A link on the Jefferson Davis Trail
City Directories and History: Hidden behind massive plantings, the Jeter home in downtown Union, remains one of the town’s best preserved antebellum structures. Built in the late 1850’s the house reflects the modern architectural influences of the Gothic Revival era when the exterior was covered with barged board trim and interesting porch columns, windows and more. The contractor of this dwelling was a trained artisan with years of experience. The entire home is crafted in details and the home’s original features have been kept intact due in part to their fine design and detail.
The home appears to have been influenced by the architectural plans of Calvert Vaux, Cottages and Villas, architectural plan book of the mid 19th century.
This finely crafted house was constructed by Thomas Bothwell Jeter, a man prominent in Union County and South Carolina affairs. Built in 1859, the Governor Thomas B. Jeter House is a two-storied clapboard dwelling that features interior classical elements and exterior Victorian detailing. The exterior features scalloped trim, while the interior details include a curving staircase and decorative plasterwork on the parlor ceiling. The structure has a medium gable roof with an end cross gable projection for the front parlor and second story bedroom. A bay window with balcony above is contained in this wing, which adjoins the one-story front veranda. Thomas Bothwell Jeter served in the South Carolina House of Representatives and the South Carolina Senate. He was president pro-tempore of the Senate from 1877 until 1880 and became Governor of South Carolina for three months when Governor William Dunlap Simpson became Chief Justice of the South Carolina Supreme Court. Jeter was also president of the Spartanburg and Union Railroad, a Trustee of South Carolina College, and a member of the South Carolina Railroad Commission. Listed in the National Register December 2, 1974. [Contribution by the S.C. Dept. of Archives and History]
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