Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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' r | I 11—THE CHRONICLE, Clinton, S. C., Nov. 12, 1970 Rosemont Mistress 'Saved’ Mount Vernon Rosemont was the ancestral home of the Cunninghams, one of the leading families In the Carolina upcountry In pre-Re- volutionary times. The large frame house was located about three miles south of Waterloo, near the present location of the Laurens County Shrine Club. Patrick Cunningham, the son of the Cunningham family, first came to the Ninety Six dis trict of South Carolina in 1768 along with his brother. Ro bert. In 1769, Patrick was made deputy - surveyor general of South Carolina. He performed so well in his new position that he was rewarded with a large land grant from the King. The grant was to be made up of 90,000 acres of the virgin woodland of Piedmont South Carolina. According to early records, he “selected 80,000 acres in one body and in the center of this vast he built on the banks of the Saluda River his home, now known as Rose mont. The other ten thousand acres were selected further down the river." Patrick decided to build this fine house out of trees lining the Saluda. The trees were cut and floated to Charleston to be processed, since there were no mills in the up-country. Once the logs reached Charleston, Patrick discovered the facili ties could not cut the wood into the type of plans he wanted for his proposed mansion, so he had to send them to England. There, the wood was given the proper finish and returned to Rosemont. The shutters for the mansion were also made in England, l>ut the hinges for the shutters and doors and tho nails used in the house were all forged on the plantation by slaves. A writer in the Greenwood Index-Journal of August 19, 1928, gives an excellent des cription of the interior of the structure. The writer des cribes the carpet of soft brown and rose that covered the floor in the drawing room. The walls of the room were covered with portraits of a proud family with a noble heritage. There were also oil and wash paint ings, ornaments, three huge mirrors that extended from the ceiling to the floor, and * a lamp, vases, and candlesticks that fairly scream their anti- HJ: Burdette -Builder In the history of the develop ment of Clinton, there was a period of building in the town, which covers time from 1906 to 1920. Contractor and build er who contributed much to this progress was Hilliard Jackson Burdette. Living in Greenville and working with a contracting firm, Grandy and Jordan, he was scheduled to go to Colum bia, S. C. to begin the work on a new Colonial Hotel, but was asked to stop off in Clin ton to start the building of the “Administration Building" of Presbyterian College. This he did and was prevailed to finish here. Completing the building now known as Neville Hall (recently remodeled.) This was in the year 1906. In 1907 his next work was building the home of Mr. and Mrs. C. M. Bailey at Lydia and next in 1908, the brick First Baptist Church on S. Broad Street which was re placed by the new edition in 1966. Next on Calvert Avenue his work was the J. F. Jacobs home. Next, the Rhett Cope lands, Mrs. John Hunter and George M. Wright homes. On South Woodrow Street, a home for William P. Jacobs (Mrs. Karl Johnson’s now.)J, F. Jacobs, Jr. (Hugh C. Ray now) and another on Cleveland Street, a home for Larry E. Dillard and next door one for Dr. D. J. McFadden. On Musgrove Street near the square, a store building for Mr. George Bailey and A. P. Little, known as “The Bee Hive* now Roses. On S. Woodrow Street the J. W. Copeland home. (Mrs. R. C. McLees now). On N. Broad Street home of C. C. Bailey (now owned by Collie Anderson). Remodeled home of George W. Bailey, N. Broad Street Built the A. P. Little home on N. Broad Street. (Now owned by Mrs. A. B. Blakely). Outside work was the Emp- hemian Hall at Erskine College, Due West. Hotels in Newberry and Whitmire. H. J. Burdette died in 1920, age 60 years. quity." The grounds of the old plan tation were also very beautiful in the younger days of Rose mont. There were some thirty acres of shrubbery planted in a symmetrical design around the house. There were also ma- nolias, Japanese Magnolias, boxwood, crepe myrtle, cedars, and mimosa. There had also once been a large dower gar den in the rear of the house, along with a beautiful grove of cedar trees that formed a shady passageway to the banks of the Saluda, only a few hun dred yards behind the house. Rosemont was the birth place of Ann Pamela Cunning ham, the founder of the move ment to restore Mount Vernon as a national shrine. The home of Washington was invery bad condition, and Miss Cunning ham’s mother had seen the historic home on the Patomac and was extremely dishearten ed by the condition of the home. Miss Cunningham also saw the tragedy that had befallen the proud old structure, and she began a letterwriting campaign from Rosemont to people of in fluence to get the home re stored. She also wrote to news papers and used the pseudonym, “Southern Matron." Miss Cun ningham started her campaign in 1853, and it soon because known all over the country. Ann Pamela founded theMountVer- non Ladies Association. Con tributions poured in from all over the country, and Miss Cun ningham made plans to pur chase the tomb where the re mains of the great general lay, the mansion, and approximately 200 acres of land surrounding the mansion were to be pur chased. Miss Cunningham dedicated the rest of her life to the re furbishing of Mount Vernon. She enlisted the aid of the Hon orable Edward Everette, a dis tinguished lawyer and public speaker (who, by the way, was the other speaker on the day that Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address.) Everette was on a speaking tour at the time, and he agreed to con tribute all of the money that he made on these lectures to the cause. A few weeks later, he gave Miss Cunningham $69,000. Many famous people contri buted to the cause and children contributed thejr nickles and pennies. Enough money was fi nally raised, and preparations were made to complete the transaction. However, at the last minute, John Agustine Washington, the owner of the estate, refused to sell. The sale was finally com pleted in 1859. Miss Cunning ham died on May 1, 1875 at Rosemont, her ancestral home. It is somewhat ironic that Miss Cunningham should spend much of her life to restore the home of a great American gen eral, since her ancestors has been rabid Tories, totally op posed to the American cause. Patrick, the original owner of Rosemont, became a colonel in the British army and Robert, his brother and a British of ficial in the colonies, was made a major-general. After the British defeat, Robert went to the West Indies and Patrick went to Florida. Progress For South Carolina Has Meant Progress For Us. Present Employees Include: Left to right—Charles G. Buice, Manager; Mrs. Gladys Corley. Bookkeeper; James H. Simmons, Service-Delivery; Mrs. Brenda Stephens, General Office; Wayne Hall, Shipping Clerk; Johnny Jacks, Salesman; Charles Pow ell, Salesman; Terry Crawford, Salesman. #1 Maxwell Brothers Furniture began their operation in Clinton in 1938. The late Mr. E. Harry Wilkes. Sr., served as manager of the store for twenty years until 1958 when Charles G. Buice of Rock Hill assumed the duties of manager. During these years Maxwell Furniture has enjoyed a steady growth serving the people of Clinton-Joanna and surrounding areas by offering quality home furnishings and ap pliances at reasonable prices and terms. The present building which Maxwell's is occupying was built for the Maxwell operation by the late Mr. T. D. Copeland and was re modeled in 1968. Mr. Fred O. Burnett, Sr., is the only surviving employee who went to work when the store began in 1938. He retired in 1965, returning to work part time until 1969. Another expansion is now in progress. Charles Buice, present manager of the store, has purchased the old City Hall-Police Depart ment building and that building is being completely remodeled and modernized in order to better serve Maxwell's valued customers. The success of the operation has been made possible by the hundreds of faithful customers in the Clinton area and Maxwell wishes to thank them for patronizing them for the 32 years they have been in Clinton. Maxwell’s in Clinton is a member in long standing of the Southern Retail Furniture Association and Clinton Chamber of Commerce. WE TAKE PRIDE IN BEING A PART OF THE RICH AND MEMORABLE HERITAGE THAT BELONGS TO SOUTH CAROLINA ON IT'S 300tli ANNIVERSARY. ...For Many Years to Come this Commorative Glass Will Become a Valued Memento Here is a delightful souvenir a special gilt-embossed glass created as part of South Carolina's Tricentennial. It is the glass authorized to use ths official emblem of this Three- Hundreth Birthday. This IQ- ounce. thick-bottomed glass will almost certainly become a collector's item. FREE! Tricentennial Glass with any furniture purchase of $19.95 or more DURING TRI-CENTENNIAL WEEK 16/0 6 xM7 NOlMM ( A N Ol • N A ’ f Pl( I N M NMAi Exclusive With Maxwell’s In Celebration of Our State's Three-Hundredth Birthday! Treasured mementos of South Carolina's Tricentennial cele bration, this handsome Boston rocker and matching cigarette table are hand-stenciled, striped and rubbed...the only furniture authorized to use the official emblem. BOSTON ROCKER Choke • Salem Maple • Block 39 GRAND OPENING OF MAXWELL'S IN 1938 COMMEMORATIVE CIGARETTE TABLE Choke Selem Maple or Block