213 South Congress Street
June 6, 1872 the Yorkville Enquirer reported – “The Masonic Lodge at Winnsboro has agreed to make an annual contribution to the Palmetto Orphans Home recently established in Columbia by the Rev. Tilman R. Gaines.”
City Directories and History: 1910 – Kirkpatrick Home, 1961 – Fair – Winn Cab Company
The original Winnsboro Masonic Hall stood “approximately” at the rear of of this lot facing South Congress Street. The lodge was destroyed. The 1912 Sanborn Map does not show the building, but yet a very similar designed structure at the front of the lot, suggesting the building was most likely moved to the rear of the lot to make room for commercial development along South Congress Street.
The second floor of the Norman Building was also used as a meeting place for members.
This is a quaint house and is distinctively different from the other old homes of Winnsboro. It is now almost obscured from view, for it has been moved back from its original position on Congress Street. Originally the long front piazza was almost on the sidewalk. It is a rectangular building with a gabled roof and outside stone-and-brick chimneys on either end. The double porches are covered with a shed roof and extend across the front. They are both decorative and unique. The upper gallery is supported by four plain, square columns and enclosed with plain picketed bannisters and rails. The square columns of the lower piazza are fluted. Between them, just under the ceiling, are latticed panels about two and a half feet wide. Iron brackets attached to the sides of the columns support the lattice-work, evidently intended to shade the piazza. Between the brackets, attached to the bottom of the lattice, are wrought-iron decorations. Wrought iron bannisters set in wooden rails enclose the porch except for the end to which the steps rise.
The Fairfield News and Herald contained an ad on Nov. 1, 1882 – “For the R.J. McCarley Co., stating all parties wishing to purchase engines and gins will please give us their orders at once, so as to have the goods here in time for ginning, as it takes 15-20 days to get them from the factory.”
The lot on which the house is situated was sold by John McMaster to W. M. Moore and a group of several other gentlemen for the purpose of erecting a Masonic Lodge on the site. The building was erected and remained in their possession until 1832, at which time it was sold to Richard Cathcart. It continued to be Cathcart property until 1872 when George A. White purchased it for his home. Before the turn of the century Mr. White was the only baker in Winnsboro. His shop was located on Congress Street and was famous for the aroma that exuded from it on baking days. He also sold toys and candy, and his establishment was a favored haunt for the children of the town. After his death James M. Smith continued to operate the business. In 1909 James L. Bryson bought the property and in the same year sold it at a slight profit to Annie L. McCarley. The McCarley family lived here until 1912 it was purchased by W. L. Kirkpatrick.
In 1920 the Kirkpatricks moved into another home and sold this place to A. J. Mobley and Earle Kimbrell. In 1923 Kimbrell deeded his interest to Mobley, who, in the same year, sold it to Walter W. Ligon. In 1944 the widow of W. W. Ligon sold the property to M. M. Stewart and J. W. Stephenson, who bought it for commercial development. [Courtesy of the FF Co. Sketch Book, p.98 – FFCHS]
The tombstone of Abram F. Lumpkin states that he was the Father of Masons in Fairfield County, S.C. He is buried at the Old Methodist Cemetery on Washington Street and died in Feb. 24, 1875.
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