“Members of the family move to Georgia and further west….”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on March 16, 1876 – “Mr. Mansel Hall, formerly of Fairfield County, died last week in Rock Hill. He was highly respected.”
City Directories and History: Constructed originally for Laban Hall prior to 1844, and sold to Dr. William E. Hall. This home once stood on a large plantation near Rocky Mount. It was constructed by master artisan Timothy Connor who was reported to have been an outstanding house mechanic in Fairfield County. The census report of 1850 list him as age 75 living in Fairfield County, SC among members of the Gladden family. By that time he has a wife Nancy and a ten year old child. The census list him as having a net worth of $20., not much for someone who was considered one of the regions finest contractors.
Dr. William E. Hall purchased the house from his brother Laban. He and his wife, Dorcas Jones-Hall raised four children at the farm. Their children included; Dr. Elisha J. Hall, Jermina Hall – Dye, Dr. John T. Hall, and Judith Hall – McClenahan. Dr. William E. Hall was a graduate of the Medical College of Charleston, SC in 1828. The house was occupied by federal troops during the Civil War as they awaited the Catawba River to return to normal stages after a massive flood. The house was destroyed by tenants in the 1950s.
This is an important historic property. It has been reported that Dr. Hall’s holdings were one of the largest in the region and the magnificent home is highly reflective of many early homes in the Winnsboro area. Similar architectural features are wide spread in the area and somewhat peculiar to Fairfield County. The 1844 construction of this home is perhaps one of Mr. Connor’s last great dwellings. It is unfortunate that little else has been uncovered concerning his work as a contractor.
“Hall, Dr. William E. Born May 22, 1801 (S.C.); married Dorcas Jones; died 1864. Education: S.C. Medical College, M.D., 1828. Church: Methodist (with his brother, gave the land for Bethesda Church) . Slaves: 149 (Fairfield District).”
The Last Foray, C. Gaston Davidson, SC Press – 1971
Dr. William E. Hall was the wealthiest man of this community. He was bis own manager and attended to the slaves on bis five plantations in South Carolina. He also owned two places in Georgia, which be frequently visited. His crops were paying ones. He was the best of neighbors and a very benevolent man. No one ever went to him for favor and came away empty handed. His slaves loved him devotedly and some of them, even after emancipation could not speak of him without tears coursing down their cheeks. He was a strong pillar in Bethesda Church. This was broken by his death and his place has not since been filled. Not a dollar’s worth of the large property left at bis death is in possession of any of bis descendants now. William Robertson was probably the best financier of antebellum days. He incurred a debt of ten thousand dollars for a plantation and his only resources were a few horses and bis family, (be bad several children). He paid the debt, built several thousand dollars worth of houses on the plantation, and owned a considerable number of slaves before bis youngest child was neat grown. He was quite energetic and an excellent manager. (Courtesy of the CDGHS – Bulletin)
Nathaniel Barber Hall, son of John “Jacky” Hall, Jr. and Mary “Mollie” Barber, was born in Fairfield County in 1821. His paternal grandparents were John Hall, Sr. and Martha Gladden, and his maternal grandparents were John L. Barber and Sarah Carmichael. Nathaniel died in 1902, in Gordon County, Georgia. Nancy Ann Boulware Hall, daughter of Benjamin Boulware and Sarah Barber Richmond, was born in Fairfield County in 1829. Nancy’s paternal grandparents were Musco Boulware and Nancy Pickett, and her maternal grandparents were James Richmond and Eliza Barber. Nancy died in 1914, in Gordon County, Georgia. Nancy’s great-grandfather, James Barber, and Nathaniel’s grandfather, John L. Barber, were half-brothers. (Information furnished R&R by Ricky Smith – 2017)
*** Searchable PDF files: “The letters were found in the old Nathaniel Barber Hall house in Colima, Georgia. I think this happened, sometime in the 1920s, when the old house was torn down to make way for a new highway. During the demolition, the letters were found in a boarded up cabinet. A local woman took the letters home and kept them until the 1980s. Russell Hall found out the lady had the letters and, long story short, she allowed Russell to copy them. Russell sent me copies of the copies he has.
Sallie Boulware McMaster was a sister of my great-great-grandmother, Nancy Boulware Hall. Sallie and her husband, Richard McMaster, lived at the old Benjamin Boulware plantation, near the Mt. Olivet Church. Her brothers, James Richmond Boulware and Musco Boulware also lived around there. This was after the Civil War and Benjamin’s estate had been settled. Another sister, Eliza Boulware Stokes, and her husband William Stokes, lived in another part of South Carolina. My great-great-grandparents, Nathaniel and Nancy Boulware Hall, lived in Georgia, but they had lived in the same area prior to moving to Georgia. My great-grandmother was born near the church in 1850. Since Nancy wasn’t mentioned in her father’s will, Benjamin may have given them land in Georgia when they moved there in 1853.
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