History & Genealogy

Former Hermon Presbyterian Church Building
Rock Hill, SC 29730
The church building which dates back to the 1890s is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Although architecturally significant--the brick building is dominated by a three-story bell tower--Hermon Presbyterian Church has also played a valuable role in the history of the community. Founded by former slaves in 1869, it provided educational opportunities before the public schools were open to African-American children. This building was sold by Hermon Presbyterian Church prior to the construction of a new worship center on Heckle Boulevard. The new owner is restoring the structure and plans are to use it for a center of community activities.
Fort Mill History Museum
Fort Mill, SC 29715
With a mission to preserve Fort Mill’s heritage for the benefit of present and future generations, this is a place where local history is collected and research. The museum collects, displays and preserves artifacts, cultural writings, documents, photographs, film footage and related historical treasures that contributed to the development of the town and its outlying locales. Open Wed-Sat: 10 am – 4 pm.
Friedheim/Evergreen Cemetery
Many local African-American leaders are buried in this cemetery, including Reverend M.P. Hall, founder and president of Friendship College, Ida Mae Barber, a teacher at Emmett Scott School and J.A. Gatlings, a local doctor. The cemetery has fallen into a state of disrepair over the years, but recently, a group of concerned citizens volunteered to clean up and look after the area. It appears that there are more than 100 graves dating from the early 1900s to the late 1940s in the cemetery.
Friendship College
Rock Hill, SC 29730
Sponsored by the African-American Baptist churches of Chester and York counties, Friendship Normal and Industrial Institute opened its doors in October 1891. The school, which operated from a local church, offered students the basics in education and moral instruction from the King James Bible. During the 1920s and 1930s the school trained African-American teachers. Administrative and financial problems contributed to the closing of the college in the 1980s. None of the buildings remain, but there is a beautiful gate at the entrance to campus. A monument to the school's first president, Reverend M. P. Hall, stands solemnly just inside the gate.
G.W. Long Memorial Presbyterian Church
Cheraw, SC 29520
Built in 1927, is the second sanctuary to stand on this site. Second Presbyterian Church was organized here in 1881 as an African-American “preaching station.” The original building also served as the Coulter Memorial Academy. Both the church and the school were founded by the Board of Freedmen of the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the school was the first to serve African-American children in Chesterfield County. The church and school guided only a small group until Reverend Dr. George Waldo Long, a graduate of Biddle University (now Johnson C. Smith University) in Charlotte, arrived to Cheraw with his wife, Lillian, in 1908. Dr. Long served as pastor of Second Presbyterian Church and principal of Coulter Academy. Together the Longs worked to increase the population of the church and the school, making needed improvements along the way. Under Dr. Long’s guidance, a brick building was constructed behind the church in 1924 to house Coulter Academy. The current church, shown here, was constructed a few years later, in 1927, replacing the original. Dr. Long died in 1943 but saw his decades of work flourish, as Coulter Memorial Academy increased from eight students in 1908 to 298 in 1943. Sometime after his death the church changed its name to G.W. Long Memorial Presbyterian Church in his honor. Coulter Academy began offering junior college credit in 1933 and continued until 1947. The school merged with the public school system in 1949 and operated until 1955. Still located behind the church, the former school building now hosts Freemasons as Sanctorum Lodge Number 25. Dr. Long is buried in the graveyard of the church that bears his name.
General William Henry Wallace House (c. 1850)
Union, SC 29379
Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy, and his cabinet, dined at the William Wallace House on April 25, 1865. Wallace was a general in the Confederate Army and later was speaker of the famous Wallace House during Reconstruction in South Carolina. Davis held his last full cabinet meeting in April 1865 before heading south, escorted by 2,000 cavalrymen. He was attempting to avoid Union soldiers, who wanted to arrest him. After the election of General Wade Hampton as Governor in 1876, Wallace served as a member of the General Assembly was elected Speaker of the House.
Historic Downtown York
Situated between two Revolutionary battle sites, The Battle of Kings Mountain and The Battle of Williamson's Plantation, the town can trace its roots back to the early 1700s (named county seat in 1785). Much of this quaint little town stands from the past 200+ years that makes it an outstanding part of American History. Originally called Fergus Crossroads, the first white settlers came to this area in the early to mid-1700s following the chain of Blue Ridge Mountains from Virginia and Pennsylvania southward. Mostly Scots-Irish, they called their settlements the same familiar names of York, Chester and Lancaster that they carried from the British Isles and more recently from the north. Prior to this, the first known inhabitants of York County were the Catawba Indians. The War Between the States disrupted life of ease and educational opportunity and Yorkville became a hotbed of insurrection immediately following the war. Federal troops were called to restore order and they occupied the town, living in Rose's Hotel until 1876. In 1915, the name Yorkville was shortened to York. The city boasts of a large 364-acre National Register Historic District, one of the largest in the state.
Historic Robert Mills Courthouse
This 1825 building features a copper roof, brick floor, vaulted central hallway, and double arched ceilings downstairs. It survived a fire that raged through Camden in 1827 and burned almost everything. Robert Mills of Charleston was one of South Carolina’s most notable sons and one of the first American-born professional architects. He also designed the Washington Monument and the US Treasury Building in Washington, DC. No longer a courthouse, the building now houses the Camden Welcome Center.
Horace King & the Cheraw Bridge at Riverside Park
Cheraw, SC 29520
Horace King was born a slave in Cheraw around 1807. He was sold to the Godwin family in 1829. Under the guidance of John Godwin and by working with his bridge building company, Horace soon gained the knowledge and experience that would make him one of the most respected engineers in the South. After his release from slavery in 1846, King formed his own construction company. Prior to the Civil War, he built bridges in Georgia and Alabama. During the war, he built several different types of bridges for the Confederacy. In the post war era, the prosperous King Brothers Bridge Company rebuilt bridges that were destroyed during the conflict. Most of the bridges built by Horace King are gone today. A marker over the Pee Dee River in Cheraw discusses the Ithiel Town bridge where King learned his engineering skills. A remnant of the bridge is on display at the Lyceum Museum (Town Green, Market Street). The park was the site of Cheraw's first ferries, bridges and steamboat landing. It was the site of the skirmish for the Pee Dee River bridge, gunboat Pee Dee engagement, and the ravine holding gunpowder whose accidental explosion killed several Union soldiers and destroyed Cheraw's business district. The museum is opened upon request at the Cheraw Chamber of Commerce. For tours, contact the Cheraw Visitors Bureau.
House of Henry McIver (c. 1790)
The home of Henry McIver, a signer of the Ordinance of Secession, and captain in the Confederate Calvary, was the personal headquarters for Gen. William T. Sherman for several days in March of 1865.
Inglis-McIver Law Office
John A. Inglis, one of the partners in this practice, was the chairman of the committee that drew up the South Carolina Ordinance of Secession from the Union. Chesterfield County was the first in the state to call for secession, and on December 20, 1860, South Carolina became the first Southern state to declare its secession and later formed the Confederacy. Inglis later served as Chancellor of the state courts, and his one time home remains at 226 Third Street. The law office for Inglis and Henry McIver was built on Front Street around 1820, and the Greek Revival structure was one of few commercial buildings to survive an accidental explosion during the Confederate War. The building was moved to the Town Green in 1948.
Ingram's Pee Dee River Artifacts Room
Cheraw, SC 29520
Private collection of riverboat artifacts and artifacts from Sherman's March. Mon.-Fri. 9 am-5 pm and by appointment for groups. Free.
Inn Upon Moon River Plantation B&B
Chester, SC 29706
This plantation style home built in 1904, offers all the modern conveniences expected in comfortable and pleasant accommodations. The century old front porch is perfect for watching the hustle and bustle of the community. The Inn is also a blues and jazz museum which contains the Dave CC Club Library for researching the blues. Throughout the inn are numerous pieces of art and collectibles that reflect the innkeeper's passion for the blues. Other amenities include 6 coal burning fireplaces, 10-ft. ceilings, and a front porch with rocking chairs to experience small town comings and goings. Cable is available in every room along with complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi access. Located in the historic district, the inn is within walking distance to the quaint and historic downtown and within easy driving distance of other area attractions.
Isaiah Moore’s Grave Site at Concord Presbyterian Church Cemetery
Blackstock, SC 29014
Isaiah Moore was a slave who belonged to a young son in the Brice family in the community of Woodward. One of the sons, Thomas, and Isaiah grew up together and became the best of friends. When the Brice son, by then Major Thomas W. Brice, was so severely injured in the War Between the States that he had to be left behind, Isaiah went out to search for him. After finding Thomas, Isaiah nursed him back to health. Isaiah's deathbed request was that he be buried close to his master. On December 22, 1917 when he was around 75 years old, Isaiah died and was buried a few feet beyond the fence of Concord Presbyterian Church's cemetery. More recently, the fence has been extended to include Isaiah Moore's grave site on the inside. Located in Woodward Community of Blackstock (14 miles south of Chester on US Hwy. 321).
Judge Thomas Dawkins House (c. 1845)
This home housed state papers and records when Sherman's advance on Columbia looked inevitable.