3351 Chester Highway – Bratton Home / Guthriesville Community

City Directories and History:   In 1896, Mr. Mason Bratton, a fourth generation York County Bratton, built this Queen Anne influenced home on Highway 321. The house displays a very prominent front central projecting bay with an entrance porch to each side. Boxed and flush cornice returns, cornice boards, vergeboard in the gable ends, and cross bar brackets are some of the decorative elements to be found in the construction of this home.

Mason Bratton also opened a general store in the community of Guthries which was at that time on the Chester and York Railroad line, and one of the numerous whistle stops along the tracks. [Historical Properties of York County, SC – 1995]

Courtesy of the New York J.H. Colton and Company, 1856; from Colton’s Atlas of the World

Note the 1860 Census listing is for Robert Guthrie who gave his name to the community. His two story farm house remained standing until circa 1980. His next door neighbors were the McConnells, Smiths, and Harry Wright. Mr. Wright was a free African American citizen who resided in this area for generations. He shopped at the original Bratton store (at Brattonsville) where he and his family had credit, on 4/12/1839 at the store for sugar and other supplies. Son, Isaac Wright was listed in the 1860 census as a successful carpenter.

In the post Civil War era, Rock Hill began to economically and politically dominate the upper Piedmont regions of S.C. One of the reasons can clearly be seen viewing the town as a major railroad hub. Postal Map from 1896 – Courtesy of the Un. of N.C. Guthries in 1896 boasted of a P.O.

Other names that remain associated with the area include the Williamson family who were also neighbors and have continued holding their property intact.

Informative links: Queen Anne Architecture

Open the MORE INFORMATION link (found under the primary picture), to view an enlargeable, 1896 Postal Map of York County, S.C.

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