City Directories and History: 1908 – S. M. Jones and Company, 1940 – Clark Furniture Company, (109.5) Clark Buillding, John N. Gaston, Joan Beauty Shop,
View of the Chester Hill’s south side commercial building in ca. 1900. Courtesy of the Oliphant Family Collection – 2016
Marion F. Matkins, 1958 – Kimbrell’s of Chester, (109.5) Frank R. Pavese, 1978 – Wingate Company
S.M. Jone’s store on Main Street. Courtesy of the WU Pettus Archives – 2014
Once housed a large building known as the Gunhouse-Straus-Jones-Clark Building. Erected in 1873, for I.L. Gunhouse Co., a mercantile business. In circa 1882 S.M. Jones came to Chester to work at the store and with Mr. Myer Wachtel purchased it and oped it as the S.M. Jones and Company store. It was
The lovely Neo-Classical home of the Jones family. Contributed to R&R by the Oliphant Family Collection – 2016
destroyed by fire in November 1981. The facade was destroyed by wind before it could be stabilized. The best known and longest lasting business was that of S.M. Jones and Co., a general merchandise department store which was liquidated in 1924. The store was once of Chester’s finest establishments operated by owner, S.M. Jones and Managed by E.C. Stahn. In the late 19th century, anticipating Chester’s growth, the company had acquired some 1,200 acres in the Chester area for housing.
Image of the Confederate monument dedication, showing the S.M. Jones Co., location in the background. Courtesy of the Chester Co. Library
Later Clark Furniture and Hattie’s Book and Gift Shop occupied the building. At an earlier date, Mr. Pinchback, a cabinetmaker from London, England was located where the Wingate [The Wingate Company] Candle Co. is today. [Recollection of Chester – D.S. Mayes] *** AFLLC’s S.C. Artisans Database has William Pinchack as living near York, S.C. making coffins and carpentry, prior to moving to Chester, in the very early years of the 19th century. It is unclear as to why Ms. Mayes suggested he was from London. It appears he was a thriving cabinet maker and remained in Chester for years, before leaving for Newberry, S.C. Mr. Pinchback is the “attributed” builder, of three identical, known Chester County flat-back walnut cupboards. Though his name is not inscribed on them, he is the only individual having been documented in Chester, at the time these cupboards were built as a known cabinet maker. He was in the right place, at the right time, and with correct knowledge to have executed them!
Interestingly the Mills Atlas of ca. 1820 also states that the area had a Pinchback’s Mill. It was common practice for many mill owners to have also built furniture and other household needs with the lumber from their mill. It is unclear however as to if there existed any relationship between the Pinchback Mill and the furniture maker, William Pinchback.
One of the cupboards remained in the Graham House, next to the Chester Courthouse for decades. It is now in the permanent collection of the Cultural and Heritage Commission of York County, S.C. The other two cupboards are in a private collection. (Information courtesy of the AFLLC Collection)
Also see a receipt for the Hardin Account dated Oct. 22, 1902 under the More Information links, found under the primary image.
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“The amount of business done here during the past commercial year was about $700,000, of which S.M. Jones & Co. and Joseph Wylie & Co. did about $100,000 each. In addition to these two large firms, we have the prominent firms of W. Holmes Hardin & Co., W.T.D. Cousar & Son, Culp & Irwin, Crawford & Blake, R. Brandt & Son, J.J. & T.B. Stringfellow, Gregg & Means, J.S. Calvin, Hafner Bros., J.D. Ratterree, W. H. Rosborough, E. C. Stahn, L. Samuels, Gunhouse & Co., Fishel & Walker, A. H. Davega, S. B. Massey & Son, and several smaller firms.”
Reprinted from South Carolina in the 1880s: A Gazetteer by J.H. Moore, Sandlapper Publishing Company – 1989
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