The Plantation House

The Plantation House. . , This building is located on the site of the first tavern in the Town of Edgefield which was built by Moses Harris in 1787. There is some evidence that Harris' tavern was replaced by another larger structure built in 1812. Throughout the 19th century this property continued to be a tavern or hotel, being variously owned by James Longstreet (1784-1833) (father of the Confederate General), Col. Benjamin Frazier (1779-1844), Dr. John Harwood Burt (1798-1861), and the Ryan family. The hotel was known as the "Planter's Hotel" during the antebellum period. Later it became known as the "Ryan Hotel" for many years. This early frame structure was destroyed in the fire of 1892. , The site lay vacant until 1919 when the present building was constructed. Originally known as the "Dixie Highway Hotel," it was built by a stock company organized by many local leaders. Mr. William A. Strom (1865-1942), a prosperous Edgefield County cotton planter, played a major role in securing the financing to complete the project. Shortly after it was built, the hotel experienced severe financial difficulties as a result of the agricultural depression brought on by the boll weevil. In 1922 it was foreclosed upon and bought by the Farmers' Bank. , In 1937 then State Senator Strom Thurmond (1902-2003) purchased it but sold it a decade later in 1947. From the time of its construction until the 1960's the hotel was an important part of the social scene of the community where dinners, receptions and celebrations were regularly held. In 1960 it was purchased by W.W. Mims (1911-2006) who owned it until his death in 2006. He renamed it "the Plantation House." During the 1960's and 1970's the hotel operated primarily as a home for Army veterans.