Donalds in Abbeville County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Templeton-Drake Cabin ca. 1764
Jane Byrd Wilson
Sept. 19,1939 - March 17, 2000
She worked to preserve the valuable
heritage of the Boonesborough Township
Erected 2005 by Boonesborough Township Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Education • Settlements & Settlers • Women. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1780.
Location. 34° 22.1′ N, 82° 21.117′ W. Marker is in Donalds, South Carolina, in Abbeville County. Marker is on West Main Street (State Highway 184) south of Austin Road, on the right when traveling south. Marker is located on the front door of the cabin. The cabin is north of the Donalds Grange No. 497. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Donalds SC 29638, 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. The Donalds Grange No. 497 (within shouting distance of this marker); Boonesborough Township (1763) (approx. ¼ mile away); Due West (approx. 3.1 miles away); Greenville Presbyterian Church (approx. 3.1 miles away); Rev. J.I. Bonner Monument (approx. 3.1 miles away); Angela Marlow Newton (approx. 3.2 miles away); Erskine College (approx. 3.3 miles away); Abbeville County (approx. 3.3 miles away); Bryson College Memorial (approx. 3.4 miles away); William Moffatt Grier (approx. 3.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Donalds.
Also see . . .
1. The Boonesborough Historical Society. Originally the Donalds Historical Society, growth and expanded membership were behind the name change to the Boonesborough Historical Society. (Submitted on October 5, 2008, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)
2. The Templeton-Drake Log House. This log house, originally constructed ca. 1763, was located on the Henry Templeton plat of Boonesborough Township, Abbeville District, South Carolina. (Submitted on October 5, 2008, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)
3. The Royal Colony of South Carolina: The Township Acts. There are many contradicting histories on what really led to the establishment of "Townships" in the interior of South Carolina immediately after the Crown took over the colony in 1729. (Submitted on January 26, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)
4. Drake Family Members Who Lived in the Cabin. RootsWeb posting listing the Drake family members who lived in the cabin. (Submitted on November 22, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)
Additional commentary.
1. SC Resolution H. 3975
To congratulate the Boonesborough Township Historical Society upon the completion of the restoration of the Templeton-Drake Log Cabin in Donalds, South Carolina, and to commend the members of the Society for their important work in preserving the heritage of Abbeville and Anderson Counties.
Whereas, the members of the General Assembly are pleased to learn that the Boonesborough Township Historical Society has recently completed the restoration of the Templeton-Drake log cabin in Donalds, South Carolina; and
Whereas, this historic log cabin was built around 1764 and was part of the Boonesborough settlement that had been surveyed in 1763 by Patrick Calhoun on Long Cane Creek near modern Donalds. The Boonesborough settlement was named for South Carolina Colonial Governor Thomas Boone. The log cabin is the oldest existing building in Abbeville County; and
Whereas, the cabin was first built by Henry Templeton, one of Boonesborough’s first settlers, and is sixteen by twenty-two feet. In 1993, the then current owner had the cabin dismantled and took the logs to Cleveland, Georgia. Six years later, he donated the cabin to the Boonesborough Township Historical Society and it was moved back to South Carolina; and
Whereas, restoring the cabin was a dream of the late Jane Elizabeth “Betty” Byrd Griffith Wilson. As a member of the Boonesborough Township Historical Society, she shared a vision with the other members of reconstructing, from the original materials, this log cabin. The cabin will be dedicated in Jane Byrd Wilson’s honor at a ceremony on Saturday, April 30, 2005; and
Whereas, the Templeton-Drake log cabin is thought to be the sole physical remnant of the historic Boonesborough Township on America’s frontier, and it provides a living history site on the Discovery Tour of the National Heritage Corridor; and
Whereas, the Boonesborough Township Historical Society was founded in 1991 and its mission is to promote the cultural preservation of upper Abbeville and lower Anderson Counties. It serves the towns of Donalds, Due West, Honea Path, Ware Shoals, and other parts of Abbeville and Anderson Counties; and
Whereas, the members of the General Assembly, by this resolution, would like to publicly recognize and congratulate the officers, members, and friends of the Boonesborough Township Historical Society upon the completion of this important restoration which will help educate South Carolinians on American frontier life and the culture of some of our State’s earliest settlers. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
That the members of the General Assembly congratulate the Boonesborough Township Historical Society upon the completion of the restoration of the Templeton-Drake log cabin in Donalds, South Carolina, and commend the members of the society for their important work in preserving the heritage of Abbeville And Anderson Counties.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to Mr. Jim Pinson, President of Boonesborough Township Historical Society.
— Submitted November 22, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 10, 2019. It was originally submitted on October 5, 2008, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 2,884 times since then and 53 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 5, 2008, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina. 3. submitted on September 18, 2014, by Bob Brownlee of Greenville, South Carolina. 4, 5. submitted on October 5, 2008, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina. 6. submitted on January 26, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina. 7. submitted on October 5, 2008, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina. 8. submitted on January 26, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.