The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1921-11-30
THE STORY OF ROSEMONT
written by Fl L, Watson and Reprinted From The
State of June IL, 1904


hosemont with Mt Vernon. for # was
at Rosemont that the idea of prescrv-
Ing lor the nation the home of its first
ana noblcst president was first con.
ceivcd and within its walls wcro form,
ulated plans which were TO success
lully save the home of the "fother of
MS country" The actual work was
done by a gifted daughter of the Gun
lngham family Of Rosemont. Miss An,
Famcia Cunningham, but to her mo-
'her' Mrs. Louisa Cunningham, belongs
the distinguished honor Of having sug-
seSted and made the first effort to-
wards the organization OF tho Mount
vernon association. This lady was
the daughter Of Col. William Bird of
Blrdsborough, Pa. He moved to Geor-
gia in 1896. Mrs. Cunningham was six
years old when her father moved TO
georgia, she having been born in
Alexandria. Va, in 1870, at the home
or her grandfather, Col. Dalton. It
was her mothers eldest sister. who
died young, who had the honor OF win.
ming the heart and refusing the hand
of the great Washington, when he was
surveying lands for Lord Fairfax and
only II years old.
Mrs. Louisa Cunningham, one of the
daughters Of Col. Bird, was the wife
or Capt. Robert Cunningham, distin-
guished for his wealth, culture and
noble hospitality. He lived at Rose
mont in baronial style, surrounded by
all the luXurics which fortune can
give. His great home was the FREQUENT
resort of his friends and acuuaint-
ances, embracing the most noted pub
nc men Of the day, and the hospitablc
welcome they received insured for the
house large number of visitors at
all seasons. Capt. Cunningham was
a gentleman Of great public spirit and
cha1ity, as well as hospitality and
friendship. During the War of 1912
he raised q volunteer company and
entered the service of his country.
When, as will he taken up later, one
considers the fact that the Cunign-
hams were loyal to the crown during
the Revolution, this fact, raising a
company to fight the British in 1872.
shows that the family had with bccom-
.ng grace become entirely loyal to the
new order Of things. And how re-
markable it is, too, that it should have
Oeen from a descendant Of this fam
lily that the first suggestion of pre-
serving the home Of the father Of his
country came. tt Is another strong
link in the chain of the family's loyal
ty. They were loyal to the crown
from conviction, but having seen the
.nevitablc settlement OF the issue,
none were or have since been more
loyal to the government of the land.
Eut, OF the south, southern. the men
OF the family were all brave and
faithful Confederate soldiers. 1t could
have hardly been otherwise when one
is told that William l.. Yancey was
reared at Old Rosemont. AS he spoke,
the others Of the family felt Mr.
iancey was q son of Benjamin Yam
cey and Miss bird, sister OF Mrs.
Louisa Cunningham.
ROsemOnt, the Beautiful
The fame Of Rosemont as a place Of
beauty came after the arrival OF Mrs.
Louisa Cunningham. 1t had fame be-
fore but not Of this nature. 1t was
famed far and wide as the first and
targets frame house in upper South
Carolina, as having been framed in
England in 174G, as being the centre
Of the largest private landed estate in
the country, 10000 acres, and as the
home of Patrick Cunningham, the dep
uty surveyor-general OF the province.
Curwin, in his journal and Let
ters, 1776-S4," says Of Patrick Gun
ingham and his family: "The family
Of Cuninghams (or Cuninghames)
was from Scotland, where they had
taken determined part during the
struggles there for religious freedom.
The ancestors Of the Cuninghams Of
South Carolina about the year 1881
came over to America and settled in
Virginia. In January, 1863, Robert
and Patrick, the two eldest sons OF
John, who was settled in Augusta,
Va. removed to Ninety Six district OF
South Carolina. Robert settled at
Island Rord, on the Saluda river, and
was one of the first magistrates in
that district. Patrick, the same year
was made q deputy suryeyor-general