The Yorkville Enquirer reported on April 25, 1878 – “Nettie, the daughter of Mrs. G.W. Melton, fell from the second floor of the Chester Hotel while leaning on the railing. She was not seriously injured.”
City Directories and History: 1908 – Chester Hotel, 1940 – Chester Hotel, Lion Club, 1958 – Consolidated Credit Company, 1978 – Peoples Furniture Company
The city of Chester stands on part of a Land Grant obtained by James Steward in 1788 from Thomas Pinckney, Governor of South Carolina. Half of this seven to eight hundred acre tract was sold to William Lacy in 1795 for £100. The original Chester Court House was a small house on the present Peoples Furniture Store lot, a site which proved to be the center of town activities for the next seventy years. When the Court House was moved to a new location about 1797, the old lot was sold in succession to Peter and Judith Corbell, to William Johnstone, to Alexander Quay, and finally to George Washington Gore in 1820., When Gore died in 1824 John Dunnovant, in the process of administering his estate, sold this lot to Robert Robinson in 1835. A hotel was known to be on this site as early as the 1830’s. First known as the Robinson Hotel, it appears at that time to have been located on the west side of the lot with Sam McAliley’s office on the east. In 1854, 1868, and 1872 a building on this site was referred to as “McAliley’s brick building on the square.” When Sam McAliley died in 1870, the lot and hotel were sold as part of his estate. [Fond Recollections of Chester, SC]
The Chester Hotel was constructed in the late 1850’s by Samuel McAliley.
SAMUEL MCALILEY WORKED TO SECURE THE RAILROAD:
It was only natural that after the Charleston to Hamburg, South Carolina, railroad was a going thing that the Charleston promoters should look to a link
to the north. So, they were not averse to lending an ear to ideas and saw fruitful advantages in meeting which was set for interested parties June 12, 1847, in Hibernian Hall, Charleston.
Attending from Columbia were Robt. Latta, Col. Wade Hampton, Col. R. R. Goodwin, Dr. J. N. Parker, Dr. Edw. Sill, Jos. A. Black, James D. Tradewell,
John Eryce, John S. Preston, James Martin. J. W. Bradley. B. Reilly and J. F. Marshall.
Camden men who wanted ….. W. K. Johnson, Col. W. J. Taylor. C, Matheson. J.
R. Cureton, James R. McKain and C. J. Shannon. Chester’s representatives were:
John A. Bradley, Jas. Pagan, and Samuel McAliley…… Later, it turned out, thtt Fairfield county’s representative that day would E. G. Palmer, who at that time was fighting for the route to Charlotte via Columbia.
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The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Sept. 4, 1884 – “Mr. T.M. Graham has retired from the Central Hotel. He found that it did not provide as much income as he had anticipated. Now in charge of the hotel will be Capt. J.K. Marshall of Lincolnton, N.C.” Further it stated on ad on Oct. 2, 1884 – The Marshall House – “A hotel in Chester run by Major J.K. Marshall states, he has been landlord of a hotel in Lincolnton, N.C. but has been persuaded to take charge of the uptown hotel in Chester. It was recently known as the Central Hotel and is being repainting and refurbished.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on April 9, 1890 – “Electric call bells have been placed in the Chester Hotel, which will be known when reopened, as the Grandview (Fairview), Hotel.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Jan. 7, 1891 – “The Fairview Hotel, formerly the Central Hotel, was opened Jan. 1, by W.F. Coleman.”
The Rock Hill Herald reported on July 18, 1900 – “Mr. J. Green Sadler of Rock Hill has leased the Fairview Hotel on the hill in Chester and will move his family to that city. Many improvements are being made and it will now be called the New Chester Hotel. He will be assisted by his brother J. Ed Sadler, who has worked as a clerk at the Arlington Hotel in Charlotte and the Carolina Hotel in Rock Hill.”
The Rock Hill Herald reported on Oct. 20, 1900 – “Mr. Wilson Moore and Mr. J.G. Sadler have changed places. Mr. Moore went to Chester to take charge of the office of the New Chester Hotel and Mr. Sadler will return to Rock Hill and take Mr. Moore’s place with the New York Racket.”
The Herald reported on Jan. 16, 1901 – “It is reported that Mrs. J.G. Sadler will discontinue the hotel business and the family will return to Rock Hill.”
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