216 East Liberty Street – McCaw Family Property

City Directories and History: 1908 – James C. Wilborn (Mattie) attorney@ Bratton Bld., 1958 and 1966 – B. Leroy Love

This house was built after the lot was bought by attorney J.C. Wilborn circa 1914. Before 1913 the lot included the Saunders property next door.  It was originally owned by the Adickes family until it was purchased in 1849 by Robert Gadsden McCaw [S.C. Lt. Gov. in 1864-1865].  (Robert McCaw was indeed one of the wealthiest individuals in the region. The 1860 census suggests he is worth over $240,000., a sum allowing his family to live anywhere in the world and move among America’s top social society.) During the tumultuous  1860’s, the property was owned by the Palmers and Arledges, during which time a residence was built and later destroyed by a 1890’s fire. Present owner occupants are Mr. and Mrs. Zane Abernethy. [Courtesy of the Yorkville Historical Society – 2002]

1912 advertisement for the J.C. Wilborn Realty Company.

The house has turn of the century classical lines of a modern 1910’s home using the very common four-square house plan.

“McCaw, Col. Robert Gadsden of Fishing Creek, Catawba River and Talbert non-resident plantations and Yorkville. Born Dec. 28, 1821 (S.C.); married Apr. 18, 1848, Belle Means Bratton (Oct. 17, 1824-Mar. 8, 1905); died Nov. 24, 1870. Education: University of Va. (1840-41). Church: Presbyterian. Public Service: Lieut. Col. (staffs of Gov. Aiken and of Gov. Means); State Representative; State Senator; [Lieut.-Gov. during the War], Slaves: 135 (York District).”

The Last Foray, C. Gaston Davidson, SC Press – 1971

RAILROADS COME TO YORK COUNTY – Several additional facts about the rail line from Columbia to Rock Hill may be of interest to the reader. First, the men from York District who attended the convention concerning the building of a railroad from Charlotte to Columbia were Colonel W. C. Beatty, William A. Latta, John Miller Ross, Robert Gadsden McCaw, William Moore, W. Giles, J. Beatty Smith, and Joel W. Rawlinson.  This initial meeting of interested parties was held at Winnsboro on May 24 and 25, 1847.

Subscribers for stock in the Charlotte and South Carolina Railroad Company on September 9 and 10, 1847, were these: Colonel W. C. Beatty, John Miller Ross, Colonel William Wright, John S. Moore, W. I. Clawson, William A. Latta, George W. Williams, Colonel Edward Avery, Harvey Hugh Drennan, Rev. Archibald Whyte, Thomas D. Spratt, James D. Spratt, A. M. White, George P. White, William E. White, and Captain John Massey.

(Along the Landsford Road, by Wm. B. White, Jr. Vol., I – 2008)

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R&R HISTORY LINK: The McCaw Home on South Congress

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