Greek Revival Archives - Anderson County

Shiloh Baptist Church – Starr, S.C.

History: In 1859, a Baptist church was organized at this place and was known as Shiloh Meeting House. This church was an outgrowth of the Old Shockley’s Ferry Baptist Church, which had been organized in 1790.

When Shockley’s ferry was dismissed by the Saluda Baptist Association in 1825, because the church and pastor believed Christ died for all, and therefore, all might be saved, the members joined Mountain Creek, Cross Roads (Starr), and some, under the leadership of William McGee, formed Big Generostee. In 1859, the congregation united with Shiloh. Shiloh was admitted to the Saluda Association in 1863. Later the church was dismissed to join the New Bethel Association (1882) and then the Beaverdam Association (1914). Shiloh was re-admitted to the Saluda Association in 1915.

Construction details – Bill Segars.

Shiloh Baptist Church

During the year of 1860, where Sloan’s Ferry Road and Brown’s Ferry Road crossed each other, Shiloh Baptist Church erected its building. The original building is still in use today.

It was decided in 1972 to build an educational building. Shiloh broke ground for the new building on November 13, 1972, and it was completed June 1973. This was done under the leadership of Rev. Ray McDowell, who was pastor from 1971 to 1975. Rev. McDowell passed away December 5, 2009.

Under the leadership of Rev. Bob Philyaw, a new addition for the baptismal pool began in 1993 and was completed in 1994. Philyaw is now the senior pastor of Due West Baptist Church and a chaplain for the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.

On April 4, 1999, under the leadership of Pastor Billy Ray Whitfield, sanctuary renovations were completed and dedicated on this day.

Additional Links:

Stay connected by subscribing to R&R’s weekly e-newsletter, From the Porch and please add rootsandrecall@gmail.com & info@rootsandrecall.com, to your approved email address list, to insure delivery. User comments always welcome – post at the bottom of this page.

Please enjoy this structure and all those listed in Roots and Recall. But remember each is private property. So view them from a distance or from a public area such as the sidewalk or public road.

Do you have information to share and preserve? Family, school, church, or other older photos and stories are welcome. Send them digitally through the “Share Your Story” link, so they too might be posted on Roots and Recall.

Thanks!

Anderson County Court House – Anderson, S.C.

Anderson County Courthouse 1828-1897 / 101 S. Main Street

City Directories and History: By an act of the South Carolina legislature signed on Dec. 20, 1826, Pendleton District was divided into two counties: Anderson and Pickens, named for the popular Revolutionary soldiers, Colonel Robert Anderson and General Andrew Pickens, who had received military grants in the region at the time it was opened for settlement. In October 1828, these counties became circuit court districts. The new courthouse which had been contracted for Pendleton was abandoned and the money divided between Pickens and Anderson for their courthouses. Since the town of Pendleton fell within the limits of Anderson District, the records of Pendleton were delivered to the new county seat – the village of Anderson – in 1827. The building that was to be the Pendleton Courthouse became Farmer’s Hall, the headquarters of the Pendleton Farmer’s Society.

R&R HISTORY LINK: the Early Map of Anderson SC ca. 1889-90

The commissioners named to select a centrally located site for the new Anderson District courthouse were James Harrison, Robert B. Norris, Matthew Gambrell, John C. Griffin, and William Sherard. The story goes that, unable to choose between a site near the present Whitehall Road and one where Orr-Lyons Mills are now located, they stopped for refreshments at French’s Store just off the old General’s Road which ran along what is now Anderson’s Main Street. Walking a short distance from the spring beside the tavern, Mr. Norris planted his heavy walking stick under a towering walnut tree and exclaimed: “There shall be the southeast corner of the courthouse, and who says ‘no’ has got me to whip!”

Courtesy of the Wingard Postcard Collection

The commissioners brought one hundred and thirty acres and planned the town of Anderson around a square for business with three blocks in each direction within. The four boundary streets, thinking this would give the new town plenty of room for growth. On the square a brick courthouse was erected by Robert Wilson, a brick mason of Greenville, as subcontractor from Benjamin Denham. The first county officers were J.T. Lewis, clerk of court; George Foster, sheriff; John Harris, ordinary; Joseph Shanklin, commissioner in equity; James Donthit, tax collector. The first court was held October 15, 1828, Judge John S. Richardson presiding.

Postcard image courtesy of the Revels Collection – 2015

The first courthouse was a simple brick courthouse, centered in the public square, and was erected in 1826. The exterior of the brick structure was plastered in 1851, and, in 1852, a portico with four large columns was added to each end, giving it a Greek Revival appearance. A belfry and bell was added to the western end at a cost of $2,500. There were two curving flights of ornamental iron stairs at both entrances from the ground to the second story, which was the courthouse. Doors beneath the stairs opened into the first floor which contained offices. The windows were large and arched. A clock was placed in its steeple in 1877. The building was razed in 1897, and the second courthouse was erected on the same site in 1898.

Anderson County Courthouse 1898-1939

A move for a new courthouse took form in 1883, when the county board of commissioners was authorized to sell the old building and lot at their discretion and to invest the proceeds in a suitable lot and building. Apparently the matter rested until 1896, when a one-mill property tax was authorized for a six-year period to finance a new building. In 1897 the matter was referred to the voters, and as a result, the old building was demolished and the present courthouse was erected on the same site.

Von Hasseln, J. H, and George B Brown. Map of Anderson County, South Carolina. Anderson, S.C.: J.H. von Hasseln, 1897. Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress (See map of Courthouse this page!)

Architect, Frank Pierce Milburn designed this building in 1898.

Dedication ceremonies were held on June 27, 1898, with great festivity and many speeches. J.L. Tribble, chairman of the committee on arrangements, eloquently paid tribute to the new Court House: “The fullness of time came and out past chagrin at the appearance of the old gives way before our joy and admiration of this beautiful temple of justice which stands a thing of beauty and joy forever…You have a building of which you may all be justly proud. It is modern – and it has no mortgage on it – tasteful and attractive, beautiful for symmetry, built out of first class materials from the first brick to the final one that crowns the tower. It is of that style of architecture somewhat of the composite order – Americanized.” (Source: Anderson County Sketches, The Anderson County Tricentennial Committee, 1969.)

Anderson County Courthouse 1939-present

The west side of the courthouse was drastically altered in 1939. At that time, a tower on its right side was demolished and replaced with a wing identical to the left side. The Romanesque entrance facing the square was also removed.

On February 23, 1978, the Anderson Downtown Historical District was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The Courthouse is included in the district.

A third courthouse was constructed facing the west side of the second courthouse.

While Cashier’s Valley belongs to North Carolina, it was General Andrew Pickens who originated the name, and he lived in Pendleton District, of which Anderson County is a large part. It seems that after General Andrew Pickens went to live at Tennessee, he sent large herds of cattle, horses, sheep, hogs, and even flocks of wild turkeys during the hot summer up to graze in the mountain valleys where the grass was lush. Among them were two obstreperous bulls, which he named Cassius and Brutus. Cassius often when brought back to the plantation would break out and return to “the valley.” So, General Pickens and his men got in the habit of XI: 61 calling it Cassius Valley. Then some people started saying, Cash’s Valley, and then “iers” somehow got added, and now we have Cashier’s Valley.

(Information from: Names in South Carolina by C.H. Neuffer, Published by the S.C. Dept. of English, USC)

Stay Connected

Explore history, houses, and stories across S.C. Your membership provides you with updates on regional topics, information on historic research, preservation, and monthly feature articles. But remember R&R wants to hear from you and assist in preserving your own family genealogy and memorabilia.

Visit the Southern Queries – Forum to receive assistance in answering questions, discuss genealogy, and enjoy exploring preservation topics with other members. Also listed are several history and genealogical researchers for hire.

User comments welcome — post at the bottom of this page.

R&R HISTORY LINK: Article of SCHS Mag., “Federal Pillage of Anderson; Brown’s Raid” by T.B. Keys

Please enjoy this structure and all those listed in Roots and Recall. But remember each is private property. So view them from a distance or from a public area such as the sidewalk or public road.

Thanks!

Architectural images courtesy of photographer Bill Segars.

Farmer’s Hall at Pendleton, S.C.

101 Mechanic Street

History: Twenty-nine prominent men of Pendleton founded the Pendleton Farmer’s Society in 1815. Thomas Pinckney, Jr. was its first president. There were other organizations before this, but these men finished building the first permanent farmer’s society hall in the United States in 1828. The Society had bought the unfinished new courthouse whose construction was halted when Pendleton District was divided into Anderson and Pickens counties. The building is a handsome two-story structure of Greek Revival architecture with four massive two-story white columns on two sides. It is well preserved and is still used.

Fred D. Nichol’s 1940 photograph. Images(s) and information from: The Library of Congress – HABS Photo Collection

M. B. Paine April 1934 SOUTH ELEVATION - Farmers' Hall, Village Green, Pendleton, Anderson County

The Farmers’ Society roll through the years reads like a “who’s who” in this area. Both John C. Calhoun and Thomas Green Clemson served as presidents of the organization.

The Pendleton Farmer’s Society became the main spring in the agricultural development of this area. It served to introduce and promote improved methods of farming and rural living. It was a social and scientific agricultural organization and has continued to be until his day. As early as 1816 it conducted the Pendleton Fair where different breeds of cattle and other livestock were shown and judged. At the fair all manner of produce and home-grown and home-prepared products such as home-woven cloth, bedspreads, clothing, preserves, cakes and handicrafts were displayed.

The Society has promoted production contests in many crops, trips, lectures and demonstrations on scientific agriculture and took part in the founding of Clemson Agricultural and Mechanical College in 1899, which institution of learning, having grown beyond all its founder’s dreams, in 1964 became Clemson University. (Source: Anderson County Sketches, The Anderson Tricentennial Committee, 1969.)

Images courtesy of Bill Segars – 2006

Farmers Hall

Additional Links:

Membership in R&R

Stay connected with R&R, “Explore S.C. history, historic houses, & family stories…” Sign up for a free R&R membership. Members receive the “From the Porch” blog, updates on regional topics, and targeted notifications of their choice. Membership also includes travel opportunities: Carolina DeJaunts. Login and prioritize your specific points of enthusiasm. If you only wish to receive the “From the Porch” newsletter and no additional membership content, use the R&R Blog signup form.

User comments welcome – post at the bottom of this page.

Please enjoy this structure and all those listed in Roots and Recall. But remember each is private property. So view them from a distance or from a public area such as the sidewalk or public road.

Thanks!

101 Mechanic Street

From the Porch

From The Porch