The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-10-27
THE OLD PRESTON MANSION.

Columbia's Most Beautiful Residence
in Former Days-Intercsting Rcmi,
niscences OF the Past.
L. A. in Columbia Register.
A few days ago sat basking in the
sunshine that Hooded the veranda of
the Presbyterian College for Women.
/ was awaiting the appearance of u
member of the faculty who had kindly
consented to show me through the
noble institution and its grounds, and
as the pleasant, dreamy nomcnls
passed away strange comparison stole
In upon my thoughts.
L know OF no spot OF It's size in all the
earth so fair to view as that on which
the casino ut Monte Carlo stands
With background Of maritime Alps,
and foreground of smiling blue sea,
the Casino and its surrounding gardens
make tho middle view of IA picture
whose surprising loveliness no pen can
adequately portray. And yet this
paradise OF natures handiwork has
been made by man blot upon the
moral world most foul in its clfects--
o verltablc devils scourge that drives
its victim TO ruin and destruction.
1t was somewhat singular, then,
that thoughts of Monte Carlo should
obtrude themselves upon MY fancy
that sunny, peaceful day as | stood at
the very threshhold'of learning, plety
and virtue. But it was so, and I
ascribe it all to the glorious garden
from which this beautiful home OF the
| muses. looks out upon prosaic world.
With'its winding paths hedged in by
| box Of luXuriant growth, trimmed to- a
nicely; with its stately pines and grace
ful laurels; its magnolias, banana
not least, its pink dOgwood, u remark
able specimen but rarely found,--these
| college grounds, presenting vistas that
entrance the eye at every turn, seem
like the embodiment of a pocts dream,
glimpse of fairyland too lovely to be
| real.
No knowledge by suffering en-
tereth" here, thought, as later on |
roamed this enchanting spot; and
though there is no royal road to learn
ing, yet surely amid surroundings such
as these one cannot but find some diff
iiculties on the way removed. ! doubt
II any four acres-the extent of this
institutions grOunds-can anywhere
be discover Il in all the land into
which SO much natural beauty enters,
or IN which such peace and quiet reign.
Released from the lecture room, my
kind Conductor-no other than Miss
Isabel Martin--toOk me in hand, and
was formally ushered into the fine old
historic mansion under whose hospi-
table roof SO many generations Of men,
women and girls have found a home.
Away back, near the beginning OF
this Q0th century, Ains!cy Hall caused
to bel erected this stately dwelling,
whose lofty rnnms and spacious halls
stand put in fine relief from the in
flictlonS that modern architecture have
imposed, on man.
When Old Gen, Wade Hampton, OF
Revolutionary fame, came up from his
plantation fn Louisiana and saw this,
for those days. palatial home, his
heart was stricken with tho fever for
possession. e\straightway offered
MIR. Hall $4,000 f6n, the property, on
the condition that itJbe delivered to
him at once, and the offer was ac-
cepted.
1t was in this house that Col. Wade
Hampton, father of the present Cen.
Wade Hampton, was reared ; and from
all accounts he was as fine represea-
tative of the old-time, outspokcu, open
handed South Carolina gentleman as
ever woOed q woman, or won the hearts
Of his fellOwmen.
1t was here that Governor Pickcns
became engaged to his first wife, Miss
Simkins and it was here, about 1886,
that Governor John l.. Manning
espoused Miss Susan, q sister of Colonel
Hampton. 1t is related that when the
hour for the ceremony approached,
and Governor Manning entered the
drawing room arrayed in "swalow-
tail " coat with white satin facings,
quite a cOmmotion was created II
was the first time that the then rognant
fashion in the North was introduced
within the sleepy precincts OF old
Columbia.
When old General Hampton died he
left the house to his widow, who main
tained lavish hospitality within its
walls until her death, about 1862. Her
only surviving daughter, whose name
[ have been unable to learn, was the
wife OF General John S. Preston, and
it WIS in this way that the General
acquired possession OF the property.
From that day until this the dwelling
has been known as the Preston Man
sion.
Old Lady Hampton"-to use the
title by which she was best known
had been in the habit of throwing
open the grounds to the public, making
| of them, in fact, a sort OF park but
| Mrs. Preston, her daughter, with
growing children who required the
constant supervision necessary to their
tender years, was forced to close her
gates to all but her intimate friends,
and, 1t Is related this act created for
time real resentment In those who
could not, or would not appreciate the
situation.
During the civil war the mansion
was the scene of many pathetic and
J heartrending incidents. for like most
| other old houses in this section 1t
sheltered the dead and wounded
brought hither from the field Of battle.
Later on Colonel William G.. Pres
ton, older brother OF General John s.
Preston, came here to die, childless
and alone; but his fame as an orator
still survives in the heart and history
Of his native State.
When the war was over, and the
reconstruction process went into
operation, taxes on all property were
made so high that General Preston,
his fortunes already rudely shattered,
could not stand the drain upon his re-
sources, and wac compelled to sell his
mansion.
That picturesque parsonage, Cover
nor Moses, bought the estate-on paper
but never paid for it, and 1t was
eventually turned into the sinking
fund OF the commonwealth.
From The State II was purchased by
Mrs. Stuart Dodge, who, in search OF
that which money cannot buy, had
visited most Of the health resorts OF
Il n