City Directories and History: 1908 – William A. Graham, 1913 – Wm. A. Graham, 1922 – C.N. Stead (Prior to this move the Steeds lived at #619 Izard St. 1913 City Directory, working as Supt. at Highland Park Mills), 1936 – Charles W. (N) Stead, 1936 – Charles N. Stead, 1959 – James D. Steed
The Rock Hill Record reported on April 26, 1904 – “That Capt. William Graham, a conductor on the Charleston Div. of the Southern Railway, now residing in Blacksburg, S.C., has purchased a lot on the new street near the A.H. White residence. Mr. Graham will have a handsome residence erected here.”
The Record reported on Jan. 27, 1908 – “Capt. W. A. Graham has completed a very nice frame building on the back of of his lots on East Moore Street and installed machinery for an up to date bottling plant. The building is 40 ft long. Products will be Bludwine and Pepsol and he will also bottle other soft drinks. He will provide syrups for Bludwine and Pepsol for fountains in drugstores.”
The Record contained an ad on May 4, 1908 for the Bludwine Bottling Works, Rock Hill, S.C. – W.A. Graham, Prop. “For your healthy’s sake.”
The Record on July 2, 1908 reported, “Rock Hill Bottlers plan to raise prices, due to an increase in the costs of extracts and sugars. Signed by the Coca Cola Bottling Works, the Pepsi Cola Bottling Works, the Bludwine Bottling Co. and Steeles Springs Bottling Works.”
The Record reported on Aug. 31, 1908 – “J.J. Keller and Co., have drawn plans and secured the contract for remodeling the residence of Capt. W.A. Graham on Reid Street. Another story will be added and a number of improvements made.”
The Rock Hill Record reported on March 8, 1909 – “The Rock Hill Pepsi Cola Bottling Co., and the Bludwine Bottling Co., have been consolidated into a new company with stock of $8,000. to be known as the RH Pepsi Cola Bottling Company. Officers are: S.N. Sowell, Capt. W.A. Graham, and others…the business will be conducted at the Bludwine plant until the Pepsi building can be rebuilt.
The Rock Hill Record on Dec. 2, 1918 – “C.N. Steed has bought the W.A. Graham home on Reid Street.”
This house was constructed in circa 1905 and remains in remarkable condition with continued improvements by the Aiton family who
reside there in 2014. The front and left projections have boxed cornices and louvered attic vents. The left side also has a bay window and a tracery stained glass window. The right side has double windows and a gabled projection and the home uses both shingle and clapboard siding. This unusual weatherboarding style provides additional character and interest to the home. The balustrade which was once on the porch roof has been removed.
This home was the last of the houses that backed up to the White’s extensive barnyard at the rear of their downtown property.
The McElwee Store ledger of 1915-16 stated that W. A. Graham and wife Pearl W., (Conductor on the Southern Railroad), live at this address and shop at the store.
REID STREET NEIGHBORHOOD AT A GLANCE – In 1992, the Reid Street-North Confederate Avenue Area Historic District was placed in the National Register of Historic Places. The district includes the White House, which had been placed in the register as an individual property in 1969. East Main Street, Reid Street and Confederate Avenue developed as one of the first residential neighborhoods surrounding the downtown area of Rock Hill. By the 1870s, houses were being built along East Main Street several blocks from the originally platted area of the community. In 1888, the first public graded school was built nearby on Black Street. Central School served the community for many years, and today the site of the school is occupied by the Central Child Development Center. A street was opened between Main and Black which terminated at the school. Originally called Academy Street, the name was later changed to Confederate Avenue. Reid Street was opened just after the turn of the century, and the entire area rapidly filled with houses.
The families who moved into this neighborhood were largely middle class business or professional families. Most worked in the downtown area, only a two to three block walk away. Several of the early home owners were employed as teachers or government workers. Merchants included R. W. Cranford, who operated a department store, Arthur Patterson (wholesale grocery), James Huey (pharmacy), John Good (stable), and the Barnes and Workman families (telephone business). Dr. W. R. Blackmon lived on Main Street and other residents of the area included the superintendent of the Highland Park Mill (Charles Steed), and a railway conductor (Ernest Guntharp). R. E. Tomkins moved his family from Kershaw to East Main Street so that his children could benefit from the new school.
Most of the earliest houses in the neighborhood were in Late Victorian Styles, including one-story cottages and two-story homes. Several excellent Victorian homes remain on North Confederate Avenue and Reid Street. The John Good House (c. 1895), located at the corner of East Main and Confederate, is an exceptional Late Victorian home. Later houses were built in the emerging Classical Revival style. Just after 1900, some of the earlier Victorian houses on East Main Street were moved to Reid Street. These one-story Victorian cottages were replaced by larger classical revival homes. Apparently, East Main Street was becoming more fashionable, and the cottages had gone out of style and were too small for the area.
This neighborhood is still largely intact and represents one of the best collections of historic homes in Rock Hill. We are indebted to the property owners who have maintained and restored these beautiful houses. [Written and contributed to R&R by Paul M. Gettys]
William Aiton, the owner of this home reported on 5.20.17, “He built my house at 143 Reid Street. I found his (Julian Starr) name on back of boards I had to remove.”
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