Winnsboro in Fairfield County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Cathcart-Ketchin House
⎯⎯⎯
Catharine Ladd
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 18, 2026
1. Cathcart-Ketchin House side of the marker
Cathcart-Ketchin House. Richard Cathcart purchased this lot from John McMaster in 1829, and it is thought he built the present federal-style house shortly thereafter. The house has had a number of owners including Priscilla Ketchin, who purchased it in 1874. The building was deeded to Fairfield County in 1969 by Ella Cathcart Wilburn and Carrie Cathcart Owings and was entered in the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.
Catharine Ladd. Born in Virginia in 1810, playwright, poet, and educator, Catharine Stratton Ladd married George Ladd, an artist who had studied with Samuel F. B. Morse. The Ladds owned this house from 1852 until 1862. Mrs. Ladd was principal of the Winnsboro Female Institute and during the War Between the States was president of the Fairfield District Ladies' Relief Association. She died 1899 and is buried at Salem Presbyterian Church.
Erected 1979 by South Carolina Department of Archives and History, sponsored by Fairfield County Historical Society. (Marker Number 20-14.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Arts, Letters, Music • Charity & Public Work
this page online
Location. 34° 22.641′ N, 81° 5.13′ W. Marker is in Winnsboro, South Carolina, in Fairfield County. It is on Congress Street 0.1 miles north of Moultrie Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Winnsboro SC 29180, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Midlands and in the Olde English District. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Fairfield Institute / Kelly Miller (about 800 feet away, measured in a direct line); Fairfield County / Winnsboro (approx. 0.2 miles away); Fairfield County Courthouse (approx. 0.2 miles away); Saint John's Episcopal Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); Town Clock (approx. Ό mile away); James Henry Carlisle (approx. Ό mile away); Bethel Church (approx. Ό mile away); William Porcher Dubose (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Winnsboro.
Also see . . . Gutsy Women. (Submitted on December 9, 2008, by Michael Sean Nix of Spartanburg, South Carolina.)
Photographed by Michael Sean Nix, December 9, 2008
3. Cathcart-Ketchin House side of the marker
This photo is from before the marker was painted in new colors.
Photographed by Michael Sean Nix, December 9, 2008
4. Catharine Ladd side of the marker
This photo is from before the marker was painted in new colors.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 18, 2026
5. Cathcart-Ketchin House / Catharine Ladd Marker
Photographed by Michael Sean Nix, December 9, 2008
6. Catharine Ladd / Cathcart-Ketchin House and Marker
Photographed by Michael Sean Nix, December 9, 2008
7. Catharine Ladd / Cathcart-Ketchin House
Photographed by Mark Parker, July 3, 2023
8. Donation Plaque
Fairfield County
as a memorial to
John W. Cathcart
and
Nan Shell Cathcart
By their daughters
Ella C. Wilburn
and
Carrie C. Owings
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 18, 2026
9. National Register plaque on the house
of Historic Places
Credits. This page was last revised on January 25, 2026. It was originally submitted on December 9, 2008, by Michael Sean Nix of Spartanburg, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 1,906 times since then and 90 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 25, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3, 4. submitted on December 9, 2008, by Michael Sean Nix of Spartanburg, South Carolina. 5. submitted on January 25, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 6, 7. submitted on December 9, 2008, by Michael Sean Nix of Spartanburg, South Carolina. 8. submitted on November 27, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. 9. submitted on January 25, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.
