City Directories and History: 1946 – NA, 1963 – Mrs. L. C. Newland, 1975 – No Return
The Rock Hill Herald reported on June 23, 1887 – “Mr. W.W. Jackson, who has the contract for grading the 3C’s Railroad from Rock Hill to the Ebenezer Church, has rented the Berry House and his family will live there.” On July 7, the Herald further reported – “Mr. Jackson commenced work on Monday with a force of about 60 hands.”
This lovely old home, demolished to make room for commercial development, was originally constructed by local businessman, B.F. Rawlinson, as a speculative venture in the 1850’s. The house was reported to R&R to have been constructed in 1857. The home was later acquired by Lancaster native, Mr. Erwin Carothers in 1900. Mr. Carothers was President of Our Building and Loan Saving Bank, which became First Federal. For years, Mrs. Louise Carothers Newland taught piano lessons in her home to hundreds of Rock Hill’s young people.
The Herald reported on Aug. 18, 1900 – “Mr. R.T. Gillespie and family, who have been living in the Carothers house in Oakland for the past two years have moved to the Boney House.”
The Herald on Sept. 1, 1900 reported that Dr. T.R. Carothers and family are again citizens of Rock Hill, they are living in their old home, the Berry House in Oakland.”
The Herald reported on Sept. 22, 1900 – “We understand that Dr. T.R. Carothers is hoping to establish a dairy farm on his place near the athletic park in this city.” Later on Dec. 12th the Herald reported that Dr. Carothers is completing arrangements for opening of his dairy next year. He will begin with eight healthy milkers and hopes to increase the herd.
The Herald on Dec. 12, 1900 reported that Mr. R.N. Faris of Ebenezer is arranging to build a two story house with nine rooms on a lot near the old Berry house on the road to Ebenezer.”
On Jan. 16, 1901 it was reported that the dairy enterprise of Dr. T.R. Carothers is now in full operation. The dairy wagons make the rounds of the city twice each day.
On Jan. 4, 1904 the Herald reported, “Mr. T.S. Easterling has moved with his family to Camden where he will engage in the dairy business. Dr. T.R. Carothers will hereafter devote his personal care and attention to the Rock Hill Dairy.” On Jan. 25, 1902 the Herald announced that Mr. Julian Avery of Landsford has bought into the Carothers Dairy and will move into the house near the Oakland Park being vacated by Mr. Easterling.”
The Rock Hill Record reported on March 21, 1907 – “Listed the sale of two houses and lots on Hampton Street from W.T. Steele to S.M. Carothers of Tirzah.”
The Erwin Carother’s beach house at Myrtle Beach was designed by local architect, Mr. A.D. Gilchrist in 1937. Courtesy of the WU Pettus Archives – 2024
OBITUARY OF MRS MARY ALSTON BARKER
The following was printed in The Evening Herald (Rock Hill, SC), April 6, 1932, under the heading, “Romantic Memory of Old South Left by Resident of Ebenezer.”
A romantic memory of the Old South is left by Mrs. Mary Alston Barker, 88, of Battle Creek, Michigan, a girlhood resident of Ebenezer community, who died in January at the home of a daughter in Battle Creek, with whom she had lived many years.
Mrs. Barker will be remembered by older residents of Rock Hill as the former Mary Alston, sister of Col. W. B. Alston, for many years an educator in the city, conducting a school which has gone down in local annals as one of the most successful pioneer schools of the upper part of South Carolina, a school which had more than a local reputation. Mrs. Barker and her brother, Col. Alston, lived with their parents and others of the family in the residence in Ebenezer now occupied by the Bolin family, and later in the residence now owned by Mrs. T. R. Carothers, at the turn of Oakland Avenue.
General John Augustine Alston, father of the family, was at one time president of Mr. Zion College, famous old school in Winnsboro. The daughters were educated, in the pride of old Southern aristocracy, in music and languages. She was one of the few members of the Michigan Daughters of the Confederacy.
Mrs. Barker visited here 19 years ago, as guests of the widow of her brother, Col. Alston, her great nieces, the Misses Alston on Oakland Avenue, and was greeted by two brothers, Butler P. Alston and J. Gadsden Alston, advertised the “Fort Mill Academy” in the Lancaster Ledger, January 18, 1860. Under the title “Annals of the Confederacy,” an account of the life of Capt. Butler Pearson Alston was printed in The Record (Rock Hill), Sept. 14, 1922. The article stated that he was born in York, Oct. 24, 1836, son of Gen. John Augustine and Eliza Alston. His father taught at Mount Zion and St. David’s. Butler P. Alston was captain of Co. B., 6th Regt, SC Vol, under Col. John White of Fort Mill. On Jan. 4, 1866 he married Miss Alice M. Davis of Charleston and had one child, Alice. Further, he was a member of the Methodist church of Rock Hill and for nine years was principal of Rock Hill Academy. He was buried at Laurelwood Cemetery in Rock Hill, S.C.
From a Battle Creek paper comes the following: Only a year ago she played the piano, such numbers as Tannhauser and Strauss wrote, with ease and perfection. She played 180 classical numbers from memory. Six years ago she gave a public piano recital at the Sanitarium. Greek, Latin and German remained with her for years after the ordinary student forgets — a girl of 17 when the Civil War broke out, she had four brothers in the war against the ‘Damyanks,’ and one was only 16 when he died from a bullet at Richmond. Her father, a distinguished jurist, militia general, died a year before the war broke, prophesying it. Mrs. Barker’s education was extensive and the best the South could provide, both as to the classics and music. Her husband died in 1886. (Information courtesy of and from: YCGHS – The Quarterly Magazine)
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ADDITIONAL NOTES:
The next teacher employed at the Rock Hill Academy was Gen. John Augustin Alston, a noted scholar from Fairfield County and a former practicing attorney in Yorkville, S.C. His contract was affirmed at a meeting of the trustees on June 23, 1856. General Alston opened his school on the second Monday of July, 1856. During the year General Alston endeavored to get an appointment from the Federal government. He then, offered to continue his work in Rock Hill, an offer the trustees readily accepted. Accordingly, he began the next session on the first Monday of January 1857.
The editor of the Yorkville Enquirer had good things to say of General Alston, who was well-known in York District: It will be seen from the advertisement that our friend, General John A. Alston, has taken charge of the Rock Hill Academy, and will commence the duties of his new situation on the second Monday of July, 1856. Our Rock Hill friends have been very happy in their selection. If any honor ever comes of it, the General has it of teaching ones first ideas ―how to shoot, and we can speak from the record where we vouch for his superior qualities as a teacher. We may be somewhat partial, but we think it difficult to overate such a man. Thoroughly accomplished in every department of learning, having all the advantages of a long experience in and a constant devotion to his profession, earnest, conscientious and unremitting, in the discharge of his trusts. General Alston has few equals and no superiors as an instructor of youth. Our friends cannot do better than entrust their sons and wards to his care. The region around Rock Hill is occupied by an intelligent, high-toned and moral Community and affords but few of the temptations, which very often beset the way of the School boy. We trust their efforts to establish a school of high rank will be successful.
From another source we learn that during the early part of General Alston‘s career in Rock Hill sixty pupils were enrolled in the Academy. Tuition rates were as follows: Orthography and Reading, $7.00; the above with Arithmetic, English, and Geography, $9.00; the above with History, Natural Philosophy, and $12.00; Latin, Greek, Mathematics, $17.50. There were two sessions of five months each. Hugh Simpson was chairman of the Board of Trustees and Henry F. Broach was secretary of the Board.
Courtesy of the Along the Land’s Ford Road by Wm. B. White, Jr. Vol. I, p. 160
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