The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-09-20
BLOCK DESTROYED.
Three wooden Stores and Two Dwell
ing Houses on Main street Go UP
In Smoke.

| $40, "Wednesday morning, Sept. IL, lS99,
Policeman Fisher, who lsia.aitutt r,an ~ mass.
charge OF his duties AS night t VI Wurdor.
cd along the sidewalk in front OF MI. WllueT T
| block al one O o'clock on his way 10 wake ~
w. y. Graydon who intended 10 JAKE @ tn1 i.ao O
| train for Atlanta. AT that tine ne sa" no ~
signs OF fire. Twenty m,nTHn ..ts.re Seeing the
reelection of the fire Mr.. Fisher AT once gave
I the alarm by ringing the hre.bell; .,, sooo,d
The fire was in the rear part VI WHer III I,ved
story of the house in which Mr.. w Wllder nVcu.
The fire extended rapidly. ana the "ho'e
neiehborhood was brilliantly Lighted.
| T5e fire companies assembled promptly,
and soon members were actively AZ Work
EThe Vest End Conpan from the Railroad
lShops and the Hose Company from tue ~ "a
ton Mill also responded promptly ana asIIs,e Met,
| the Abbeville Fire Company anu tne npoN N,
and Ladder Company, all under command ol
| the Fire ChiefC. D. Brown; ,,,or.
| Three frame stores, and the Soods tnat were
In them, and the household gooos ~h,on cno,hor wv"
upstairs in the living apartments, togetne,r
| with an excellent piano, was tne o LOSS fs.i,
| mated at about 81 000 Insurance, oOo. Hery
| little was saved from the burning oulIuinss,
| Owing to the briliancy OF the llgnt, Quite
| nnmber of citizens Of all sorts asSempleo IN
hasty toilets to witness the scene. AooeFiIls
has few attl actions which are oeLter at.ehueu aI
4 than the fires that we have, anu laIse PEI
cent Of those who hear tne aiaru con'o W WV
In some Quarters Of the town, however
\ the sleepers were sound, and their swee.
\ Adreaming was not Interrupted. Inc sleepens .,s
4 we're much interested In hearing Lne ne~s
nT The los loss to Mr. Wilder is heavy one, and
lone which he is Ill able to bear, out the lown
built. they must be OF brick. The ordinances
of the town now forbid the erection OF wooden
| buildings 30 near the Public Square.
when a blaze gets we'll underway In tindel
box, the efforts of flremen. no matter no"
| we'll directed, are powerless TO stay the ae
stroying element. On the east side orics
opposite side the wooden dwelling knoWp a.
the Archer house was adjoining. Mr. W; >
Stewart occupied the house, and Mrs. wat
kins lived in the next house. ,,o,o,d
/ They had time to remove tnelr nousenoio
effects, and, barring the loss from oreakage
they suffered not greatly, though nurrieo
moves are always attended WIN loss, even
though everything should be taken out;
| The Archer house has history. 1t was
built by John McCombs in the early part O
the century. 1t is one of three OF the origi'
nal houses in this city. John McGomos @ ae
of the first lawyers to take place at the 40
beyille Bar. After being admitted 10 the Bar
| he inherited large estate on Long Cane, In
cudtng the McCombs Mill, now known al
Coming into the possession of so large an
estate he abandoned the law for the pursul'
OF agriculture. and became rich ana sue.
| C6SSIQl plauU6Ts udtl2SA OIL oNAe W 49,
IL. w. w. Marshall.
The house which he left In Abbeville, and
which was burnt last "Wednesday morning
was used in 1929, as printing office In which
the Abbevile Whig was printed: a. John I1,i,p Tag 8
| CART was the printer. At that time printing
was curiosity in this part of the country
and Mr.. Taggart took great pleasure IN SNOW
the art OF setting the type. The house was
built of logs and aerWard ara nn cen
temporaneously with the Archer house was
the house in which Mr.. George Whlte no"
| lives. It was built by James WardlaW.
| And the house which Is now occupied by
Mr.. Ellis G. Graydon,s family, was built oy
Moses Taggart about the same time.
The house in which DR.. Hill lives Is also an
old timer.
| The same Is true Of the homestead now oc'
cupied by MIR. Cothrau.
| Ali these old houses were originally OF logs
but they have been weatherboarded, and
nicely worked over and added to until they
do not now resemble their former Painnesss Pssdd ess
| The Archer house was insured for S60O, ano
BY It's destruction one of the old landmarks
OF the town has been removed.