Three images of Aaron Burr and his arrest and subsequent stay in Chester County at the Lewis Inn.
“Perhaps Chester County’s oldest remaining structure, at Lewis Turnout community.”
City Directories and History: A fine example of mid 18th century log construction, with many original features, built ca., 1770. It is one of very few remaining upcountry inn in South Carolina. The inn was a tavern during Colonial and Revolutionary days and also a stagecoach stop along one of the regions heavily used roads, the Saluda Trail. It was made famous in 1807 when Aaron Burr, the captured Vice President of the United States, slayer of Alexander Hamilton, spent the night here on his way to Richmond, Virginia to stand trial on charges of treason. Legend has it that Burr, escaped
briefly because a bribed maid left his bedroom door unlatched. The inn is a matched two-story house of dovetailed logs. Covered with clapboard, and re-covered with brown shingles in 1923 for most of the 20th century little of the original aspects of the home were visible. The home features a lateral gable roof, with exterior end chimneys, and a small one-story, one room, right wing. The interior features tongue and groove paneling, large mantels, wide board doors with wrought iron hinges and a narrow stairway leading to a second floor hallway on which two bedrooms open. The second floor area had not been painted prior to 2004. Listed in the National Register May 6, 1971.
Aaron Burr in Chester:
After his arrest in 1807 by the legal authorities on the charge of treason, Aaron Burr passed through Chester as a prisoner on his way to stand trial in Richmond, Virginia. When he arrived in Chester, he jumped on a large rock near a local tavern and appealed to the citizens to rescue him from his guards. Some say Burr gave the Masonic sign in hopes that he would not be refused. Not one of the astonished citizens came to his defense and the military quickly put him on horseback again. The soldiers then took him nearby to what is now the Lewis Inn where he spent the night under heavy surveillance.
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For what happened at the village of Chester let us quote Parten’s biography of Burr for an eye witness account; “As he (Perkins) approached the principal village of this district, he halted the party, and changed the order of their march, placing two men in front of the prisoner, two more behind, and one at each side of him. In this manner they preceded, without incident, until they passed near a tavern, before which a considerable number of persons were standing, while music and dancing were heard from within. Here Burr threw himself from his horse, and exclaimed in a loud voice., “I am Aaron Burr, under military arrest, and claim the protection of the civil authorities.” Perkins snatched his pistol from his holster, sprung to the ground, and in an instant was at the side of his prisoner. With a pistol in each hand, he sternly ordered him to remount. (Aaron Burr Slept Here, D.S. Brown, 1952)
18th Century British coin found in the yard of the Lewis Inn by the current owners.
The rock on which Aaron Burr made his plea was inscribed and placed on a concrete pedestal at its present location by the Mary Adair Chapter of the D. A. R. as testimonial to this event in Chester, S.C.
The Lewis Inn as it appeared in 1982, the owner engaged in the start of razing the historic structure.
Etching from the 1932 Chester Annual. Courtesy of the Gettys Collection – 2015
In 1980, Wade and Cathy Fairey purchased the house from local farmer, Henry Robinson and his wife Cleo, to begin restoration of the dwelling. With their sons Wade, Jr. and Frank, the house was restored over a two year period. During this process, the interior logs were exposed, architectural features uncovered, exterior shingles removed and replace with traditional board siding. The original board and batten siding under the front porch remained intact and was exposed as were porch railings. During the years the family lived here, they also moved a double pin log corn crib from the Rash farm, just south of Rock Hill to the Lewis Inn location. This along with the stabilization of the cotton house in the backyard added additional interests to this important historic property.
The Lewis Inn is most likely Chester County’s oldest remaining structure and could easily date to ca. 1750-60. The current (2012-18) owners, the Scott Carroll family, are maintaining the home beautifully. They have also begun removing modern architectural elements that were added subsequent to the home’s restoration in the early 1980’s by owners who tried to inappropriately modernize the dwelling.
In 2008, the late, Mr. Ronnie Abrams of Newberry County, S.C. offered this information on the Lewis Inn, “I think you may be referring to the story I related on one of my Revolutionary War ancestors, Colonel James Lyles who died on the steps of the Lewis Inn on July 3, 1780, due to illness suffered in his haste to return home to see his new baby daughter Elizabeth…..his only surviving child as well as his plantation which was encamped upon by British officer Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton.” The information on Col. Lyles’ death comes from Justice Belton O’Neal’s Annals of Newberry, S.C.
In the June 2, 1854, issue of The Western Democrat, we find this advertisement soliciting bids for supplying wood at the various stops along the rail line aforesaid. Frederick Nims, general superintendent of the Charlotte & South Carolina Railroad (with an office in Columbia), signed the advertisement and specified the locations of the various wood piles maintained by the railroad:
INDEX TO EARLY GRANTS @LEWIS TURNOUT:
Biggam or Bigham, James 100 1768
Boyd, Archibald 116 1812
Brown, William 300 1768
Browne, Elijah 137 1785
Browne, Elijah 280 1787
Carroll, Richard 150 1763
Carroll, Richard 150 1763
Carroll, Richard 300 1765
Connor, John 100 1768
Finley, John 100 1772
Galbreth, Joseph 100 1768
Gill, John 500 1767
Gill, John 150 1772
Knox, John 100 1767
Knox, John 100 1774
Knox, Robert 100 1766
Knox, William 100 1768
Mills, John Col. 967 1796
Walker, James H.
REFUELING STOPS: Killian’s Mill, Campbell’s Mill, Ridgeway (Fairfield Co), Simpson’s (Fairfield Co), Robertson’s (Fairfield Co), Winnsboro (Fairfield Co), Albion (?), White Oak, Youngsville, Blackstock, Cornwell, Chesterville, Lewis T. O., Smith’s T. O., Ebenezer / Rock Hill (Along the Landsford Road, by Wm. B. White, Jr. Vol., I – 2008)
Section of Charles Boyd’s 1818 Map of Chester Co., S.C. showing the location of the historic Lewis Tavern. Note the Inn is not off the main road as in 2018, but next to the historic Saluda Road leading from Nations Ford to the courthouse town of Chester, S.C. and close to the important historic Mountain Gap Road, leading from East to West. Courtesy of the Mayhugh Map Collection, 2018
Postcard view of the Aaron Burr Rock on the corner of Main Street and Columbia Ave., downtown Chester, S.C. Courtesy of the Davie Beard Collection – 2016
Informative link and additional pictures: National Register Aaron Burr History, Aaron Burr Arrested
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R&R HISTORY LINK: AARON BURR ROCK
R&R HISTORY LINK: ANOTHER EARLY CHESTER CO INN – BLACKSTOCK
R&R HISTORY LINK: NATIONAL REGISTER IMAGE(S) – LEWIS INN
R&R HISTORY LINK: Huck’s Camp at White’s Mill
R&R HISTORY LINK: Col. Wm Bratton Cabin
R&R HISTORY LINK: Preserving a Log Barn – Rash Farm
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SOIL MAP OF THE AREA – 1912
The area in green is the section of Northern Chester County which encompasses the “Blackjack” area of rich cotton growing heritage.
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