1531 Main Street – James N. Martin Home

City Directories and History: A wonderful Victorian home style on the edge of Newberry, however, this house

Courtesy of the Davie Beard Postcard Collection – 2017

appears to have been constructed in circa 1840 and later acquired in 1870 by local grocer and merchant James N. Martin, who had C.C. “Cam” Davis heavily remodel and update the home from a simple antebellum clapboard home to the high Victorian you see in 2014.

In writing the history of Edgefield I found a family of seven brothers named Martin, all brave men, and good and true Whigs. Hoping to be able to connect my old friend, J. Newton Martin, with a family so loyal and true, I inquired of him whether he was able to tell me anything about them, or whether they were connected. He said that so far as he knew there was no connection. He then told me that his grandfather, Patrick Martin, with his wife, who was a Miss Gordon, came from County Antrim, Ireland, about the year 1785. The Blairs, who were their neighbors in Ireland, came over at the same time and settled in the same neighborhood in Newberry County.

Patrick Martin’s first wife, Miss Gordon, brought three- children: one daughter, who died on the way over and was buried in mid ocean, and two sons, John and Alexander, who settled in Abbeville County. His second wife, Agnes Strait, whom he married in the year 1780, was also from County Antrim. Their first son was born in 1790. William Martin, the father of J. Newton and John B., lived and did business as a merchant at Newberry for many years, where he died. His brother, the father of Mrs. Jane A. Long and Jonathan G. Martin, I never knew. Newton Martin and John were both good soldiers during the war. Patrick Martin died August 24th, 1818 Agnes Martin died February 10th, 1841. John B. Martin died at Newberry, April 18th, 1890. Born June 10th, 1839.

(Information from: The Annals of Newberry Co., SC – O’Neall and Chapman, Aull and Houseal Publishers – 1892)

Martin House – Images courtesy of the Segars Collection, 2011

Martin House

Martin House

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