History & Genealogy

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

This home housed state papers and records when Sherman's advance on Columbia looked inevitable.