232 Hampton Street – This Building Has History
Dr. Hope’s nephew, Dr. Thomas Allison Crawford, became his associate in the later years and continued the work after the old doctor died. (Information from: The City Without Cobwebs – Douglas S. Brown, 1953)
City Directories and History: 1908 – T.A. Crawford, Peter Ihrie, 1917 – T.A. Crawford, 1922/23 – Carrie Crawford, 1936 – Carrie Crawford, 1963 – Mary H. Crawford, Rosa Ferguson, Rock Hill City Hall
R&R HISTORY LINK: Earlier residence of the Ihrie family
“The large, well-proportioned house next to the Rawlinsons on Hampton was the residence of Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Allison Crawford. (Mrs. Crawford was born Carrie Poe and had been married first to Peter Ihrie, Sr., of North Carolina.) The Crawford house was once a cottage, but Doctor Crawford remodeled and enlarged it and added an unusual and attractive semi-circular front porch, which was removed in later years, long after Mrs. Crawford’s death. The first house that ever stood on the Crawford lot was that of R. Thomas May.” [Robbins – White Tour Booklet]
The Herald reported on April 17, 1884 – “The residence of Dr. T.A. Crawford on Hampton Street has been repaired and otherwise improved.”
The Yorkville Enquirer reported on Dec. 2, 1891 – “A man named Wilson was badly beaten in a fight several weeks ago. Drs. Strait, Hunter and Crawford performed a surgical operation last week on his brain, relieving it from the pressure of portion of the skull. At last reporters he is doing well.”
The Enquirer reported on Aug. 5, 1891 – “Dr. T.A. Crawford of Rock Hill appeared before the county commissioners. They granted permission to change the location of three miles of road running into Rock Hill, up the CC&A railroad. Today it is a slushy black jack soil and is hardly passable. Dr. Crawford has secured subscriptions of around $1,000. to buy a stone crusher and macadamize the road.”
R&R HISTORY LINK: the Bynum – Ihrie family link.
The Yorkville Enquirer of Sept. 8, 1895 reported – “Dr. T.A. Crawford and Mr. J.J. Hull have returned from Florida where they have been investigating the mysterious death of a man who gave his name as Moore and said he had a wife and children in Rock Hill. He had been buried for several days but his body was exhumed. The family living in the house where the man died was shown a photo of Mr. W.J. Kimball / W.J. Kimbrell, who has been missing from Rock Hill for sometime and they identified as the deceased Mr. Moore.”
The Rock Hill Herald reported July 15, 1899 – “The residence for Dr. T.A. Crawford is under construction at a cost of $3,000.”
The Herald reported on Oct. 7, 1899 – “A fine job of plastering has been done on the home of Dr. T.A. Crawford. C.R. Means is the plasterer.”
The Herald reported on Jan. 15, 1902 – “That Dr. T.A. Crawford had rented the room recently occupied by Mr. Edward Sadler (Ed Sadler), as a restaurant. It is now being repaired. Dr. Crawford will have his office here and repair it in good style.”
The Herald reported on Nov. 1, 1902 – “Ned White, a colored man in the employ of the Highland Park Oil Mill lost the little finger and two adjacent fingers on his right hand. He put his hand to far into the machine known as the Cake Former and the fingers were so seriously mashed as to require amputation. The operation was performed by Dr. T.A. Crawford, assisted by Dr. J.R. Miller.”
The Rock Hill Record of June 25, 1908 reported that contractor Beall has laid a fine cement walk leading to and around Dr. Crawford’s residence.
The Rock Hill Record reported on April 26, 1909 – “Dr. T.A. Crawford is having the lots on Marion Street to Greene Street filled in, which will make them very desirable building lots, as they lie close to the business part of town.”
Rob and Tom Crawford – Courtesy of the White Family Collection, 2008
This is also the site of the current Rock Hill City Hall, site #18 on the Historic Walking Tour brochure. The Crawford home sat approximately where Rock Hill’s City Hall patio entrance is currently located in 2013. It was a beautiful house with a circular front porch which was later removed by Peter Ihrie in the mid 20th century and replaced with a Italianate tower.
Dr. Thomas Crawford was one of Rock Hill’s most prominent physicians and took a significant interest in the long-term development of his family, business, and the community. It was he, who as the Commissioner for Public Works in Rock Hill pushed for sewage and city services to be provided to the African American community south of Rock Hill. Hence, the rural route to that neighborhood was named in his honor, Crawford Road.
Along with Dr. Wm. F. Strait, he also maintained what has been called “Rock Hill’s oldest hospital” across the street from his home on Hampton Street. It was a small privately operated institution of which little is known.
The Crawford Home was constructed by Rock Hill builder, A.D. Holler (who constructed numerous homes and factories in the region), with architectural work in 1899 by Rock Hill Architect, Hugh Edward White (1869 – 1939), born in Fort Mill, S.C. he attended Fort Mill Academy and started his practice in about 1894. Remained in Rock Hill until about 1903 and later returned to work. In the 1890’s he worked in an architectural firm in Atlanta. Between 1903-1918 he was a field supervisor of the Supt. Architect Dept. of the Treasury. For about three years 1918-21, he was employed with Charles Coker Wilson in Columbia or Gastonia, N.C.
Mary Hope Crawford (Feb. 10, 1850 – July 10, 1921), Courtesy of the HRH Collection
The Herald reported on April, 1, 1925, “That a building permit had been issued to Peter Ihrie on Hampton Street for repairs to his dwelling costing $250.”
The Record reported on Jan. 3, 1927 – “A real epic in local business circles is the announcement today of Peter Ihrie from Beach – Ihrie Jewelry Company, which has been operating since 1887. It will be succeeded by Beach – Hearn Jewelry Company (George Beach) at the same location. Mr. E.D. Hearn has been with the old concern for a long time.”
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R&R HISTORY LINK: the Morley Photo Studio…
R&R HISTORY LINK: BEALL HOME ON EAST MAIN
R&R HISTORY LINK: DR. HOPE’S STORY
R&R HISTORY LINK: CRAWFORD – STRAIT HOSPITAL
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