City Directories and History: Davidson Hall, located on the campus of Coker College, was constructed ca. 1909-1910, with funds donated by the college’s founder, Major James Lide Coker (Founder of Southern Novelty Company, which became Sonoco). Major Coker, noted Hartsville industrialist, merchant, banker and agriculturalist, founded Coker College to provide quality education for women and to extend cultural opportunities to the Pee Dee region. Davidson Hall is significant for its association with Major Coker’s philanthropy and it is important in the history of education in the Pee Dee. It was the first building constructed for Coker College and it became the symbol of the school; its façade is incorporated into the college seal. Designed by the prominent South Carolina firm of Wilson, Sompayrac, and Urquhart, the two-story, brick educational building is enhanced by Neo-Classical details and stands out as one of Hartsville’s finest buildings. The hall is a rectangular plan brick building laid in common bond. It has a hip roof and a projecting semicircular auditorium on the rear elevation. The central portion of the fifteen bay façade features a projecting, two-story, pedimented portico, which is supported by six stuccoed Ionic columns with scamozzi capitals. A cornice embellished with dentil molding encircles the entire building. Listed in the National Register November 10, 1983.
Stay Connected
Explore history, houses, and stories across S.C. Your membership provides you with updates on regional topics, information on historic research, preservation, and monthly feature articles. But remember R&R wants to hear from you and assist in preserving your own family genealogy and memorabilia.
Visit the Southern Queries – Forum to receive assistance in answering questions, discuss genealogy, and enjoy exploring preservation topics with other members. Also listed are several history and genealogical researchers for hire.
User comments welcome — post at the bottom of this page.
Please enjoy this structure and all those listed in Roots and Recall. But remember each is private property. So view them from a distance or from a public area such as the sidewalk or public road.
Do you have information to share and preserve? Family, school, church, or other older photos and stories are welcome. Send them digitally through the “Share Your Story” link, so they too might be posted on Roots and Recall.
Thanks!