City Directories and History: “The substantial house, surrounded by giant shade trees and located at 600 North Broad Street in Clinton, was built by Randolph Little. The present owners were told in 1952, the year they took possession, that the house was at that time ninety years old — thus setting the date of erection about 1862.
The aged house has solid heart-of-pine beams supporting the original six rooms. A side porch adjacent to the kitchen has been converted into a utility room and an eating nook. The floors on the first story are oak, and those of the second story are pine. The narrow stairs make the turn on six or eight half steps. The stair rail is undressed pine, and the newel posts are capped by flat square blocks about one inch in thickness. Originally, a hall connected the front and the back porches. The ceilings in both halls are of pine, while all the walls have been covered with sheet-rock to make heating more satisfactory.
The porch at the rear of the house has been widened, and the original exposed hand dressed posts supporting the roof add an interesting feature to this part of the building. The porch, now ell-shaped, has been turned into a veritable flower house for the present petite mistress to grow flowers for church, for home and for friends. The present owners have added a bath to the back porch, one to the master bedroom downstairs and a half bath convenient to the middle, portion of the first floor. The kitchen was remodeled in 1965; and with all the beautifully colored electric equipment and cabinets, it is hard for one to visualize the room of another era with the wood-burning stove, the sturdy furnishings and kerosene lamps on a table or high on a shelf to send light over the entire room.
At an earlier date, parts of the grounds were covered in a variety of choice fruit trees. A sort of community arbor stretched across the front lawn. The town was small then and there were grapes for all who cared to come and enjoy them. Needless to say, that arbor was a popular place during fruiting season.
The house was passed from Randolph Little to “Press” Little, local post-master. Mrs. B. F. Godfrey bought the property in 1909 following the accidental death of her husband, Doctor Godfrey. Ansel Godfrey inherited the place, and in 1944 it was sold to Sergeant Sterling Young, a member of the staff at Presbyterian College. When the Sergeant retired from the military, he returned to his former home in Georgia and the Clinton house was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. G. C. McInvaille in 1952. The Mclnvailles feel, as do their children — a son and a daughter, that they have a priceless possession in the home.”
Information from: The Laurens County Sketchbook, Author – J.S. Bolick, 1973
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