“An early inn on the road from Winnsboro to Chester, S.C.”
City Directories and History: This historic house is in poor condition. At the time of this post, in 2012, it appears to be doomed due to neglect. But in it’s hay day, the
Image taken by R&R in 2017
R&R HISTORY LINK: KENNEDY’S STORE LINK
house stood on the edge of Chester County next to the Fairfield County line and served as an inn, post office, and stage coach stop between the two court house towns of Winnsboro and Chester, SC. Originally one section of the structure was constructed of logs in the late 18th century. The home retains many of its original architectural features including board-batten doors and early 19th century moldings.
Misc. images of the interior of the historic inn in 2013 – Courtesy of AFLLC.
One source states the house became an Inn as early as 1812 and operated as such for decades. The Town of Blackstock took its name from the Blackstock Inn but others credit each one receiving their name from the Rev. William Blackstock, a local A.R.P. minister who was called to York County, S.C. to preach at Neely’s Creek and Ebenezer. He later preached in the area which would take his name.
It is of note that William Blackstock was a man of means and Louise Pettus shared that as of the 11th of March, 1799 the Rev. William Blackstock & John Harris, Sr. of Mecklenburg Co., NC (on Fuller’s Cr., Sturgis Ferry road, near Old Nation Ford, York Co.; including Blackstock’s mill site), were land owners near where the Rock Hill Lowe’s Store now sites east of Rock Hill. Later in the mid 19th century this location became that of Springstein Plantation, the home of Richard Alston Springs. (It is unclear how the Rev. Wm. Blackstock and Ned Blackstock were kinsman or not?)
The location of this dwelling is at the intersection of Columbia Road (321) and State Road 130, just east of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 2824 Columbia Road, Blackstock, S.C.
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Jan. 30, 1889 – “Blackstock is visible from the Railroad. The guard house is in Chester Co., and the academy and post office are in Fairfield County.”
The YV Enquirer reported on Nov. 13, 1889 – “Mr. Thomas Walker, who recently came to Blackstock from York County, has purchased a building lot from Mr. J.E. Craig and will soon erect a four room cottage.”
The paper continued on Feb. 20, 1889 – “Blackstock has a flourishing school under the management of Mr. L.W. Dick of Sumter, assisted by Ms. Mattie E. Mills of Blackstock. The school has between 40 – 50 students and receives aid from both Chester and Fairfield Counties. The colored school has as its principal, Rev. B.F. Russell Pastor of the Colored Presbyterian Church. Blackstock has three white churches. The Baptist is supplied by the Rev. J.Q. Adams of Rock Hill every other Sunday. The Pres. Church is in the same organization with Concord Church three miles away. The Pastor is Rev. W.G. Neville and services are held every other week in Blackstock. The Methodist Church is supplied by the Rev. W.M. Duncan of Winnsboro, once a month.”
On April 4, 1889 the YV Enquirer reported – “A force of railroad workers is making improvements to the agents house and rebuilding the cotton platform at Blackstock.”
In Chester District the second post office was at Blackstock’s (1804), where Ned Blackstock, an Irish emigrant, operated an inn 12 miles south of Chesterville. In 1811 Landsford and Rocky Mount, both located on the Catawba river, were established. – Pettus (Was Ned Blackstock kin to William Blackstock?)
“William Blackstock was born in Ballynahinch, Ireland, in 1754, and educated in Scotland. He was licensed by the Associate Presbytery of Down, and then supplied Associate congregations in Ireland. He came to this country, arriving at Charleston in 1792. Before coming to York County he did missionary work, mainly in the field covered by First Presbytery founding many of the old Associate Reformed Churches in that area. He was ordained sinetitulo at Long Cane in 1794, by the Presbytery of the Carolinas and Georgia, and installed that same year as pastor of Ebenezer, Steele Creek, and Neely’s Creek churches. He demitted this charge in 1804, and thereafter supplied New Perth, Old Sterling, and Rocky Springs in North Carolina. In 1811, he accepted a call to Ebenezer, Neely’s Creek, and the Waxhaws, (now Tirzah Presbyterian Church, just over the North Carolina line in Union County, commonly called in Bethel Presbytery “Tirzah L”.) He was released from his charge at Ebenezer July 12,1815. In 1821 he served as a missionary to the West for fourteen weeks, preaching the gospel to many pioneers who had no other means of hearing the Good News at that time. On a second trip in 1827, he preached the first sermon ever delivered in Obion County, Tennessee. Synod commended him for his diligence mentioning his “unwearied and persevering exertions”.
Images showing the fine construction details of the house: “HL” hinges, brick lined cellar, and heavy hewn timbers. Courtesy of AFLLC.
He demitted his charge at Tirzah early in 1827. His last sermon was preached at Sardis, North Carolina. He died at the home of Richard Peoples, father of Rev. J.H. Peoples, on October 7, 1831, aged 77 years, and is buried at Tirzah Church. Mr. Blackstock married Sarah Hutchison, daughter of John and Sarah Hutchison, natives of County Down, Ireland. She died April 26, 1810, aged 45 years. Mr. Blackstock’s sermons were said to be condensed, solid, and delivered with force. While others measured their sermons by the hour, he rarely preached over thirty-five or forty minutes.”
Rev. T.G. Boyce said of Mr. Blackstock, “I have stood by his grave, and have thought that while he left no children to bear his name on earth, his children in the Gospel were not few. ” Contributed to R&R from The History of Ebenezer Presbyterian Church – S.B. Mendenhall, 1985
The epitaph on his tombstone reads, “He was a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ 40 years. He was pious from his youth, a tender advocate for truth.”
Click on the More Information > link found below the picture column for additional data – picture.
*** Historian Louis Pettus notes that the inn was operated by Ned Blackstock and is not named for the Rev. William Blackstock as most people presume!
Historian Harvey S. Teal’s Post Office Data in S.C., states: “Edward Blackstock was the first Postmaster at the Blackstock Post Office which operated from ca. 1804 – 1855. John P. Latham served as Postmaster from 1856 – 1861.”
Informative link: Mills Map of Chester County SC
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R&R HISTORY LINK: the A. McKeown Receipt – SCDL Collection
R&R HISTORY LINK: The Hutchison Family at Nations Ford, York Co., S.C.
R&R HISTORY LINK: ANOTHER EARLY CHESTER CO INN – LEWIS
R&R HISTORY LINK: SPRINGSTEIN PLANTATION ON THE CATAWBA
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My name is Crissy Blackstock, and I have been wondering how much of our town is left? I want to visit, was suppose to with my grandfather before he passed. He went years ago and was excited for us to go together.979-922-4489 cdblackstock80@gmail.com