City Directories and History: This brick dwelling, originally owned by John Winn, was constructed as a detached kitchen at the rear of the big house that was to face South Congress Street. John, was a brother of Richard Winn for whom the town is named. The house mansion house was to have sat in a large grove of oaks but the coming of the railroad in the late 1840’s to Winnsboro cut the property into two pieces. The residence was never constructed. [Courtesy Chamber of Commerce]
The quaint little brick house at 119 Moultrie Street is one of Winnsboro’s oldest buildings. It was built some time after the Revolution, and the first owner of whom there is any record was John Winn, the brother of Richard Winn, for whom Winnsboro was named. The above came from Edrington Historical Notes and was confirmed by Mrs. Mary Elliott Smith (Julian Elliott’s daughter), whose mother was an Evans. Mr. Winn’s wife was also a member of this family.
The house was originally built for a kitchen, and the main residence was to have been located in an oak grove on the corner of Congress and Moultrie Streets. Before its construction, however, the railroad came through and cut the property in half and so the residence was never built. In the section intended for a kitchen there are two rooms and a hall on the first floor and two rooms on the second. The front windows of the second story extend to the floor. There is a large chimney on each side of the building, and a porch extends across the front.
Click on the More Information > link to find additional data – A Fairfield County Sketchbook, by J.S. Bolick, 2000 (Courtesy of the FCHS)
*** A portion of the Winn’s old brick kitchen can be viewed in 1905 on the attached Sanborn map, it is shown in the reddish color across the tracks from the passenger depot.
All early writings and accounts give no origin for the name Winton. General Richard Winn’s notes and a study of the political rivalry between him and the Barnwell brothers, John and Robert, make a better than circumstantial case for the county’s being named for the famous General Richard Winn of Winnsboro and soon court was held there as it is now.
First, the state legislature named all counties. Unfortunately their debates were not recorded, and we do not know what hot and heavy words may have flowed prior to its naming. We do know that by 1785, at the naming of Winton County, Richard Winn, was at the height of his popularity. He had already been made a Brigadier General in the militia, serving well in the Revolution, was a member of the Jacksonborough Assembly in 1782, and while serving in “the senate” in 1786 was commissioned to purchase, survey and lay out the land to build a new state capital, Columbia, and further, to sell lots there.It is interesting to note that by February 11, 1785, Richard Winn had declined to serve as lieutenant- governor although elected. On March 12, 1785, the name Winton was given to the new county by the State Assembly. Charles Drayton became lieutenant- governor in Winn’s place, but did not qualify until March 22, 1785, due to an “indisposition.” It is equally fascinating to note that, although Barnwell District was the name officially given to the area in 1789, the Senate Journal continues to call it Winton until 1810. Between February 11 and March 12 we could well imagine that since the popular Winn had refused the second in command post in the state that the assembly named the new county, Winton, for him. 11 In 1800 Richard Winn was not only again elected lieutenant-governor but he served out his term until 1802. He was a member of the House of Representatives of the Third Congress of the United States in March, 1793, and returned to the Seventh Congress in January, 1803, remaining until the end of the Twelfth Congress in March, 1813, although he had moved to Maury County, Tennessee, where he took up lands in the fall of 1812.
(Information from: Names in South Carolina by C.H. Neuffer, Published by the S.C. Dept. of English, USC)
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