Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1905-04-05

to visitors. Last fall the board OF
trustees judged that the time had
arrived for opening and refitting
more rooms for public inspection so
the old mansion and historic Off o
were again thoroughly repaired and
repainted, and now the stately col
umns, cleaning white among the
venerable oaks and cedars, look out
as proudly as they did in the days of
Calhoun. Three rooms of the man
sion--the parlor, dining room and a
bed room-and the office or library
in the yard, have been fitted up with
the Calhoun furniture, and look as
they did three-quarters of a century
ago.
The eastern colonnade facing the
electrical building has been selected
for the public entrance and visitors
approaching from that side will not
encroach upon the private rooms of
the family occupying the other part
of the house. This colonnade is
paved with flags, which have been
worn by the feet of thousands of Wis
itors, and give silent but eloquent
testimony in honor of Calhoun. The
front door opens into hall barely
large enough for the purposes of
passage and for the steep, winding
staircase. Through door on the
left the visitor enters the parlor,
which is furnished as it was when
Calhoun's family were young. 1t
was the scene of many social gather
ings. There were five sons and two
daughters, and they made the house
gay and entertained much company.
In this room, November 13, 1898,
Anna Maria Calhoun and Thomas G..
Clemson were married, and fifty
years later he died in an adjoining
room in lonely, desolate old age.
Bereft of wife and children, his only
pleasure in the last years Of his life
had been in planning this great school
for the youth of the State. The
parlor has another door opening out
upon the eastern colonnade, and in
side of this door was a railing, which
was formerly used to prevent visitors
from orowding into the room, and
handling the numerous articles too
roughly. People came in upon ex-
clrsion trains ill the early days of
the college, and it said that the floor
threatened to give way upon one
occasion from the number in the
room. The ceiling is low, the walls
are neatly papered, and the floor is
covered with handsome carpet ; the
room is well lighted by four windows,
three of which are draped with red
moreen curtains with black silk bor-
ders. These curtains are mentioned
in an old inventory made by Mrs.
Clemson in 1852, while in Belgium,
where Mr.. Clemson was charge
d'affaires. She brought them then
to Fort Hill after the war.
BUSTS OF MIR. CALHOUN.
The high, old fashioned mantel-
piece, painted black, supports two
busts of Calhoun. In front of the
fireplace is very old piano of Eng
lish make, from the factory of Gun
ther & Borwood, 81 Little Queen
street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London.
The instrument is trimmed with
brass and handsomely inlaid; the
slender legs are gracefully finished
and a little drawer for music is on
each side of the front. More than
century has passed since it first re-
sponded to the touch of girlish fin
gers for it belonged to Mrs. John
G. Calhoun when she was Floride
Calhoun. She was most carefully
educated by her mother, and given
all the accomplishments of the day.
Now this quaint little instrument,
with its brass trimmed legs, one
pedal queerly set, its music cabinets
and pretty inlaid work, is viewed
with much curiosity. Soft ~muffled
sounds, still harmonious and musi.