The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-06-09
SHORT HISTORY
OF FORT HILL
The Ancient Home Of the Cal:
houns-Now the Seat of
Clemson College

The estate upon which Clemson Col
lege is built was known us the Fort
Hill Place"
In order to understand clearly the
following historical outline. one
.hould read first Col. Simpsons bio
graphical sketch Of MIR. Clemson ap-
pcarinE In this Issue of The Tiger.
From this sketch II will be rcmcnn-
hered that long before the war Mr.
Clemson had married Senator Cal
houn's. Oldest daughter. Anna Maria
Two children resulted from this mar
rlHge. a daughter Floride. who he
came Mrs. Gideon Lee. OF New York.
ard u son. John Calhoun Clemson. who
after serving as Il lieutenant I'm the
Confederate army during the war was
| killed In n collision on tho Blue Ridge
Railroad.
MIR. aud Mrs. Gideon Lee had one
child. Il daughter, Floride Isabelle.
! who married her cousin, Mr. Andrew
Calhoun. now Of Grcenvillc.
With this preliminary statement In
| regard to Mr. Clcmsons family and
immediate descendants. let us turn
to Il consideration of the Fort Hill
| eHtatc. 'Thi; estate Is said to have
been given 10 Senator John & Calhoun
ny his wifc's brothers. In 1854 Mr..
Calhoun having died In 1850. Mrs. Cal
houn sold the property and negroes
to her son. Andrew r. Calhoun. taking
in part payment his bond and mort
gage for S40.200. When she died In
! 1866. this debt not having been paid,
| she willed thrce-fourths of 1t to her
daughter. Mrs. Clemson. and one
fourth TO her granddaughter. Mrs.
| Gideon Lee Of New York. Referring to
her Legacy to Mrs. Clemson, Mrs. Cal
| houn in her will uses these wordn:
TO dispose of this bequcst of three
fourths OF said bond and mortgage
debt ns she pleases."
These words are very significant in
| light of after events to he described.
Shortly after her mothers death.
Mrs. Clemson after much costly liti-
CATION which had begun in 1856, fore
closed the mortgage against her
brother. Andrew p. Calhoun. The
place was put up ut public auction in
| Wa!halla January lst. 1872, and was
bid in by Mr.. Clemson acting as trns-
tee for his wife and. daughter. The
price paid was $4,000. The war had
freed the slaves and this figure was
considered a fair valuation, for prop
erty in that day. In certain court re-
cords 1t is stated that Mr., Clemson
paid out of his private funds $6.964, ,43
to satisfy legal costs and. other obIi-
| CATIONS upon the estate which for so
long had been In litigation.
In November 1873 a division OF the
estate WAS made between Mrs. Glenn
30 and her granddaughter. Miss Flo
ride isabella Lee. whose mother had
| died in 1879. Miss Lees fourth was
| later bought by the college for $10.-
| 000.,
Mrs Clemson died in Septemher
1875. leaving a will In which she be-
qucathed her property TO her husband
absolutely fee simple" and appoint
Ing him the, executor or the. will.
AT this point let us pause to note
| Mr.. Clemsnn's interest In agricultural
| education. He was a member Of the
new nearly century old "Pendleton
Farmers Society" and in 1863 was
elected its president. In 1866 Mr..
Clemson was chairman of Il committee
consisting of hjmself. Hon. r. r. Simp-
! son and Col. w. A. Hayne, to appeal to
their fellow citizens for
aid to found an institution for
educating our people In the
sciences. to the end that our agft-
culture may be improved. our
worn and impoverished soils be-
recuperatedt and the great natural
resources OF the south developed"
The appeal above referred to was
written by Mr.. W. II. Trescott, and
closes with these Words:
Letters and contributions to be
directed to the Hon. Thomas G..
Clemson. LII. D., chairman Of the
committee. Pcndleton. Anderson
district. South Carolina"
gain in the minutes OF the same
society. Of which he was elected presi-