron.” For a long time her identity was con cealed, but at length it came out. She could not work always in this way. There were other things to be done besides writing for the press. Think of the task she had, to raise the enormous sum of $200,000, the necessary sum for the purchase money. Northern papers soon began to notice the work of the" “Southern Matron” and declared that the project must not be confined to the southern wo men, but that the whole nation should be allowed to aid in the plan. Miss Cuningham, who, by this time, had become known and had been elected first regent of the Mount Vernon As sociation, gracefully yielded and ap pointed vice regents from ev^ery state in the Union. Three years after the movement had started Miss Cuning-^ ham met in Richmond, Va., the Hon. Edward Everett. It was the occasion 6f his delivery of his great eulogy on Washington. She soon persuaded Mr. Everett by her eloquence and en thusiasm to devote his talents to the cause. He offered to give the pro ceeds of his lectures for a certain time to Miss Cuningham for the as sociation and in * short time turned over to her the handsome sum of $69,- 000. Washington Irving gave $500. Thousands of school children gave five cents each. At last in many different ways the sum was rai.^ed. At the last moment there was a nitch in the transfer. The owner refused to sell under the charter offered.. It was only after a long delay that the trans fer was made. Miss Cuningham’s friends were uneasy for her very life, | A< ► she seemed so frail. For fear that|T^ she might not live to sign the charter, a clause was inserted in the constitu tion empowering her to appoint her own successor. But she did live. The act of signing is thus described in her own words: “All the papers were read in due form, and then a gentleman knelt beside my couch and held the papers for my signature; my lifeless fingers could hold a pen | f < > which he lived and died wish to see which is as bright today as it was 100 in what he lived and died! Let one spot in this grand country of ours be saved ffom change! Upon you tests this duty.” At Rosemont, the home of her an cestors, surrounded by the surviving members of her family, she died in the year 1875. Her great work will live for ages and will ever be a great and glorious monument to her memory. Her dying request was that she should be buried in Columbia and she rests there today. The monument over her grave was erected by her nephews. If it were possible, how well would it be if her own home could be purchased and preserved. Future generations would find in it always much to at tract and inspire. The spire, mere are very few such old places left and none with * + . ? puau . i y- ™ ‘V™ “Xd Kv tiful herself, but she had a love and mont m baronial s ^fV su r^ d p ed | taste for ^ beautiful. Her passion all the luxuries , f or flowers was unsurpassed; she col- *! V lY Elected them from alf parts of the quent resort o f , fj^fs and ac-, wQrld ^ flowerg and shrubbery quamtanceswembfac ng * ! covered acres (seven acres were devo- ed public men of the day, and the h°s-, ^ to flowers al so Maj . C uning- pitable welcome fheyreceived insured | ham now of nd around r*nJn": Rosemont, which she watched over and cultivated with the care of a itors at all seasons. Capt. Cuning ham was a gentlemen of great public spirit and charity, as well as hospi tality and friendship. During the War of 1812 he raised a volunteer company and entered the service of his country. When, as will be taken up later, one considers the fact that the Cuninghams were loyal to the crown during the Revolution, this fact raising a company to fight the British in 1812, shows that the family had with becoming grace become entirely loyal to the new order of things. And how remarkable it is, too, that it- should have been from a descendant of this family that th<» first suggestion of preserving the home of the “father of his country” came. It is another strong link in the chain of the fam ily’s loyalty. They were loyal to the crown from conviction, but having seen the inevitable settlement of the issue, none were or have since been more loyal to the government of the land. Rosemont was known for and wide care mother for her infant children. She had the honor of being the pioneer flo rist of the up-country. Soon ' after her marriage and settlement at her husband’s old 'family mansion, now more than 1,00 years old, she had the honor and great pleasure of receiv ing a collection oi wire flowers from Mount Vernon, sent her by Judge Bushrod Washington. Vicars after wards, when I saw her flower garden and shrubbery, they were surpassing ly beautiful, and laid off with great taste and artistic skill. She was most generous, too, in the distribution of her rare and beautiful flowers and plants amongst her friends and ac quaintances.” Gov. Perry had the ad vantage of frequent personal visits to Rosemont at this time. Seven acres of flowers and 30 acres in a park surrounding the flowers! Beau tiful dtenues, making a cross, lead from the front of the house into the park. Remains of this great nark ! are seen today in a few gigantic mag- as the first and largest frame house j no ii aSf rare trees and a wilderness of in upper South ^Carolin, as^ having sbrubber y The flowers have all gone, been th ‘ ^ A e center of the largest private; where they on<;e grew and developed landed estate in the ocuntry, their beauty and fragrance now lies acres, and ds the home of Patrick cultivated ground. At the time when Cuningham, the deputy surveyor-gen-1 tbe piat. e was s^gh as described by eral of the province Curwin, in his “Journal and Let ters, 1776-84,” says of Patrick .Cun ingham and his family: “The family of Cuninghams (or Cuninghames) was from Scotland, where they had taken a determined part during the struggles there for religious freedom. The an cestors of the Cuninghams of Soutlj Carolina about the year 1681 came over to America and settled in Virgin- ia,„In January,‘1769^Robert and Pat rick, the two eldest sons of John, who was settled in Augusta, Va., removed to Ninety-Six district of South Caro lina. Robert 'settled at Island ford, on the Saluda river, and was one of the first magistrates in that district. Patrick, the same year was made a deputy surveyor-general under Sir Egerton Leigh, surveyor-general.” Patrick received for his pay for this work a grant from King George of 90,000 acres of land. He selected 80,- 000 in one body and in the centre of this vast estate he built on the banks of the Saluda his home, n^w known as Rosemont. The other 10,000 acres of land were selected further down the river. — Curwin further says of the two brothers:. “The Cuninghams were not altogether opposed to the principles of the Revolution. They did not think that the English government ought to be permitted to. impose taxes on the colonies without their concurrence, but they thought that the people would gain but little if they escaped the injustice of the British parlia ment only to subject themselves to what they regarded as an odious ty ranny of an arbitrary faetjon at home.” ^In Support of his view is the state ment made to the same; effect by Gen. McCrady. Gften Patrick Cuningham decided to build his home, it was his intention to build a pretentious frame house, and in order to get the lumber sawed he had his blacks cut the timber out of his forests and raft the logs down the Saluda to Charleston, where they could be sawed. Arriving there with the trees, so the family tradition goes, he found it impossible to get them sawed. There were several Etfglish ships in the harbor looking about for ballast dnd he offered his logs as ballast, to be carried to England and there sawed and fashioned for the hoyse he wanted to build. Tradition also says that his offer was accepted and the timbers used in the house were actuaUy sawed and fashioned in England. The^nails, >everji one of them, were made by hand in a black- ' as were also Gov. Perry, the pfantation was also in its zenith. There were over 500 slaves so rich a collection* of old and rare ar tides. Rosemont Today Rosemont today inside is just as it was the day Miss Cuningham died and rnuph as it was 100 years ago.i The carpet in the drawing room fs 100 dr more years old and is perfectly f reserved. Its freshness almost be- ies its age, but of its age there is no doubt. Visitors are cordially admit ted by Maj. Robert N. Cuningham, who is the sole occupant of the place. The usual way now is by the dining room entrance. This entrance is the* one formerly used in bringing meals from the kitchen, which in accordance with old time style, was in the yard. A brick walk connected the kitchen and‘the house. The kitchen 'was burned many years ago.' In the din ing room are seen th$ immense imp waiters used in bringing food from the kitchen. The family at jone time had among the silver plate,* silver waiters as large as these, but they have disappeared. At the right of the entrance is a solid mahogany side board. Its top is covered with pieces of hand-cut glass and genuine wedge- wopd. Above the sideboard hangs a portrait of Miss Pamela. At the right of the sideboard hangs a large sjeel engraving of Franklin at the court of Louis XVI. This is said to be one of the five originals of this picture., There are numerous copies smaller in size. Also on the right is a large oil portrait of the father arge of Maj. Robert Cuningham, a brother of Miss Pamela. Nearby are a group of old silhouettes of members of the family. These quaint pictures were much in vogue at one time. Open ing the doojr of the china closet a sight is revealed which thrills the heart of every lady visitor. Inside there is a display unlike anyi in the country. Not a piece of blown ,qr machine cut glass in it, but many, very ihany, pieces of hand cut glass over a hun dred years old. 'China is 100 yeai* old, ornamented with pure gold leaf, years ago. The most magnificent piece in this collection is the coffee urn. Many portraits adorn the walls. Most of the pictures were burned. The family moved to Greenwood dur r ing the war and the house they occu- S ied there was destroyed by fird. ver the mantle in the dining room at Rosemont is a^portrait of William L. Yancey, the great secessionist. He was raised at Rosemont by his uncle, Capt. Robert Cuningham. An other portrait over the mantle 4s that of Taber,, who was killed in a duel in Charleston by Gov. McGrath. Maj. Cuningham’s father was Taber’s sec ond. Maj. Cuningham, a thorough gentlemen of the old school, does not share in the present day aversion to the mode of things. Hd has in his room a pair of dueling pistols and a sword used in dueling. They have seen use in their day. Leavinjg the toom one enters a narrow hall separating the dining room and drawing room. The carpet in this room has been referred to. Solid mahoganv and rosewood furni ture is in abundance. It was all made before the art of veneering was in vented. On the walls are magnifi cent French plateglass mirrors, hand- cut glass candlesticks with pendants. An old style lamp is on a centre table. Old and rare books are in profusion everywhere and on this table are three of the rarest of American books. The top one is a perfect copy of Au dubon’s “Birds.” The major has been offered $1,000 for it. The book has Upstairs are the bedrodma. Solid ma hogany beds are in each room. On one of these is a spread of the finest texture. Even in the attic are a num- er of pieces of fine furntyire. The house was struck by lightning at one time and the old half clock was torn up by its work. It is in the attic. A catalogue of ^hes, things of value and interest in the house would make a volume. During the subimer it is visited almost daily. It is about four miles from Waterloo, six miles from Harris Lithia Springs, and about ten miles from Greenwood, if one dares to cross the river on a railraod trestle. • 'Vi Aencw Your Health by Purification brought a higher price even than that. ;h( Northern visitors go into rapture at the many things, of value in this old treasure house and wonder that their money cannot buy any of them. But nothing is for sale. It has been often asserted that there is not another house in the United States so filled with things of value to the collector, Any physician will tell you thftt “Perfect Purification of the Sys tem is Nature’s foundation of Perfect Health.” Why not rid yourself of chronic ailments that are undermining your vitality T Purify your entire system by tak ing a thorough course of Calotabs, —once or twice a week for several weeks—and see how Nature re wards you with health. Calotabs are the greatest of all system purifiers. Get a family package, containing full direc tions, price 35 cts.; trial package, 10 cts. At any drug store..(Adv.) i WHAT DO P. S. J £ 8 DO? REAL ESTATE IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA For Quick Turn-Over Get the Advice of one of the Oldest Realty Firms in Hendersonville, “The Center of Activity.” H. G. LOVE & COMPANY Corner Third and Main St. GEO. H. ELLIS, Representative CLINTON, S. C. HENDERSONVILLE, N. C. < H ► < M ► < M ► < >♦ < >o I That Smart, < >o - * on this one plantation. Large quar-1 but a few moments; could only make' ters for the blacks were scatered over, or three letters at a time, bin- smith shop on th® spot, as were also the hinges used on the doors and blinds. The brick used in the' house, the estate. The remains of these black villages can be seen today in the raised mounds at intervals in the great forest around. There were great ranches or sheds for the cattle that roamed at large. There was one near the house that would protect 500 head of cattle, horses, mples, etc. Gone, gone forever, are all these things. Capt. Robert Cuningham, the owner of this vast estate and the husband of Mrs. Louisa Cuningham, was a gentle man of education and literary taste. He read law with John C. Calhoun, and was one of his favorite puprtls. But being possessed of a very large for tune he abandoned the law and devot ed himself to planting. He served the f >eople of Laurens county twice in the egislature. In speaking of the fact that his ancestors were all loyal to the .crown during the Revolution, he said to Col. W. C. Preston: '‘History does not accuse them.” His reference was certainly to his father, Patrick, the builder of Rosemont, and his uncle, Robert. It is stated by Gen. McCrady that Mr. Robert Cuningham would have allied himself with the colonists in an attack against the Cherokees, who became threatening during the Revolution, but the men under Capt <►« ► o< ► oo < M ► < M ► oo < . ally all was gotten through with, and the papers, with my fearful scrawl, carried tto the archives of the State. I was in* a mental stupor for three weeks. Has not Mount Vernon been bought with a price?” It is said that this charter was the first document signed by her baptismal name. The purchase was completed oh February 22 (Washington’s birthday being the appropriate date sedected), 1859, just two years before the war came on. The work of repairs and restoration was stopped by the war. Miss Cun ingham returned to Rosemont. She directed that in case of the occupa- j > tion of Mount Vernon “by troops of 1 either or both armies a request should be made to thte commander to give a < H ► h ledge for the safety of the tomb and oo ome. Her ideal of veneration was felt by the whole nation, and the sol diers of both armies met as brothers at the tomb and stacked their arms before the gates of the house. Now that the interest in Mount Vernon grows year by year, this love and patriotism will be a strong influence for a better feeling between the two sections. \ One of the .vice regents in a recent report of the work of the association in describing the further work, says: oo I M - OO oo ♦♦ Desirable Something Different In Hart Schaffner & Marx new fall styles Williamson, to whom the offer was I “After the war was over, Miss Cun- made, resented it, and upon the advice I ingham again met the vice regents < M ► on on on on nn nn nn nn on of Williamson, he retired to his home at Island ford, and remained there until the close of the war. s The only one of the name against whom history does make accusation is William Cuningham, known as Bloody Bill visited his cousin at Rosemont, sin of Patrick Cuningham, the Guilder of Rosemont, and although Bloody Blil visited his cousin at Rosemont, he did not live there and had no inter est whatever in the estate. He was said to be a handsome man, and was known to toe dashing. His cousin presented him with the famous mare, “Ringtail.” But we lyive^to dp only with Rosemont and its family. Qf the three male members of the Cuninghbm family in old Ninety-Six district," Gov. Perry says that Hon. Samuel Earle of Greenville, who was a gallant Whig officer in the Revolu tion and knew every landholder above Columbia, said that there were not three more worthy and respectable gentlemen in the upper country than the three Cuninghams above men tioned, Patrick, the builder of Rose mont, and his two brothers, Robert of Island ford and John. Min Ann Pamela Cuningham Min Pamela gives the following in council at Mount Vernon. They were moved to tears by the sad scene of desolation which met their eyes. The vice regents again set to work, to raise funds in their respec tive states. In their embarrassment they were ably assisted by Mr. G. W. Riggs of Washington, who advanced funds to aid in continuing the work of restoration. They also brought a bill before congress' for indemnity for the use of the Mount Vernon boat as a transport for troops. Af ter a long opposition the* bill was passed and the $7,000 secured was used in repairing Mount Vernon. This was Miss Cuningham’s last vic tory over difficulties and disappoint ments enough to have made any but | and inspired spirit quail atod succumb. When she retired from the regency she had just strength enough to re turn to South Carolina.” In her fare- well address to the board of vice reg ents she used these words: “Ladies, the home qf Washington is in your charge; see to it that you keep it the home of Washington. Let no irrev erent hands change it; ho ^vandal hand desecrate it with the fingers of pro- Those who go to the home in Y OU’] of til ’LL se it; in the new Bracken colors; in the lines the wider shoulders and narrower hips; in the full trousers; in the rieh tweed, cheviots and Saxony fabrics. The values are “something different,” too; A • { . ' they’re much bigger than you’d expect for such fine .quality. .. gress r You have to see these clothes to realize how little \ ::: the price for them actually is. i si -Farmers Mercantile Company j| ^ NUNN-BUSH SHOES “The House >>f Better Values” HART SCHAFFNER & MARX CjLOTHES STETSON HATS 8 / . i : Jxu MSK * ' it 1;