City Directories and History: 1908 – Alex Long (#631 College Ave), 1913-14 – Alex and Minnie W. Long, (Pres. of Arcade and Aragon Cotton Mills), 1922/23 – Alex Long, 1936 – Minnie W. Long, 1963 – Ruth M. Jones, Dorothy
Forsythe
“February 22, 1797, John Hart, Jesse Miller and Frederick Reeves appraised the estate of Abraham McCorkle. They noted his 450 acre plantation (west of the Catawba River in the vicinity of present-day Ebenezer A.R.P. Church) and that he owned 1/2 a sawmill. They also listed the following tools: cooper jointer, 2 adzes, and a draw knife. Evidently, McCorkle was a cooper (maker of barrels, water buckets, etc.) in addition to being a farmer.” Courtesy of the YCGHS—June 1996 R&R Note – Abraham McCorkle was one of, if not the first of his name, the Ebenezer section.
“Tracing the origins of this important structure has not been easy. It came into being, as we are led to believe from writers of an earlier day, as a substantial log cabin that stood some several hundred feet north of its present location — near the ―big road‖ of the nineteenth century, the Land‘s Ford Road. The house dates probably from the first year of that century. Col. W. H. McCorkle of Yorkville, S.C., stated on several occasions that he was born in this house in the year 1821. In the late 1840‘s or early

Image courtesy of photographer Bill Segars – 2015
1850‘s the house was moved back to its present location and doubled in size. It was once the house of Capt. Hugh White Campbell and then of John J. Biggars. And there were other owners whose names are unknown to the author. After the Civil War the place was the property of the Fewell family of Ebenezerville. Samuel McDuffie Fewell, know as Squire Fewell (he was a local magistrate), and his family lived here. The present wing on the western side of the house was formerly freestanding and stood close to the road. It was rolled back and attached to the house in the early 20th century. The farm of which this was the ―big house‖ comprised two hundred acres of choice land. In the 1890‘s the Rock Hill Land and Town Site Company bought the farm and used it as the bait to lure Winthrop College to Rock Hill. Alexander Fewell of Ebenezerville had bought up several tracts of land to put together this prize farm for his son, and one tract that he bought was the Robert Miller farm, and it was that of Robert Miller that is now the front campus of Winthrop University. Recounting the history of the various tracts that were put together by Fewell is a story all to itself, and we have not the space here to pursue that course. The Alexander Long family lived here in the first half of the twentieth century.” Courtesy of Along the Lands Ford Road, Vol. I, Wm. B. White, Edited by W.B. Fairey – 2008
The McElwee Store ledger lists Alex Long as a customer in 1915.
The Rock Hill Herald on Sept. 9, 1899 – “Mr. Alexander Long of Spartanburg was in the city a few days ago, making arrangement for the erection of a large cotton seed oil mill. It will be built on the lot on which formerly stood the cotton seed oil mill which burned several years ago. He expects to move his family to Rock Hill next year . His wife is Minnie, sister to the Honorable W.B. Wilson of the City.”
The Herald reported on Sept. 22, 1925 – “Mrs. M.N. Brabham is to give up operation of the Anderson Hotel. The city now owns it and needs a new manager. It was recently purchased for $20,000. and give to the city by Alexander Long Sr., as the nucleus for a municipal hospital, either on site or to sell and build a hospital on another site.”
The Herald reported on Jan. 29, 1925 – “That a building permit had been issued to Alex Long, Sr., for repairs to his home on College Ave., to cost $200.”
The Herald reported on April 1, 1925 – “That a building permit had been issued to Alex Long, Sr. on College Ave. for the construction of a garage for $500.”
The Rock Hill Herald reported on Dec. 1, 1941 – “H.N. Davis, Jr., and family have moved from 631 College Ave., to 643 Green Street.”
The Herald reported on Jan. 28, 1942 – “The Goode Shoppe was opened today by Banks Good in the former Gladden Store building oppose WTS. It will handle a complete line of grocers, sandwiches, and confections. Mrs. H.E. Ruff will be the hostess. The store was run for many years by W.H. Gladden.” The Herald on Jan. 28, 1942 reported – “Mr. and Mrs. H.E. Ruff expect to move from Aiken Ave., to the Alexander Long residence on Sumter Ave., which they have rented.”
Click on Laurelwood Cemetery Tours for Alexander Long’s gravesite.

Section of Heritage Map by Mayhugh. See ENLARGEABLE MAP under the primary image.
Toward the end of the year news came from Horn Lake, DeSoto County, Mississippi, that Stephen McCorkle, formerly of the Rock Hill area of York District, had died there on October 27th, in the 65th year of his age. He had once lived in the house that is now (in 2002) owned by Mr. and Mrs. John a. Presto, on College Avenue, Rock Hill, one of the two or three oldest structures in the Rock Hill area. Correspondence via Wm. B. White, Jr., 2007
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