Roots and Recall is scheduled to make several presentations this spring. Yes, occasionally for those individuals or institutions who have generously supported the development of the website, we do provide a limited number. The one we are extremely excited to present, is on using R&R.com, to trace your family heritage. At first this seemed a dumb request, in that everyone already knows R&R.com, was built just for that purpose and one of its strongest assets is that of linking events, families and individuals across a broad landscape. We look forward to presenting this program and hopefully outlining some of the best methods of enjoying your family’s ties on the website. Our expert volunteer AV staffer, James Young, is also beginning the production of several videos on getting started with your personal exploration of R&R. We also plan on new videos dealing with how to move swiftly from topic to topic and embrace the website as a means of preserving your own family’s stories and history. The first items on James’ agenda was to create a YouTube channel for Roots and Recall. As of now, only one video has been added but many will follow suit in 2018. Does your family have a video outlining your family history and stories? If so, we would love to see it uploaded and linked to Roots and Recall.
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- Prime examples of C.C. “Cam” Davis work and exterior finishes.
The website has always received tremendous support from institutions, and we are grateful for their continued input. Recently we have been spending a considerable amount of time in both Union County and Newberry, S.C. working on multiple research projects. One of these is the history of architecture and construction under the watchful eye of C.C. “Cam” Davis of Newberry. It is noteworthy, that in ca. 2012, on one of our first city visits, R&R.com outlined a strong link between Newberry architectural styles and that of Asheville, N.C., one of the From the Porch blogs even discussed it. It raised a few eyebrows from individuals who viewed no similarities. Yet, the extensive display of Queen Anne houses along Newberry’s turn of the century streets, built in both the late 19th and early 20th century, complete with their Pebbledash Stucco exterior finishes were remarkably similar to those located in and around the Asheville area. For those unfamiliar with the Pebbledash finish, it is an exterior stucco finish widely used across England. Within the stucco itself and applied to it, are small stone pebbles, creating a hard-lasting finish. There exists a fantastic body of work by Mr. Davis that is rarely seen elsewhere. And it just so happens, that years later we now can link Mr. Cam Davis to both the N.C. mountains as well as time his arrival in Newberry to construct the first Newberry Cotton Mill. He made Newberry his home and a remarkable similarity in styles between the two geographic areas was inevitable.
Enjoy seeing some of Cam Davis’s houses:
R&R NOTE: Our feature article on R&R in April, is one paying tribute, to a local preservationist. An outstanding craftsman, who has taken much of his adult life to acquire, stabilize, and restore a remarkable dwelling in downtown Rock Hill, S.C. Though R&R has an extensive history of the house, it does not feature the up-to-date work performed since 2010. Unfortunately, over the years the project has been put on hold due to funding, local powers to be have tried to get the house demolished, and the costs associated with this project have been enormous. Yet, one man’s dogged determination has outwitted them all and the restoration of this structure is indeed a story worthy of a movie. Be sure to visit R&R’s homepage and read about it on April 1st.
