The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-07-10
Grand Fathers Stories of Abbeville in
1925.

The present location OF Abbeville was Select-
cd for Two reoson, hrst 70 oe near pig spts.nS sn
ond, because Major Hamilton owned most OF
the land here. The County Commissioners
first selected site three miles from the pres.
ent location, al the Holy Rock, which is SAID
to be the center OF the county and would have
been a more desirable site than the present
one The first Court House was wooden
building and stood little above the presen!
one. In 1925 1t was pulled down and moved
over the blue hill and occupied by Alpheus
Baker. The second Court House was built OF
brick two-stories high. The CLERKS ana
main building opened on the north and south
side. During court an officer was stationed at
each door. The jury rooms were upstairs,
with stair case leading from the Judge s
stand up to these rooms. The contractor who
built the house used, instead Of lime for NOR
tar, kaolin which he found near Mr.. W. n.
Parker's, it did not last long, and had TO be
taken down. In 1877 the third Court House
was built. which many of our citizens reInen-
bcr. It was burnt III the big fire Of 1872.
In 1925 Maj. Hamilton, father Of Mrs: James
hotel now stands Mr.. James Wardlaw, faith
cr OF Judge Wardlaw built and lived in the
house in which Mr.. Thomas Thomson now
lives. Moses Taggart grandfather OF Col. NJ.
o. Talmon, kept hotel on the site where
Messrs. Visanska and Cannon's stores now
are For many years he acted as Ordinary OF
Abbeville County. MIR. Kylo, father OF Mrs;
David Lcsly, kept the hotel when e%tehdea iet
Where the bank now stands was store kept
by Watts & Bowie, and for many years AFTER
by Mr. Robert Wardlaw; next to that John
Finley had q dwelling and store; John Allen
kept hotel on the corner; DR.. Wetherai lived
in the house now owned by Mrs. Lucy White;
Isaac and Samuel Branch had cabinet
shop where White Brothers new store STANDS;
Mr.. Chalmers lot was owned by Thomas Z.
owens; jim and John Shillito occupied shoe
shop on Mr.. Hammouds lot; Ely ). DAVIS,
father Of the blind minister, built MIR. Mobiles
xlDr lta 1T a
the Legislature. At that time there were no
other houses on this side OF the street. Thos;
Dendy lived near Dendy S corner; the arsenal
was near where Col. II. 4. Wardlaw's office Is.
In IL guns, swords. pistols and flags were
kept. The powder was kept in small brick
building on the spot where Dr.J. W. Mar.
shallS house now stands, IL was called lne
magazine, from which the hill derives It's
name. The office now used by. Col. IL. L.
Wardlaw was built and occupied by Judge
Wardlaw and Geo. Noble. Law Range, where
the Office Of Parker, McGowan ana oLners ~. now
stands. was the first Jail lot A brick office
where Mr. RusSels store now stands was used
by John McCraven, u lawyer; next door to
this was store built by william Pinchback,
next to this where the wooden part OF the
Knox building is, was home called the "Red
House." One room in this building was Jno.
T. Calhoun's first law office. The McClarens,
a Scotch family, lived in this building and
kept the postottice for many years on Wash.
ington street Sassamon kept silversmith
shop. He was very particular aoout ms toois,
nothing worried him more than for boys TO
handle them. He put up In large letters over
the door: "All wise men know that none but
| fools will dare to meddle with a workman s
tools
Circus and shows always exhibited on the
lot where Mr.. RuSsell's livery Stable now
stands. The Wing, the first paper ever pub
llshed in Abbevilie. was printed @ on IN tne lower lower
lot THE PRESS AND BANNER IS now printed
in second story on the same spot. The first
| Banner office was Il small wooden building In
rear of Mr.. Aliens Hotel. opposite Mrs. Lucy
Whites; Henry Allen publisher, Henry Knew
| printer On the Episcopal Church lot was
gin house owned by Mr.. Moses Taggart. There
sons. All OF the houses built at this time
were of hewn logs. The house now owned by
Mr. Brooks was built by Moses Tnggart, tor
| many years owned By i; II: Martin and Capt.
| built by Dr.. Arnold. The carved mantels was
| look ed upon rs n wonderful piece of work.
| ile sold it to Judge Wardlaw and bought the
| log school house on Mrs. i. q. Perrin's lot.
| HE added to this. then sold to DR. Livingston
who improved the building very much. The
| house was burned year ago. Between the
present houses Of MeSsrs; 2ar;ies nna ea Aflen
| lie moved to Talladega, Ala. This office was
Iafterwardsjoccupied by Samuel Turner, law
yer and tirst editor of the Wig. william 10,
| max, father Of Mr.. James LomaX, built and
| lived in the first house on Mr.. QuarleS lot
| Patrick Noble, Esq, lived in the house now
owned By Mr.. Allen Smith. He was after
| wards Governor of the State. The first house
on the Presbyterian lot was built by MIR. VIM:
Yancey, afterwards owned by Mr.. Bowie and
Dr. Joe Wardlaw. The first academy was
built on the lot now owned by Mrs. X. G. Per-
rim, in which Mr.. Alpheus Baker taught, as
sisted by Mr.. Dogget, an Irishman; fogging
; was the order of the day. Mr.. Baker was
o;Sssmute of Daniel Webster. he was famous
! az Il good Latin and Greek scholar. The first
church bIit In Abbeville was by the Metho-
dist denomination; about opposite Mrs. Mil
risidly enforced by our forefathers than at
the present day. The penalty for Stealing
horse WIS hanging. A tramp, named kitch-
ems, stole an old sorrel horse, Diogonese, from
Mr. Patrick Noble, for which he was hung on
Magazine Hill, although Mr.. Noble did all in
his power to prevent II. IL was the law OF The
i a hnd to ho ex pcuInd