Due West in Abbeville County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Due West
As early as 1765 the site 6 miles NW known to the Indians as Yellow Water, where the Keowee Path crossed the Cherokee line, was called DeWitt's Corner. In 1777 a treaty between S.C. and the Cherokee Indians was signed there. The present town was first called Due West Corner. Here in 1839 Erskine College the state's first 4-year church college was founded by the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church.
Erected 1963 by Erskine College. (Marker Number 1-6.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Education • Native Americans • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1765.
Location. 34° 20.083′ N, 82° 23.223′ W. Marker is in Due West, South Carolina, in Abbeville County. Marker is at the intersection of North Main Street (State Highway 184) and College Street (State Highway 20), on the left when traveling south on North Main Street. Marker is located across the street from the Due West ARP Church. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Due West SC 29639, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 10 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Rev. J.I. Bonner Monument (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Angela Marlow Newton (approx. 0.2 miles away); Erskine College (approx. ¼ mile away); Abbeville County (approx. ¼ mile away); Bryson College Memorial (approx. 0.3 miles away); William Moffatt Grier (approx. 0.3 miles away); Camp-Walker Plaza (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Donalds Grange No. 497 (approx. 3.1 miles away); Templeton-Drake Cabin ca. 1764 (approx. 3.1 miles away); Boonesborough Township (1763) (approx. 3.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Due West.
Also see . . .
1. DeWitt's Corner. Treaty, 20 May 1777, Treaty ceding all land in SC except small strip in n.w. modern Oconee County. (Submitted on July 15, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)
2. Cherokee. The Cherokee are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States (Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia). (Submitted on July 15, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)
3. Chickamauga Wars. The Chickamauga Wars (1776–1794) were a series of back-and-forth raids, campaigns, ambushes, minor skirmishes, and several full-scale frontier battles which were a continuation of the Cherokee (Ani-Yunwiya, Ani-Kituwa, Tsalagi, Talligewi) struggle against encroachment into their territory by American frontiersmen from the former British colonies. (Submitted on July 15, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)
4. Due West, South Carolina. Due West is a town in Abbeville County, South Carolina, United States. (Submitted on August 6, 2008, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)
5. Erskine College. A Christian liberal arts college, in Due West, South Carolina, which is a part of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian tradition. (Submitted on December 25, 2008, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)
6. Erskine College-Due West Historic District. The Erskine College-Due West Historic District, located in the small town of Due West in Abbeville County, South Carolina, consists of eighty-eight properties, which as a unit illustrate the development of the village and Erskine College from ca. 1840 to 1930. (Submitted on August 22, 2008, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)
7. Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church. The Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church is a small denomination, formed from the merger of the Associate (Seceder) and most of the Reformed Presbyterian (Covenanter) churches in Philadelphia in 1782. (Submitted on December 25, 2008, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)
8. Lindsay Cemetery. Lindsay Cemetery, established ca. 1820, is significant as the first cemetery in the Due West vicinity of what was then Abbeville District, and for its association with seventeen prominent early families of Abbeville District (later Abbeville County), from the early through the late nineteenth centuries. (Submitted on July 15, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)
Additional commentary.
1. The Treaty of DeWitt's Corner
Hostilities between the Cherokee Nation and the English settlers were ended with the signing of two treaties. The first, signed on May 20, 1777, was the treaty of DeWitt's Corner. Representatives from Georgia, South Carolina, and the Lower Cherokee met at DeWitt's Corner and signed a treaty that the territory now known as Anderson, Greenville, Oconee, and Pickens to South Carolina. The treaty forced the Cherokee to admit that South Carolina troops "did effect and maintain the conquest of all the Cherokee lands, eastward of Unacay Mountain." The treaty opened the region to an influx of Scotch-Irish Presbyterians and French Huguenots. The DeWitt Treaty was the first treaty between two American states (Georgia and South Carolina) and a foreign power (the Cherokee nation).
The second treaty was signed on July 20, 1777 at Long Island on the Holston River by headmen of Virginia, North Carolina, and the Upper Cherokee. Under the terms of this treaty, the Cherokee ceded all land east of the Blue Ridge to the settlers. With the signing of the second treaty, South Carolina took on its familiar triangle shape that is known today.
DeWitt's Corner was located on Corner Creek, at the present-day Abbeville/Anderson County line. To reach the creek, travel north on Highway 20 from Due West. The bridge crossing the creek is located about 1/5 of a mile from the county line.
— Submitted August 22, 2008, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.
2. Erskine College / Due West Historic District
Description
The Erskine College/Due West Historic District contains fourteen properties of particular architectural or historical significance and seventy-four supporting properties. The district is located in the small town of Due West in Abbeville County, South Carolina, and centers around the Erskine College campus. About one-third of the buildings within the district boundaries are associated with the college. Many of the other buildings, located in the adjacent residential and commercial areas, are or were owned by persons connected with the college. The majority of the buildings were constructed between ca. 1840 and 1930 and reveal an evolution of architecture from the early years of the area's settlement to the early twentieth century. Many of the buildings constructed within the past fifty years, although not considered contributing properties at this time, blend in well with the older buildings and are not considered to be intrusions to the district. Most of the buildings in the district have been continuously used and have been kept in good repair.
Key Properties:
1. Nickles House, West Main Street (ca. 1886): Two-story, weatherboarded, Victorian farmhouse has boxed cornice with returns and decorative brackets. Hipped roof porch has wooden posts with brackets, spindle frieze, and turned balustrade. Porch pediment features spindle frieze with pedants and sawn and spindle tympanum.
23. Euphemian Literary Society Hall, Erskine College Quadrangle (1912): One-story, brick building on a raised foundation. Built in Neoclassical design. It features a large central pedimented portico supported by four fluted wooden ionic columns. The central double doors have an arched fanlight. the interior features a central meeting hall with sloping floor, high ceiling, and tall fluted pilasters. A marble podium from an earlier (1858) building is still in use. H.J. Burdette was the contractor for this building.
25. Erskine Building, Erskine College Quadrangle (1892): Three-story, brick building with central pavilion and two wings. Notable features include two towers and central dome. The west tower has a doomed observatory. The east tower has an octagonal section containing the college clock and features elaborate brick work. Fenestration varies, but all windows have rounded arches. The northeast wall incorporates a section of a wall of the original building (1842) which burned in 1892.
26. Philomathean Literary Society Hall, Erskine College Quadrangle (1859): Two-story stuccoed building in the Italian Renaissance Revival Style. Thomas Veal of Columbia, S.C., was the architect for the building. Facade features a central pedimented pavilion with paired Corinthian pilasters at either side of a Palladian window. Single doorways, with round-headed windows above, are at either end of the central pavilion; colossal Corinthian pilasters are located at the corners of the building. Recessed balustrades are used for decoration.
29. Galloway House, West Main Street at Depot (1897): Two-story Victorian, weatherboarded house. Multiple gables feature decorative bargeboards. Front door is heavily carved and has multi-paned stained glass window. The interior of the house contains the original mantels, molding, wainscoting and decorative details. The rear ell and a shed in the backyard were parts of an early house. The Galloway family was prominent in the development of Due West, Due West Woman's College, and the Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church.
34. Due West Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (1925) and Cemetery: Two-story, brick building with gabled roof. Two-story pedimented portico had dentil cornice, cartouche with swags, and is supported by four granite Tuscan columns. Central islet steeple is square and had dentil course, louvers, balustrade, pilasters, and dome with an octagonal base.
35. Brownlee-Kennedy House, Church Street (ca. 1800): Two-story, rectangular, weatherboarded house with gable roof. Recessed, two-story porch is supported by six stuccoed pillars. Central single doorway has sidelights with a decorative surround and corner blocks. second story has a central, single entrance doorway with sidelights opening on to a small cantilever balcony with a decorative railing, modeled after the "Lindsay style." This house is believed to have been extensively altered in the mid 1800s giving it the style that it has today.
48. Sloan-Neel-McCain-Lesesne House, West Main Street (ca. 1840): Two-story weather boarded residence with a two-story pedimented portico supported by four large, square pillars. First story entrance has double doors flanked by four-light sidelights and seven-light transom and features corner block molding. Second story has central balcony supported by decorative brackets and with a decorative balustrade, Single entrance doorway has four-light sidelights and molding, reflecting the "Lindsay style."
52. Lindsay-Bell House, Abbeville Street (ca. 1845-1850): Two-story, square, weatherboarded residence built in the late 1840s by James Lindsay for his son. This house is the last of many houses known to have been built by James Lindsay, although other display the same style. The entrance was a wide, central, single door, mullioned sidelights, transom and fluted trim with corner blocks in a bill's-eye design. Second story has a balcony with decorative railing supported by curved wooden braces. The single doorway had sidelights and fluted trim with plain corner blocks. There are four stuccoed end chimneys.
52a. Student Cabin: Used ca. 1850-1890 as a dormitory. One-story, single room, rectangular building with a gable roof and one exterior end chimney. This is the last remaining of many student cabins which were used before the first dormitory was built. It was restored in the early 1970s and is presently used as a museum.
58. Bell-Mitchell House, Abbeville Street at Cleveland Street (1913): One and one-half-story bungalow with gable roof. Sheathing is weatherboard and shingle. The large porch posts feature guttae trim. Fenestration varies, with several windows having diamond-shaped panes. Gables feature half-timbering and exposed rafters with brackets.
85. Alumnae Memorial Hall, Woman's College Circle (1912): Two-story, Greek Revival style, brick building on a raised brick foundation. The truncated hipped roof has metal shingles. There is a two-story pedimented portico supported by four stout Doric columns. The entablature features triglyphs, metopes, and guttae. The central pavilion has three sets of double doors. The interior contains an auditorium with sloping roof and decorative ceiling.
88. Carnegie Hall Dormitory, Woman's College Circle (1906): Three-story, molded concrete block building with a hipped roof. Concrete molding varies with each story. Decorative features include a belt course between the first and second stories, concrete water table, and dentil course around cornice. One-story hipped roof porch is supported by Ionic columns on low piers. The interior features spacious hallways with open staircases, carved mantels, and Ionic columns.
115. Bonner-Burrows House, Hayne Street (1882): One-story, Victorian cottage with a gable roof. Three front gables have bargewoods, cross pendants, and rectangular louvered vents. The boxed cornice has returns and brackets. Flat roof porch is supported by chamfered posts with sawn balustrades and brackets.
Other Properties Contributing to the Character of the District:
2. Ellis-Fleming House, West Main Street (ca. 1924): One-story, weatherboarded residence with cross-gable roof. Hipped roof porch is supported by wrought iron posts on brick piers.
4. Janette Crawford House, West Main Street (ca. 1924): One and one-half-story, weatherboarding bungalow. Front gable has pent roof, tripartite window, and wooden shingles. Windows are four-over-one. Two interior chimneys have corbeled caps.
5. McIlwaine-Ashley House, West Main Street (pre-1911): One-story residence with asphalt siding, two front gables. Hipped roof porch is supported by four Doric columns on low concrete piers.
6. Seawright House, West Main Street (ca. 1910): One-story, weatherboarded residence with gabled roof. Porch with attached gazebo is supported by tapered posts.
8. Haddon-David-Ferguson House, West Main Street (1907): Two-story, weatherboarded house with hipped roof. One-story, hipped roof porch supported by turned posts with brackets extends across facade and right side.
9. The Andrew May House, West Main Street (1908): Two-story rectangular house with asbestos shingle siding. Central portico has gabled roof with boxed cornice and returns and is supported by four posts with turned balustrade. The house was built in 1908 by Andrew May.
13. Clinkscales-Hagen-Pruitt House, Abbeville Street at West Main Street (1909): One-story, weatherboarded residence with high, hipped, metal roof. Front slope of roof has projecting gable with small, mullioned stained glass window. Hipped roof porch supported by nine turned columns extends across facade and right elevation. Fenestration is two-over-two.
15. Brownlee-Huntley House, Abbeville Street (ca. 1878): One-story, weatherboarded residence with shed roof porch supported by chamfered posts. Two front gables have boxed cornice with returns, sawn brackets, and rectangular louvered vents.
16. Due West Railroad Depot, Depot Street at Bamboolevard: One-story, rectangular building with gabled roof and two four-paneled doorways in gable end facade. Shed roof across facade is supported by plain wooden graces. Fenestration (two-over-two) varies to each side. Building is currently used for storage. Andrew May from Donalds, South Carolina, built the depot in 1907-1908.
17. Men's Infirmary, Erskine College Campus (ca. 1920): Small, one-story, rectangular, weatherboarded building with hipped metal roof. Front porch us supported by wood posts with pierced panels and has a simple balustrade. Presently used as the Alpha Psi Omega Society House.
18. Alumni Gymnasium, Erskine College Campus (1929): Tall, one-story, rectangular building with two wings and a truncated hipped roof. Central bay has double doors and projected brick pavilion with arched entrance way flanked by large arched windows. Small single story wings to each side are symmetrical. To the rear is an outside pool.
20. Erskine College Campus: Vacant lot.
28. William Moffatt Grier Statue, Erskine College Quadrangle (1903): This granite statue on a granite base is centrally located on the Erskine College Quadrangle. Grier served as president of Erskine from 1871 to 1899.
30. Old Bank Building, West Main Street (1900): One-story, rectangular brick building. Decorative frieze has corbelled, rat-tooth courses, and recessed brick panels. Flat brick arches surmount the door and windows.
32. Commercial Building, West Main Street (ca. 1908): One-story, rectangular brick building. Decorative frieze has corbeled cornice, rat tooth course, and recessed, lancet-shaped panels.
33. President's House, East Main Street (1938): Two-story, rectangular, brick residence with hipped roof. Single entrance doorway with fanlight opened onto a small porch supported by two fluted columns. Single story wings with balconies are to each side.
37. Hawthorne-Wood House, Church Street (ca. 1900): One-story, frame residence with two front gables featuring sawtooth shingles. Two interior, stuccoed chimneys have corbeled caps.
38. Todd-McAdams-Pressly House, Church Street (1885): One-story, frame residence with gabled roof and two front projecting gables. Shed rood porch is supported by three turning posts. This house is very similar to the Hawthorne-Wood House (#37).
42. Boyce-Ellison-King House, East Main Street (1911): Two-story residence with hipped roof. Single entrance doorway has multi-paned sidelights and transom and is flanked by windows with diamond-shaped panes. Right elevation has a three-sided, projecting bay with a small rectangular stained glass window.
43. Jamie Pressly House, East Main Street. One and one-half-story, square residence. Recessed porch supported by four stout cement columns. Long shed roofed, shingled dormer projects from front slope of roof. Large shingled gable ends dominate side elevations. Rev. J.P. Pressly built the house in 1915.
44. Sharpe-Agnew House, East Main Street (ca. 1840): Two-story, rectangular, weatherboard farmhouse. Hipped roof porch across front and right elevation is supported by six wooden columns on shiplap piers. Many original nine-over-six and six-over-six light windows remain. Two exterior chimneys are stuccoed and scored.
46. Leith-Logan House, East Main Street (ca. 1906); Two-story, frame house with front projecting gable. Hipped roof porch across facade and left elevation is supported by seven plain columns.
47. Bradley House, East Main Street (ca. 1851): Two-story, rectangular residence with hipped roof. First story front two rooms are brick; first story rear and second story are weatherboard. Front projecting pedimented portico is supported by two square brick pillars. Double door entrance has sidelights. Second story has central double doors with sidelights and transom which open on to a small balcony with a decorative railing reminiscent of the "Lindsay style." (See #52.) Windows are twelve-over-twelve; two interior chimneys have corbeled caps.
49. Clinkscales-Pressly House, Abbeville Street at West Main Street, (ca. 1905): Two-story, weatherboarded residence with steep hipped roof. Single story, hipped rook porch wraps around facade and left elevation; it is supported by chamfered posts and has sawn balustrade and brackets. Other decorative features include polygonal bays and pedimented gables.
53. Due West Baptist Church, West Main Street at Abbeville street (1924): Square, brick building with recent rectangular ells on east and south elevations. Small pedimented portico projects from the corner of the building facing the intersection of Abbeville and Main Streets. It is supported by two square posts and has wooden shingles in the gable end. There is a double door entrance. Two projecting gable roof bays on the north and west elevations have boxed cornices and semicircular vents.
54. Clinkscales House, West Main Street (ca. 1912): One-story bungalow with hipped roof. Porch across facade and left elevation is supported by tapered wooden posts on massive brick piers. The house is weatherboarded, and large gables have wooden shingles.
55. McGee-Kennedy-Boyce House, West Main Street at Washington Street (ca. 1880): Two story, brick, rectangular building with pyramidal roof. Double door entrance has sidelights and transom. One-story pedimented portico is supported by fluted Tuscan columns and pilasters. Presently used as the Chi Sigma Society House.
57. Wardlaw-Moore House, Cleveland Street (ca. 1890): One-story, weatherboarded residence with L plan. Porch is supported by five chamfered wooden posts. Boxed cornice with returns has decorative brackets.
59. Art Department Building, West Main Street (ca. 1925): One-story, brick building with stepped parapet, two sets of double doors and large square windows.
60A. Main Street Theater, West Main Street (ca. 1910): One-story, brick, commercial building with recessed double doors. Eleven-paned band of glass and dentil molding extends across facade. Above this are two recessed panels and a corbeled cornice. {Ed. Note: This building no longer stands.]
60B. Exhibition Center, West Main Street: Similar to 60A; band of glass has been boarded up. {Ed. Note: This building no longer stands.]
61. McQuiston Divinity Building, West Main Street (1938): Two-story, rectangular, brick building with hipped roof. Central pavilion had pedimented gable. One-story, flat roof portico is supported by four Doric columns and two pilasters, and is topped by a wrought iron railing. First story windows have fanlights and semicircular arch surrounds with keystone.
62. Due West Hotel, West Main Street (1892): Two-story, stuccoed brick building with stepped parapet. One-story, flat front porch across facade is supported by brick pillars, which were added in 1930, but had original frieze with decorative sawtooth trim. First and second stories are identical with central wide doors with sidelights and transom flanked by two floor length windows each side. Windows are two-over-two on the facade and four-over-four on the side elevations. Currently vacant. {Ed. Note: This building no longer stands.]
63A. Plaxco's Drug Store, West Main Street (ca. 1908): One-story, brick commercial building with stepped parapet, decorative brick cornice, recessed diamond-shaped brick detail, and frieze. Double door entrance is recessed. On the interior are the original pressed tin ceiling and original display cabinets.
63B. Due West Supply Company Annex, West Main Street (ca. 1908): Exterior design identical to 63A with some alterations.
63C. The Family Store, West Main Street (ca. 1908): Exterior design identical to 63A with some alterations.
63D. Due West Supply Company, West Main Street (ca. 1920): Facade similar to 63A, 63B, and 63C, but was built several years after and has a projecting ell to the rear.
64. Due West Town Hall/Fire Department Building, Bonner Street (ca. 1941): One-story, rectangular, concrete building with single entrance door flanked by four-over-two windows. To right is a two-car garage. Constructed by the Works Projects Administration.
65. Associate Reformed Presbyterian Printing Office, Bonner Street (1894): One-story, brick building. Brick pediment has corbeled cornice and three decorative brick piers. Central double door have shallow arched transom. Entrance flanked by two-over-two light windows with shallow arch. Presently used for storage.
68A. Commercial Building, East Main Street (ca. 1925): Two-story, brick building, central double doors have fanlight and are flanked by arched windows with brick surrounds and keystones. Second story has three eight-over-eight windows. Currently used for storage.
68B. Farmers and Merchants Bank Building, East Main Street (ca. 1920): Originally the same as 68A. First story facade has been replaced with modern plate glass. Other windows bricked up. Currently houses a beauty shop.
70. Johnston-Edwards House, East Main Street (ca. 1906): One-story residence with hipped roof. Single entrance doorway has sidelights, transom, and decorative molding. Large projecting, front gable has brackets and decorative trim. Additions to the right elevation and rear have been made to convert house to duplex.
71. Agnew-Sain Gulf Station, East Main Street (1930): One-story square gas station with hipped roof. Single entrance doorway has six-over-six windows on each side. Construction is brick and stucco. Boxed cornice has brackets.
74. Miller-Bonner House, East Main at College Street (ca. 1840): Two-story rectangular residence. Projecting, two-story pedimented portico is supported by four pillars. A central, single door entrance has multi-paned sidelights, fluted molding, and corner blocks. Second story has central single doorway with sidelights, fluted molding, and corner blocks, opening onto a small balcony with a decorative railing of the "Lindsay style." (See #52.) Boxed cornice has sawn brackets.
74A. Landscaped Yard to Miller-Bonner House.
78. Parkinson House, Bonner Street (1907): Two-story, weatherboarded residence. Single story, hipped roof porch extends across facade and right elevation. Boxed cornice has modillions and fretwork. Central, gabled pavilion features single entrance door with sidelights and transom on the first story and Palladian window on the second story. John H. Wren built the house for Professor G.G. Parkinson in 1907.
80. Reid House, Bonner Street (1907): Two-story, weatherboarded residence with hipped roof. Hipped roof porch extends across facade and around each side elevation. Door and large single pane window on facade have leaded glass transoms. Metal acroteria atop roof. John H. Wren built this house in 1907.
83. Edwards-Strong House, Cleveland Street at College Street (ca. 1930): Two-story, brick residence with hipped roof. Single story porch is supported by square granite posts sand wooden columns. Small arched portico has two large columns. Single entrance door has multi-paned beveled window, sidelights with beveled glass, and transom.
84. Edwards-Hawthorne Store, College Street (ca. 1930): Small, weatherboarded grocery with a shed roof.
90. Robinson Hall Dormitory, Woman's College Circle (1922): Three-story, brick dormitory with central, gabled pavilion. Small single story porch has two fluted Doric columns and an entablature with triglyphs and guttae.
91. Robinson Terraces (1934): Small, terraced amphitheater built by the Civil Works Administration.
93. Robinson-Hawthorne-Cribbs House, East Main Street (ca. 1900-1920): Two-story, weatherboarded residence with hipped roof. Low hipped roof porch has central gable and extends across front and right elevation of house; it is supported by six plain wooden columns. Two interior chimneys have corbeled caps.
94. McGee Gymnasium, College Street (1938): Two-story, rectangular, brick building. Two buttressed entrance towers project from corners of facade. Built by the Work Projects Administration.
95. R.M. Stevenson House, Bonner Street (1915): Two-story, weatherboarded residence with hipped roof. Two interior chimneys have corbeled caps. Small hipped roof porch shelters doorway.
97. Edwards-Clarke House, Bonner Street (ca. 1880): One and one-half-story gable roof residence. Low shed roof porch has central, projecting gable end and is supported by nine decorated chamfered posts with a sawn balustrade. Two projecting gables have paired three-light windows.
98. Wilkerson-McConnell House, Bonner Street (ca. 1910): One and one-half-story, hipped roof, weatherboarded residence. Gable dormer has rectangular window with diamond-shaped panes. Front projecting, gable bay to right has round window with keystones.
99. McDill-Ashley House, Bonner Street (ca. 1906): Two-story, hipped roof, frame residence with shed roof porch across facade and side elevations. Decorative features include central, projecting pediments, dentil molding, oval-shaped mullioned window, and windows with diamond-shaped panes. Interior has large mantels with mirrors, tiled fireplaces, pocket doors, and original trim. The house was built for J.T. McDill by John H. Wren in 1906.
102. Bonner Street. Vacant wooden lot.
103. Allen Gordon House, Bonner Street (ca. 1900): One-story, hipped roof, weatherboarded residence. Facade has a single entrance doorway with front projecting gable bay to left. Windows are two-over-two.
104. Vacant lot.
105. Todd-Young House, Washington Street (ca. 1890): Two-story, weatherboarded residence with hip roof. One-story, wraparound porch is supported by Tuscan columns and has turned balustrade.
106. McDill-Ferguson House, Hayne Street at Washington Street (ca. 1900): One and one-half-story, hipped roof, weatherboarded residence with hipped roof porch across front and both side elevations. Projecting, hip roofed dormer has rectangular stained glass window. Two interior chimneys have corbeled caps.
108. Todd-Kennedy House, Hayne Street (ca. 1922): One and one-half-story, square, wooden shingled house with gable roof. Recessed porch is supported by tapered wooden posts on brick piers and has a plain wooden balustrade. Fenestration is nine-over-one.
109. Wideman-Gettys House, Hayne Street (ca. 1890): One-story, rectangular, weatherboarded residence with gable roof. Shed roof porch across facade is supported by plain wooden posts with sawn brackets. Two single doors in facade have sidelights and transoms. Boxed cornice features sawn brackets. Louvered vents in gables have pointed arches.
110. Plaxco House, Hayne Street (1930): One and one-half-story brick bungalow with gable roof. Large front projecting gable is stuccoed and features half-timbering. Windows are six-over-one.
111. Galloway-Sutherland House, Hayne Street (1909): Two-story, hip roofed, weatherboarded residence. Single story, hip roof porch is supported by wooden Ionic columns. Decorative features include second story, central, oval window with keystones, plain dentil molding, and two interior chimneys with corbeled caps.
112. Ralph Ellis House, Hayne Street (ca. 1875): Two-story, weatherboarded residence with gable roof and two-story, front projecting, gabled bay to right. Single story porch has hipped roof, turned posts, balustrade with turned balusters, spindle frieze, and sawn brackets.
113. Smith-Pruitt House, Hayne Street (1930): One-story, brick bungalow with gable roof. Large front projecting porch is supported by two square brick posts and two pilasters and had a brick railing.
114. Hayne Street: Vacant lot.
116. Leslie House, Hayne Street (ca. 1916): One-story, hipped roof, weatherboarded residence. Hipped roof porch extends across facade and wraps around both elevations. Hipped roof dormer has paired square windows with diamond-shaped panes.
117. Branyon House, Main street (ca. 1890): One-story, frame residence. Porch has chamfered posts with sawn brackets. Two interior, stuccoed chimneys have corbeled caps.
118. Main Street: Vacant wooded lot.
120. Main Street: Vacant wooded lot.
121. Jordan-Smith House, Main Street (ca. 1900): One-story, frame residence with hipped roof and gabled ells. Porch features turned posts and sawn brackets.
Significance
The Erskine College/Due West Historic District, located in the small town of Due West in Abbeville County, South Carolina, consists of eighty-eight properties which as a unit illustrate the development of the village and Erskine College from ca. 1840 to the present. included in the district are portions of the campus of Erskine College, the first four-year denominational college in South Carolina, which was founded in 1839 by the Synod of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, and the Due West Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, whose early congregation played a large role in the formation of the village and college. Also included in the district are a residential section, containing many properties either at one time or presently associated with the college, and the commercial area. The varied architecture of these areas dates from ca. 1840 to ca. 1941 and illustrates the growth of the town. Modern Due West is dependent on the college for its continued existence and as such life in the village revolves around Erskine.
Additional Information:
The origin of the name Due West is unknown but it is probably that it is a corruption of the earlier names for the area: Dewises Corner, Devises Corner, Jewett's Corner, Dewitt's Corner, and Duet's Corner. [1] The village took Due west from the Associate reformed Presbyterian Church of that name which had moved from Duet's Corner to a more central location in the present village by 1790.[2] in 1846 the town was incorporated under the name Selma.[3] But the name Due West had been associated with the settlement for so long that in 1856 the charter was revised and the name changed to Due West.[4] Due West had a thriving business community in the late 1800s and early 1900s; however, the mobility of the twentieth century has resulted in the centralization of businesses in larger towns and cities nearby. Due West today has only a few commercial enterprises which offer basic necessities. It is very clear that the major employer and influence on the town of Due west is its college.
In 1836 the Synod of the ARP Church established a two-year classical academy at Due west and in 1839 expanded the school into a four-year college. Shortly after the founding of the academy the Synod established a theological seminary as well, named Clark and Erskine Seminary. The two schools, closely associated since their foundings, have been known as Erskine College and Erskine Seminary since about 1842.[5]
In 1852 a group of ARP ministers and laymen founded the Due West Female College, later the Due West Woman's college. Privately operated until 1904, the college came under the control of the ARP church from that year until it merged with Erskine in 1927.[7]
Education:
Erskine College, founded in 1839, was the first four-year denominational college in South Carolina. In 1835, the Synod of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church had established a school which would provide two years of college training. This school opened February 1836 and was expanded to a four-year college in 1839; it was the first four-year, church-related college in the state. In 1837, the Synod established a theological seminary. a charter for the school was granted on December 20, 1837, under the name Clark and Erskine Seminary in honor of Ralph and Ebenezer Erskine and Rev. Thomas Clark, early leaders of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian movement. The names Erskine College and Erskine Seminary have been used since about 1842.[7] The Due West Female College was founded in 1859 by a group of ARP ministers and laymen. Reputedly the first women's college chartered by the state, it merged with Erskine by 1927.[8] Erskine, originally founded with the intention of educating students for the ministry, has gradually evolved into a small liberal arts college with a close student-faculty ratio.[9]
Religion:
Both Erskine College and the town of Due West owe their existence to the Due West Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, the congregation of which was in the area prior to the Revolution. By 1839, the church-centered village had grown enough to support a church-sponsored college and seminary, which became Erskine College and Erskine Seminary. Due West was also the center of the ARP Church's printing concerns. The official church magazine/newspaper offices operated from Due west as early as the nineteenth century. In 1894 the ARP Printing Office building was built (#65) and housed the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Printing House from 1894 until 1975. In 1904 the ARP Church took over the Due West Woman's College. It retained control until the college merged with Erskine in 1927.[10]
Architecture:
The Erskine College/Due West Historic District contains architecturally significant properties reflecting the development of the college and the growth of the town around the campus. Due west is dominated by two buildings, the Erskine Build (#25), with its dome and two towers, located on the highest point in the community, and the Georgian Revival Due West ARP Church (#34). Significant buildings on the Erskine College Campus include the Renaissance Revival Philomathean Literary Society Hall (#26), designed by Thomas C. Veal; the Georgian Revival Euphemian Literary Society Hall (#23); the Carnegie Hall Dormitory (#88) with its molded concrete block construction; and the Alumnae Memorial Hall (#85) with its monumental Greek Doric portico.
The residential district surrounding the college campus includes numerous vernacular farmhouses from the mid-nineteenth century, including the Lindsay-Bell House (#52) and the Sloan-Neel-McCain-Lesesne House (#48), which show Greek Revival influence, the houses of the late nineteenth century demonstrate Qween Ann influence; the Galloway House (#29) and the Bonner-Burrous House (#115) are representative. The residences of the early twentieth century are primarily bungalows. The Janette Crawford House (#4) and the Bell-Mitchell House (#58) are representative bungalows.
Notes
1. J. Gregg Carroll, ed. Abbeville County Family History (Clinton, S.C.: Intercollegiate Press, 1979), p. 7; Robert Lathan, History of the Associate Reformed Synod of the South (Harrispurg, Pa.: Published for the author, 1882), p. 286; Louis DeVorsey, Jr., The Indian Boundary in the Southern Colonies, 1763-1775 (Chapel Hill, N.C.: University of North Carolina Press, 1979), p. 128; "Due West Historical Pageant," Official Program, Due West, South Carolina, November 9, 1923, n.p.
2. "Due West Historical Pageant," Lathan, p. 285-286.
3. Acts of the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina, Passed in December 1846 (Columbia, S.C.: Summer & Carroll, State Printers, 1846), p. 396.
4. The Statues at Large of South Carolina, Vol. 12 (Columbia, S.C.: Republican Printing Company, State Printers, 1874), p. 556; Carroll, p. 7.
5. Carroll, p. 7; Joab Mauldin Lesesne, Jr., "A Hundred Years of Erskine College 1839-1939" (Ph.D. dissertation, University of South Carolina, 1967), pp. 22, 23, 26, 56; "Due West Historical Pageant."
6. Carroll, p. 7; Lesesne, p. 266; "Due West Historical Pageant."
7. Lesesne, pp. 22, 23, 26, 25; "Due West Historical Pageant;" Carroll, p. 7.
8. Lesesne, p. 266; Carroll, p. 7.
9. Lesesne, pp. 11, 185, 287; Erskine Is..., Catalogue of Erskine College (Due West, S.C.: Erskine College, 1980-81), pp. 6-7, 125.
10. Carroll, p. 7; "Due West Historical Pageant." (Source: National Register nomination form.)
— Submitted July 12, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.
3. Marker Style
The marker shown reflects the second style of South Carolina Historical Markers. It was in use between 1955 and 1990. The original design was cast aluminum and crowned with a bas relief of the state flag surrounded by an inverted triangle. The markers were painted dark blue with silver lettering.
— Submitted September 16, 2008, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.
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