140 East Main Street – Corner of Main and Hampton

City Directories and History:   The Robbins – White Tour History states, “Then, still going east, we have next door to the Belk’s lot the lot whereon stood the famous Gordon’s Hotel, or the Gordon House, owned and operated by David Gordon, an Irish immigrant. In all the early records Gordon’s Hotel was specified as “the geographical center of Rock Hill.” It was certainly a community gathering place. On a portion of the Gordon lot was Mr. Cook’s peanut stand, known to everybody in town in those days. You could buy freshly parched peanuts and also some very good candy.”  

The site of the old Gordon’s Hotel and later a bicycle shop. See it on the Sanborn Map on Main Street. The Herald reported on Oct. 6, 1906, on the demolistion of the old Gordon Hotel. “The timbers have be bought by African Americans to build a church Flint Hill. The hotel was built about 1851 by David Gordon, who died thirteen years ago. There have been fires all around but this building never burned. A new three story building will be erected here by Dr. T. A. Crawford and Mr. Ed Roddey.

In 2015 this is the approximate location of the Hampton Grill on the corner of East Main and Hampton Streets.  During urban renewal efforts in downtown Rock Hill, the corner building was demolished, which had once housed the Good Pharmacy, a very popular downtown drugstore.  Many older Rock Hillians recall visiting the store’s very popular soda fountain.

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 Lot 6 South and Half of Lot 5—Since half of Lot 5 had been incorporated into the tract of land that housed a large carriage factory, as given above, A. T. Black evidently decided to combine the remaining half with Lot 6, thus making a lot that measured c.101-106’ in width and probably c.212-17’ in depth.  He sold the property between 1852 and 1858 to an unnamed individual, who erected thereon a small frame structure.  We may assume that it was a residence.  It is likely that the individual aforesaid was unable to pay off his indebtedness.  A. T. Black reclaimed the property.

The old Good Drug Store was just to the east of the current corner building, the Hampton Grill. The location of the grill was also that of the Smart Shop, owned by the Kurtz family of Rock Hill. See comments below. Image taken by R&R in 2015.

On October 23, 1859, he conveyed the premises to Dr. James M. Johnson, who was evidently acting an agent for A. F. Kitchens of Fairfield District, S. C.  The consideration was $600.  The text of the deed is valuable since it reveals the names of the landowners nearby:  R. M. Kerr & Company on the north (we would probably have said “west”), Main Street on the east, cross street leading to the Methodist Church on the south (we would have said “east”), and property of A. T. Black on the west.  The deed says that the lot contained one third of an acre, but this is obviously a mistake.  It was a half-acre lot.

1888 Sanborn Map diagram of the Central Hotel’s location at the highest peak in downtown Rock Hill. Also known as the Gordon Hotel.

Kitchens came into possession of the property on October 24, 1859.  His deed bearing that date cites the names of the owner of the contiguous lots: Joseph Newton Steele on the south (we would have said “east”) and the Methodist Church on the west (we would have said “south”).  On January 20, 1862, A. F. Kitchen (also spelled Ketchens and Ketchen) deeded the lot to Louisa Kitchens Gordon, wife of David Gordon.  The lot dimensions as given in her deed were 106’4” x 217’4”.  Mrs. Gordon was nearly related to A. F. Kitchens, but the exact connection is not known to the writer.

David Gordon was a native of County Antrim, Northern Ireland.  He married Louisa (or Louise) Kitchens of Fairfield District, S. C., daughter of William and Mary Kitchens.  The Gordons came to Rock Hill between 1857 and 1862.  Mr. Gordon was a shoemaker and repairer.  He was noted in his day for his ability to make a seamless man’s shoe.  The Confederate government contracted with David Gordon to furnish shoes for the men of the Confederate Army.  The Gordons, from the beginning of their residence in Rock Hill, operated a tavern or inn, which at first was called “Gordon’s Hotel” but later was known as “The Gordon House.”

The Herald reported on Jan. 3, 1889 – “That D. B. Gordon and Co., will move this week to the store on Main Street recently occupied by W. F. Swaringen.  Mr. Swaringen has moved to the Roddey storehouse on Depot Street.”

They operated their inn in the small frame house on the lot.  After the Civil War, c. 1870-72, they razed the old house and erected in its place a much larger building, which survived until 1906.  The Gordon House property featured any number of outbuildings: a barn, a livery stable, a smokehouse, a spring house, a kitchen, and others.  There was also a tall frame structure that housed a large dinner bell, which also functioned as the town fire bell.  When The Town of Rock Hill was incorporated in 1870, the papers of incorporation specified Gordon’s Hotel as the center of town.  The Town limits extended one mile in all directions from Gordon’s Hotel.  Lest we forget, toward the end of the nineteenth century the name of the inn was changed to “The Central Hotel.”  The writer likes to recall an exchange he had with one of his favorite high-school teachers, the late Miss Arabelle Gill.  When he asked one day whether she remembered Gordon’s Hotel, she replied with a great deal of confidence and good humor: “Remember it?  I should say I do!  I was born in it!”  That would have been about 1896-98.  Miss Gill’s mother was evidently operating the hotel in the 1890’s.   (The Charleston New and Courier reported on June 7, 1890 – “The Central Hotel is an old landmark here in Rock Hill.  Its proprietor is Mr. David Gordon, who has kept the hotel since the war.  It is said to be a very good hotel and has its share of patronage.”) (The Herald reported on Dec. 3, 1890 ‘ “The Central Hotel will change hands.  John C. Choate and Samuel Pierce of Newport have rented the warehouse and hotel of Mr. D. Gordon, they will conduct a mercantile business in the storehouse, now occupied by E.S. Campbell and will continue operating the hotel. Mr. Gordon has been in the hotel business since 1857. He will remain a citizen of Rock Hill and will occupy the cottage of Mr. M. Miles Johnson on Hampton Street.”)

After the death of David and Louisa Gordon, their children put the entire property up for sale to the highest bidder in 1904.  The heirs bought in the various parcels into which the whole had been subdivided. And then Mrs. V. B. McFadden (a daughter) and S. J. Kimball (a son-in-law) bought out the other heirs and became the sole owners.  In the coming years a number of brick store buildings were erected on the property.  At the corner of Main and Hampton streets (southwest corner, to be sure) the Izard Building went up in 1915 (owned by Allen C. Izard).  The writer remembers that building as the location of Good’s Drug Store in the 1930’s and 1940’s.  Nearby was a first-rate dress shop, called The Smart Shop, and beyond that was the large Kimbrell’s (Rayless) Department Store building, owned in the writer’s lifetime by Mrs. J. Edwin Roddey and her daughter Anna Reid (“Nan”) Roddey White (Mrs. Thomas White).

Photo of the back panel of a chest of drawers. The image was taken in 2015 by B.M., who reached out to R&R to find out the history of the piece of furniture.

Of all the Main Street properties under consideration in this work, the Gordon Hotel lot is certainly one of the most interesting.  The Gordons were typically Irish—gregarious, garrulous, fun-loving, lovable, and a wee bit fond of the fruit of the vine.  Whatever else it may have been, life at the Gordon Hotel was never dull.

David and Louise (Kitchens) Gordon were among the forty-six charter members of the Presbyterian Church of Rock Hill, which was organized on November 13, 1869.  At the death of Mrs. Gordon the editor of the Rock Hill Herald revealed that the church carpet at the spot where Mrs. Gordon rested her feet each time she attended worship services was threadbare.  Her love of her church was passed down to her daughters.

The Herald reported on Jan 23, 1914 – “Plans are being prepared by Julian S. Starr for the remodeling of the building owned by the Rock Hill Buggy Company on East Black Street and occupied by the Rock Hill Furniture Company.  The property will have a new plate glass front and a stairway to the third floor used by the buggy company for storage.  C.M. Whisonant is the Manager of the furniture company and reports the  entire interior will be  renovated including plastered walls and boxed columns.”  [On March 18, 1914 work on this building was underway and the contractors are Love and Owens.]

The Herald reported on Jan. 31, 1919 – “The Rock Hill Furniture Company is installing a stairway and elevator in the rear of the store preparatory to opening an updated display room on the second floor. The partition between the firm’s undertaking establishment and the main section of the store has been

Ad for the furniture co., in 1925

Ann White of Rock Hill was doing business with Newton Steele at this location as early as 1852. Courtesy of the White Family Collection

removed in order to make room for the large elevator.  The undertaking establishment will be moved to the second floor were a complete display of funeral goods will be kept.  On the second floor will also be arrayed a showroom for display for the best advantage the attractive line of household furniture and draperies carried by this popular firm.”

The Herald reported on Oct., 6, 1906 – “That the old Gordon Hotel is being torn down. The timbers were bought by African Americans to build a church in Flint Hill.  The Hotel was built about [1851] by David Gordon, who died thirteen years ago.  Fire has raged all around but never burned the hotel. A new three story building will be erected on the site by Dr. T.A. Crawford and Mr. Ed Roddey.”  [Information provided via Along the Lands Ford Road, Wm. B. White, Jr., author.]

The Herald reported on July 16, 1902 – “this lot was offered for sale for the new federal building.  It was offered by David Gordon and was described as the lot where the Central Hotel stands, with 103 ft on East Main St. and 105 ft. on Hampton Street.”

Click on the More Information > link found below the picture column for additional data.

Click HOME to return to the numbered site tour of Rock Hill’s downtown.

[Much of the information provided courtesy of Along the Land’s Ford Road – Vol. I, 2008 by William B. White, Jr.]

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