Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

r PAGE 6—The Newberry Sun, Newberry, S. C., Thursday, Nov. 5, 1970 I I Mr. and Mrs. Virgil Irons announce the engagement of their daughter Ada Anjanette to Mr. Carl W. Roose, Jr. of Warren, Ohio. He is the son of Mrs. A. W. Kennedy and Mr. Carl W. Roose, Sr. of Warren, Ohio. The wedding will take place at A. G. D. Wiles Chapel on December 19th at 7:00 P. M. Many beautiful homes open for Tricen tour Newberry, one of the Up- Country’s oldest towns, has long taken for granted its heritage of historical homes and public buildings, living with and in them generation after genera tion. In honor of the State’s Tricentennial. Newberrians in 1970 will open for visitors some of their homes built before the War Between the States. The present Newberry County was settled, along with the rest of the Up-Country, during the latter half of the 18th century. For many years it was frontier country. When the old Ninety- Six District was divided after the Revolution and the New berry District was carved out, Newberry itself was established as a courthouse village. It has the distinction—by some called dubious because of its narrow streets—of having been laid out according to a plan which sur vives in the older section to this day. For about a quarter of a cen tury, Newberry remained only a village; but with the county’s transition from small pioneer- type farms to a cotton-planta tion economy during the first half of the 19th century and with the coming of the rail road in 1848, Newberry rapidly developed into a bustling mar ket town for the surrounding area. The architecture of N e w- berry’s old homes and public buildings reflects these changes. One of the County’s oldest homes, according to tradition dating prior to the Revolution, is the old “Rock House’’, built for easy protection against In dian attack. Throughout the county are very old houses of a type common to this area, many starting as log cabins and later being enlarged, ending up with two rooms up and down, a one- story porch in front, and a matching roof over “shed rooms” in the rear. One of the city’s oldest houses, now unoc- < upied and badly in need of restoration, has a typical Wil liamsburg cottage atmosphere about it. As the town and county be came more affluent many of the homes became two-story houses with four rooms, a center hall, and a small porch with mo dest columns both up and down stairs. Several homes of this type will be on the tour. A more modest one-story version of this house is also common, and a charming one, once used as a plantation home, now preserved and beautifully furnished, will be open to the public. As early as the 1830’s Greek revival mansions began to ap pear both in town and in the country. One of these, originally Chancellor Job Johnstone’s plan tation house but now surrounded by residential areas, will be a highlight of the tour.. This house is said to have been designed by Robert Mills. Another Greek- revival home will be an addi tional treat. Still another to be shown has a three-story circu lar stairway, said to be one of the finest of its type anywhere in the southeast. Newberry County boasts of two of the oldest continuous con gregations in the Up-Country- Bush River Baptist and St. John’s Lutheran. Both of these churches will be on the tour. In addition, the charming Go thic-type St. Lukes Episcopal Church building, located near the heart of town, will be open. Among Newberry’s public buildings, two of the most out standing are the old Court House (now called the Com munity Hall) and the Opera House. The former is the fourth courthouse building er ected in Newberry. A fine ex ample of Greek-revival archi tecture, standing in the center of the town square and at the upper end of the mall, it dom inates the business district and is the center of much gracious hospitality. The tour will start here with refreshments being served upstairs. Slightly to the left rear of this building is the Opera House. The only post-Civil War structure to be shown in the tour, the Opera House is not able as being one of the finest examples of eclectic design from the last quarter of the 18th century, remaining in ex cellent condition and almost continuously used for its origin al purposes. The clock in its tower has been a landmark and has tolled the “official” time for most of Newberry’s citizens during its almost 100 years of existence. Following is a brief descrip tion of the buildings on tour: November 11 Old Courthouse (Community Hall): Construction begun in 1850. At least the third, per haps the fourth courthouse built on the site. Architect said to be one Jacob Graves, but pos sibility exists that it may have been Robert Mills. Greek Re vival style with Doric columns. Located on “The Square”. Opera House: Located oppos ite Community Hall on the cor ner of Boyce and Nance Sts., built in 1881 (not open for tour.) Caldwell-Wright House: Er ected about 1825 by John Cald well. Moved from original site to present location at 808 Col lege Street. Typical two-story ante-bellum style with columns and porches. Residence of Mr. and Mrs.W. J. Roddey. Caldwell-Higgins House: Built between 1816 and 1820 by Fran cis Higgins. Two-story frame house with square columns. Lo cated at 1520 Boundary Street. Residence of Mr., and Mrs. Wil liam Tedford. Coateswood: Completed in 1841 by Chancellor Job John stone. Combines English coun try and early Colonial styling. “Longhouse” in rear dates from around 1826. Residence of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Pope, 1700 Boundary Street. St. Luke’s Episcopal Church: Gothic edifice, with self-sup porting roof, was completed and consecrated in 1855. Architect was C. M. Walker of Columbia; contractor was William Hamil ton of Charleston. Located at corner of Main and Calhoun Streets. Jasper Hall: Built in the 1840’s by Dr. James Epps. Col onial-style home, located three miles south of Whitmire. Home of Mr. and Mrs. T. J. Abrams. Mollihon: Built about 1790- 1800 by Col. Benjamin Hern don. Located near Whitmire. Home of Mr., and Mrs. Marvin Abrams. Jacob Summer House: Built around 1850 by Jacob Summer. House typical up-country farm home. Two rooms upstairs and downstairs. No hall. Enclosed stairway. Original large man- tlepieces. Present owner Miss Linda Lou Smith. Bush River Baptist Church: Oldest Baptist Church in New berry County, having been or ganized in 1771. Church build ing begun sometime after Aug ust 13, 1808 when church re cords show deed transfer. In terior change recorded in 1838. Located about 12 miles north west of Newberry. November 12 Old Court House. Opera House. Gildercrest: Built by William Nance in 1857. Two-story brick with large columns. Located just off Boundary Street at 921 Jessica Avenue^ Purchased in 1939 by the late O. F. Armfield, Sr., residence of Mrs. Armfield. Carter & Holmes Orchids: Orchid growers, hybridizers who •ship all over United States and foreign countries. Owned by W. C. Carter and Owen Holmes. Rock House: Built around 1765. Located five miles south of Newberry on County High way 42. ■ Timberhouse: Built in 1838 by Jacob Kibler. Two-story plant ation style house at 1427 Eben- ezer Road. Now the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Emerson E. Westwood. Henry Summer House: Built by Henry Summer about 1847. A two-story house with four rooms on each floor, center hall with parquet flooring, small porch with modest columns up and downstairs. Typical pattern for houses of this area before transition to Greek revival. It is now owned by C. D. Coleman. John Adam Summer House: Built about 1826 by John Adam Summer, great-grandfather of the present resident Mrs. Marie S. Huggins. Located just south of Pomaria, about 11 miles from Newberry. St. John’s Lutheran Church: Built around 1875. Located on County Highway 68, G?? ... St. John’s Lutheran Church: Built in 1808, this building is said to be the oldest frame Lutheran church in the state. Located near the town of Po maria. Newberry County Tricentennial ANTIQUE AND HOBBY SHOW Kn. 13-15 National Guard Armory, Newberry SAVE on advance purchase of tickets, available from: • Newberry High School Band and Band Boosters • Whitmire High School Band • Mid-Carolina High School Band ONE TICKET GOOD ALL THREE DAYS Advance Sale 75 c At the Door SJ.00 Coat weather is now and later- We have a very nice stock for your selection- C0ME < WofmnU c^ffxfxaxtt Carpenters NEWBERRY, S. C. tbiy <^oo<U, ^/[ittUuxy,