Historical Markers

View Abbeville County Historical Marker Locations

East Markers

Bowie Family Memorial

Map Marker #: E-01 (East Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Text: Erected by the descendants of Abraham Bowie, who was born in Scotland and settled in Durham Parish, Charles County, Maryland, about 1700 A.D. The family of his grandson, Rhody Bowie, moved to Abbeville County, South Carolina, about 1800. Eli Bowie, son of Rhody Bowie, established Gilgal Church in 1817. This church is located 2 miles east of this memorial and is the site of the Bowie Reunion each year.
Location: Near intersection of SC Highway 20 and S-1-100
Coordinates: 34° 16.436′ N 82° 22.589′ W

 

Boonesborough Township (1763)

Map Marker #: E-03 (East Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: 1996 by the Donalds Historical Society
Marker Text: Surveyed in 1762 by Patrick Calhoun and named for Gov. Thomas Boone, this 20,500-acre township was one of four townships laid out west of Ninety-Six as a buffer between white and Cherokee lands. In 1763 Scots-Irish families began to settle in the area near Long Cane, Park’s and Chickasaw Creeks. The headwaters of Long Cane Creek are 500 feet south; the Cherokee Path crossed the township boundary one mile south.
Location: Intersection of SC Highway 184 and S-1-248
Coordinates: 34° 22.317′ N 82° 21.014′ W

 

Templeton-Drake Cabin ca. 1764

Map Marker #: Map Marker #: E-05 (East Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: 2005 by Boonesborough Township Historical Society
Marker Text: Dedicated to Jane Byrd Wilson, Sept. 19,1939 – March 17, 2000. She worked to preserve the valuable heritage of the Boonesborough Township.
Location: SC Highway 184 in the Town of Donalds
Coordinates: 34° 22.083′ N, 82° 21.117′ W

 

John C. Taylor Bridge

Map Marker #: E-07 (East Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: 1978 by South Carolina General Assembly
Marker Text: Named in 1978 by Legislative Request Honoring Him for His Distinguished Service. Clerk of Court, Anderson County, 1920-1932. Congressman, Third S.C. District,1933-1938. Trustee, University of South Carolina, 1946-1950. State Senator, Anderson County, 1951-1954, 1959-1962. Served Nation, State, and Community with Foresight and Faithfulness, and the Principles on Which This Nation was Founded and Stood Unafraid in Defense of Trust.
Location: Approximately .56 miles from the intersection of S-1-88 and S-1-111
Coordinates: 34° 27.8′ N 82° 18.4′ W

 

Pratt’s Mill

Map Marker #: E-09 (East Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: 2007 by Abbeville County Historical Society
Marker Text: Front: The last action of the Revolution in this part of S.C. was at Pratt’s Mill, a grist mill on the Little River owned by Joseph Pratt. On October 30, 1781, an outpost of 30 Patriots at the mill, under Capt. John Norwood, was surprised by 30 Loyalists and Cherokees under Col. William “Bloody Bill” Cunningham. Norwood, who was wounded, was the only casualty on either side. Reverse: The Patriots fled, leaving behind 30 horses and most of their weapons; the Loyalists burned the mill. The Pratt family later rebuilt the mill, which appears in Robert Mills’s Atlas of S.C. (1825). They later built another mill on Hogskin Creek, about 500 yds. N of the first mill. That mill, which operated throughout the 19th century, was destroyed by a flood in 1908.
Location: Just outside Abbeville City limits on Greenville Street (State Highway 20) near Beltline Road (County Road S-1-35)
Coordinates: 34° 18.383′ N, 82° 26.45′ W

 

Due West

Map Marker #: E-02 (East Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: 1963 by Erskine College
Marker Text: As early as 1765, the site 6 miles NW-known to the Indians as Yellow Water and where the Keowee Path crossed the Cherokee line-was called DeWitt’s Corner. In 1777, a treaty between S. C. and the Cherokee Indians was signed there. The present town was first called Due West Corner. Here in 1839, Erskine College, the state’s first four-year church college, was founded by the Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church.
Location: Intersection of SC Highway 184 and SC Highway 20
Coordinates: 34° 20.083′ N 82° 23.223′ W

 

The Donalds Grange No. 497

Map Marker #: E-04 (East Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: South Carolina Heritage Corridor
Marker Text: The Donalds Grange No. 497 is significant for both its architecture and its contribution to the social development of the community and Abbeville County. For these reasons, Donalds Grange No. 497, Patrons of Husbandry, was entered into the National Register of Historic Places on January 9, 1995. Construction in 1935 by local Works Progress Administration (WPA) labor on land donated by W. Maxie Agnew, the building served originally as the home of the town hall, the grange, and the public library. Since its inception, the fieldstone building has been the meeting hall for the agricultural organization known locally and most commonly as the Donalds Grange. In 1942 Donalds Grange sponsored the Abbeville County Circulating Library, including its popular bookmobile. The building became headquarters for the Abbeville County Library system and served as such until 1959, when the Grange sponsored construction of the adjacent W. Maxie Agnew Branch Library.
Architecture of the Grange: The architectural significance of the property stems from its local design and its construction by WPA labor. The fieldstone construction and locally produced lumber are evidence of the participation of local labor in this important example of Depression Era public buildings.
Location: SC Highway 184 in the Town of Donalds
Coordinates: 34° 22.083′ N 82° 21.117′ W

 

Rev. J.I. Bonner Monument

Map Marker #: E-06 (East Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: By Due West Female College Alumnae
Marker Text: Southwest Side: Founder of the Due West Female College and for near twenty two years its President 1859-1881. Northeast Side: Erected By the Alumnae and affectionately inscribed to the Memory of Rev. J.I. Bonner D.D.
Location: North Main Street in the Town of Due West
Coordinates: 34° 19.983′ N 82° 23.167′ W

 

Long Cane Cemetery

Map Marker #: E-08 (East Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: 2011 by Long Cane Cemetery Association
Marker Text: Front: This cemetery, sometimes called Upper Long Cane Cemetery, dates from 1760. It includes the graves of some of the most prominent families of this area from the Colonial era to the present. The first marked grave is the field stone of John Lesly, inscribed “A.D. 1776.” The granite entrance pillars and stone wall were built in 1935 as a memorial to veterans of eight wars who are buried here. The cemetery was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. Reverse: Among the notables buried here are a U.S. Senator, a U.S. Congressman, a lieutenant governor, a Confederate general, several state senators and representatives, judges, ministers, doctors, and soldiers of wars from the American Revolution to the present. Long Cane Cemetery also features many fine gravestones and monuments by noted 19th-century stonecutters such as J. Hall, Thomas Walker, and John, William T., Robert D., and Edwin R. White.
Location: Just outside Abbeville City limits on Greenville Street (State Highway 20) near Beltline Road (County Road S-1-35)
Coordinates: 34° 12.217′ N 82° 23.417′ W

 

Central Markers

Secession Hill #1

Map Marker #: C-01 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: By Abbeville County Historical Society
Marker Text: One of the first organized mass meetings held here on November 22, 1860, to launch South Carolina’s secession from the Union. Judge A.G. Magrath of Charleston, urged “immediate action on the part of South Carolina at any & every hazard”, followed by Gen. M.L. Bonham, Cong. McGowan, Major Armistead Burt & others. Resolutions unanimously adopted favoring secession of the State. Committee of twenty appointed nominees Edward Noble, John A. Calhoun, Thomas Thompson, John H. Wilson & D.L. Wardlaw to attend December 17, 1860 Convention. One month later, South Carolina became the first state to secede.
Location: Secession Avenue in the City of Abbeville
Coordinates: 34° 10.7 N 82° 22.483 W

First Secession Meeting Boulder

Map Marker #: C-03 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Text: One of the first organized mass meetings held here on November 22, 1860, to launch South Carolina’s secession from the Union. Judge A.G. Magrath of Charleston, urged “immediate action on the part of South Carolina at any & every hazard”, followed by Gen. M.L. Bonham, Cong. McGowan, Major Armistead Burt & others. Resolutions unanimously adopted favoring secession of the State. Committee of twenty appointed nominees Edward Noble, John A. Calhoun, Thomas Thompson, John H. Wilson & D.L. Wardlaw to attend December 17, 1860 Convention. One month later, South Carolina became the first state to secede.
Location: Secession Avenue in the City of Abbeville
Coordinates: 34° 10.733 N 82° 22.483 W

The Bundy-Barksdale-McGowan House

Map Marker #: C-05 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: 1989 by Abbeville County Historical Society
Marker Text: Queen Anne style Architecture Built in 1888. Once Owned by Confederate Gen. Samuel McGowan and by WWII Gen. W.E. Barksdale. Donated by J.D. Bundy in 1989 to the Abbeville County Historical Society. Now serves as Headquarters for the Society and the Jane Greene Center for the Arts.
Location: 305 North Main Street in the City of Abbeville
Coordinates: 34° 10.792′ N 82° 22.871′ W

Thomas Chiles Perrin House

Map Marker #: C-07 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: 1998 by Abbeville County Historic Preservation Commission
Marker Text: Front: The Greek Revival residence of Thomas Chiles Perrin (1805-1878), prominent Abbeville District lawyer, planter, businessman, and politician, stood here from 1858 until it burned in 1877. When completed the house was described as “one of the finest and most commodious mansions in the State.” Perrin served as mayor, state representative and senator, and for many years as president of the Greenville & Columbia RR. Reverse: In December 1860, as chair of the Abbeville District delegation to the Secession Convention, Perrin was the first signer of the Ordinance of Secession. As the Confederacy collapsed in May 1865 President Jefferson Davis and his Cabinet held their last council of war across the street at the Burt-Stark Mansion. Thomas and Jane Eliza Perrin hosted most of the Cabinet here during its brief stay in Abbeville.
Location: North Main Street in the City of Abbeville (Intersection of SC Highway 71 and SC Highway 20)
Coordinates: 34° 10.861 N 82° 23.015′ W

Burt-Stark House | Jefferson Davis’s Flight

Map Marker #: C-09 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: 1998 by Abbeville County Historic Preservation Commission
Marker Text: Front: Burt-Stark House – When Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederacy, left Richmond after its fall in April 1865, he traveled south, trying to reach and rally the remnants of his army. On May 2, he spent the night at the home of Col. Armistead Burt. In 1971, Burt’s grand-niece Mary Stark Davis gave this historic house and all its furnishings to Abbeville’s Historic Preservation Commission. Reverse: Jefferson Davis’s Flight – Here, at the home of Colonel Burt, President Jefferson Davis held the last Confederate Council of War on May 2, 1865. He met with Secretary of War Breckenridge, Gen. Braxton Bragg, and 5 brigade generals; all agreed the only hope was for Davis to elude nearby U.S. cavalry and escape west. Though Davis passed safely through South Carolina, he was seized in Georgia on May 10th.
Location: Intersection of North Main Street and SC Highway 20 in the City of Abbeville
Coordinates: 34° 10.833 N 82° 22.898 W

 

First Secession Meeting Columns

Map Marker #: C-11 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: 1927 by Abbeville Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy
Marker Text: Northwest: “Lord God of Hosts, Be With Us Yet, Lest We Forget, Lest We Forget On the hillside in the rear of this memorial on November 22, 1860, the first organized secession meeting was held. On that day the ancient artillery company, the Southern Rights Dragoons, and companies of minute-men from Abbeville, Greenwood, Cokesbury, Ninety-Six, Bradley, Due West, Donalds, Wickliffe, and Calhoun’s Mill marched in line together with an immence concourse of loyal citizens; repairing to the grove. They there announced their intention of defending their soverign rights as guaranteed them in the Constitution of the United States. Resolutions demanding the immediate withdrawal of the state from the Union were unanimously passed and representatives to the convention called by the legislature were nominated. And thus, secession had its birth. “Ah realm of tombs! But let her bear This blazon to the last of times, No Nation rose so white and fair, Or fell so pure of crimes.”
Northeast: This Memorial Was Erected by Abbeville Chapter United Daughters of the Confederacy To commemorate the first organized meeting advocating the right of a state to secede from the Union.

Northwest Column: This meeting was presided over by Thomas C. Perrin, with Judge D.L. Wardlaw, John A. Calhoun, Dr. J.W. Hearst, John Brownlee, Dr. J.H. Logan and J. Foster Marshall, vice presidents; James C. Calhoun and G McDuffie Miller, secretaries; A.M. Smith, W.M. Rogers and J.F. Livingston, Marshals of the Day. After prayer by Rev. North, addresses were made by Hon. Thomas C. Perrin, Hon. A.C. McGrath, Gen. Milledge L. Bonham, Samuel McGowan, James N Cochran and William C Davis. Edward Noble introduced resolutions of secession, which were advocated by Thomas Thomson and unanimously passed. Thomas C. Perrin, Edward Noble, John A. Calhoun, Thomas Thomson, John H. Wilson, D.L. Wardlaw were nominated to represent the district at the convention called by the legislature. November 22, 1860 November 22, 1927. “We have left the faith.”
Location: Intersection of Magazine Street and S-1-120 in the City of Abbeville
Coordinates: 34° 10.617 N 82° 22.417 W

Abbeville Opera House (1908)

Map Marker #: C-13 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: By Abbeville County Historical Society
Marker Text: Abbeville was a railway stopover for “road companies” traveling eastern seaboard from New York to Atlanta so town included an Opera House in its new municipal building designed by Edwards & Walter of Atlanta. Dedicated October 1st, 1908 along with Court House; October 10th “The Great Divide” opened on its 7500 square foot stage; Many well known artists appeared in 250 live performances staged by traveling companies including dramas, minstrel shows, vaudeville; 1910 “moving pictures” began playing weekly alongside stage shows; Live theatre ceased in the late 1920s when “talkies” arrived; Closed its doors early 1960s; Fully restored in 1968 by Abbeville Community Theatre with live performances staged year round again; Designated “State Rural Drama Theatre of South Carolina” in 2002.
Location: South Main Street (SC Highway 20/Court Square) in the City of Abbeville
Coordinates: 34° 10.64 N 82° 22.703 W

Old Bank Building (ca. 1865)

Map Marker #: C-15 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: By Abbeville County Historical Society
Marker Text: Designed by S. Henry James to house first Bank of South Carolina in the Upstate (later became National Bank of Abbeville). One of oldest remaining buildings on the Square after a series of downtown fires in 1870s destroyed much of downtown.
Bank lobby features series of 1922 paintings by Wilbur Kurtz depicting a hundred years of Abbeville’s history from Gen. Andrew Pickens to Jefferson Davis’ Last War Council Meeting.
(Remained a bank until end of 1995 when donated to the City by Nations Bank.)
Location: Court Square (SC Highway 20) in the City of Abbeville
Coordinates: 34° 10.637 N 82° 22.696 W

Abbeville Square

Map Marker #: C-17 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: South Carolina Heritage Corridor
Marker Text: The heart of Abbeville’s Historic District is the magnificent tree-shaded Court Square. Located here is the replica of the original Confederate Monument erected in August, 1906 by the Daughters of the Confederacy, an old iron bell once used as the town fire alarm, and the Humane Society Alliance Fountain. We hope you’ll take time to visit the many significant historic buildings that stand watch over the Square while in Abbeville. Belmont Inn: Opened in 1903 as the Eureka Hotel, this “Spanish style” structure with its broad verandas catered to “drummers” (salesmen) of the textile trade. In its heyday the Inn also hosted the performers from the Opera House next door. Closed in the early 1970s, it was reopened in 1984. Trinity Episcopal Church: Located just off the Square down a paved brick street, Trinity was consecrated in 1860. Its 128-foot spire dominates the skyline and the church is known for its “pink” stucco Gothic construction. Abbeville Opera House: Designed by Edwards and Walter of Atlanta, the City Hall/Opera House and County Courthouse were dedicated on October 1, 1908. Nine days later the first show opened, “The Great Divide.” Abbeville was a railway stopover for “road companies” traveling the eastern seaboard from New York and became well known for its live performances by big names of the times. During the 1920s talking movies replaced live theatre and by the early 1960s it closed. In 1968 the Opera House was restored and continues to offer live theatre during the season. Old Bank Building: This structure was built around 1858 and opened after the Civil War as a branch of the Bank of South Carolina. The two-story stucco brick structure survived the devastating fires of the 1970s and is one of the oldest buildings in town. Today it serves as the Welcome Center for Abbeville. However from 1865 until 1996 it served as a bank and was given to the town by National Bank (now Bank of America). Humane Society Alliance Fountain: Originally conceived by Minnie Maddern Fiske, an actress and activist, the Humane Society Alliance mission was to improve the lot of workhorses. The five ton fountain was installed in 1912 and features a unique design, which includes an upper bowl for horses and small cups for dogs and cats. Abbeville County Courthouses: This is the sixth courthouse built in Abbeville, which was designed in the beaux-style by Edwards and Walter and dedicated with the Opera House in 1908.
Location: Court Square (SC Highway 20) in the City of Abbeville
Coordinates: 34° 10.65 N 82° 22.733 W

The Law Offices of John C. Calhoun

Map Marker #: C-21 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Text: Near here, from 1807 to 1817, were situated the law offices of John C. Calhoun. Born in the Long Canes District of Abbeville March 18, 1782. Died, Washington D.C., March 31, 1850. Member of Congress, 1811-1817, Secretary of War ,1817-1825, Vice President of the United States, 1825-1832, United States Senator, 1832-1842, 1845-1850, Secretary of State 1844-1845.
Location: Court Square (SC Highway 20) in the City of Abbeville
Coordinates: 34° 10.656 N 82° 22.72 W

Abbeville County Veterans Memorial

Map Marker #: C-23 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: By Abbeville County
Marker Text: In Grateful Memory: Of our loves ones from Abbeville County who stand in the unbroken lines of patriots who have dared to die that freedom might live and grow and increase its blessings.

World War I: Sam Adams, Cleveland Allen, William A. Bobo, Willie A. Bonds, Clarence Boyd, John Bryant, Paul Butler, Jake Childs, Brodas W. Davis, William Donaldson, Edgar E. Eakin, Eugene B. Gary, Jr., Amos Glover, Earl A. Hall, Sam Harkness, William Houston, Claude Eugene Hughes, Eugene Jackson, Andrew Jenkins, Jessie Johnson, Furman B. Longshore, Bennie Mack, Lewis R. Maddox, Earl Martin, Rayford Mattison, George Lomax McCord, Thomas J. Scotland, Moses Cleveland Settles, Robert Ligon Speer, William Oscar Stevenson, John Thomas, Eugene D. Woodward.
World War II: Robert E. Agnew, Edgar Allen, Robert L. Baker, W.L. Ballentine, Jr., Jack Blanchett, Henry H. Bonds, Charles O. Bowen, John W. Bowen, Robert O. Bowie, Robert S. Bowie, Bennie Boyd, Albert R. Branyon, Harold H.W. Brown, William T. Bruce, Harold A. Burton, Johnnie J. Burton, James J. Campbell, Joseph W. Campbell, Fred L. Cann, Ira B. Carwile, James Paul Clark, Marshall L. Clark, Jack B. Coggins, James F. Coleman, Clarence W. Cox, James R. Crawford, Joe E. Darby, Thomas E. Elwell, Benjamin E. Evans, Bobby Fleming, Ferguson A. Fleming, James Frazier, Bob Z. Gantt, Ernest S. Gettsinger, Albert Gilliam, John Albert Gilliam, Lambert B. Gordon, Eugene Gray, Martin D. Hagood, Robert H. Hall, C. Watson Hall, James Albert Hamlin, Willis Harrison, J. Walter Hartsell, Jr., James J. Hester, Jr., James W.R. Hilley, Earl Linwood Hodges, Thomas D. Howie, Charles Perrin Hughes, Frederick R. Kirby, J. Benjamin Johnson, Edward Langley, Pink Lathan, Floyd Lollis, Samuel Lomax, Earle P. Madison, Samuel Davis McClellan, James F. McCoy, Bennie Frank McCurry, Herbert S. McDill, Robert McDill, James McDowell, G. Harmon McIlwain, James L. McNair, William M. Mobley, Joseph W. Mundy, Ezekiel Boyce Norris, Jr., Clarence H. Pace, Sam Godfrey Richey, Ansel King Simpson, Emory E. Smith, Kenneth T. Stokes, Cecil Sutherland, Walter P. Tribble, David O. Tucker, George T. Weeks, Jr., George H. Williams, Homer Williams, Harry Woodhurst, Frank L. Young.
Korean War: Willie Fair, Charles E. Fleming, Johnny Jackson, Myrth Killingsworth, Aubrey Ledford, Arthur Lee, William W. McKellar, Eugene Power, Malcolm A. Robison, Curtis N. Washington, James H. Wilson.
Vietnam: Walter Burns, Clarence A. Latimer, James Lyons, Jr., Woodrow Makin, Jr., Billy R. McCullough, Jerry S. McDonald, Thomas L. Norwood, Jr., Robert M. Warren, Stephen J. Welsh.

“They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old; age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.”

Location: Court Square (SC Highway 20) in the City of Abbeville
Coordinates: 34° 10.65 N 82° 22.683 W

Fort Pickens

Map Marker #: C-26 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: 1922 by Alexander Hamilton Chapter, D.A.R.
Marker Text: This stone marks the place where, in 1767, Gen. Andrew Pickens built a Block House as a place of refuge against the Indians. It was used as a fort during the Revolutionary War and was known as Fort Pickens.
Location: Inside the Livery Stable on Trinity Street in the City of Abbeville
Coordinates: 34° 10.967 N 82° 22.417 W

Secession Hill #2

Map Marker #: C-02 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: 2010 by Abbeville County Historical Society
Marker Text: Front: On November 22, 1860, a mass meeting on this site was one of the first held in the South after Abraham Lincoln’s election as president on November 6. A procession from the town square, numbering 2,000 to 3,000, made its way to a grove here, near the Greenville & Columbia RR depot. Many in the crowd wore palmetto cockades as bands played, militia and volunteer companies marched with flags and banners, and some units even fired cannon salutes. Reverse: Andrew G. Magrath, arguing “the time for action has arrived,” was typical of most speakers, who called for South Carolina’s immediate secession from the Union. The meeting passed resolutions urging secession and recommended delegates to represent Abbeville District at the Secession Convention in December. This hill, then known as “Magazine Hill” for a powder magazine here, was soon renamed “Secession Hill” and has been known by that name since 1860.
Coordinates: 34° 10.717 N 82° 22.5 W

McGowan-Barksdale-Bundy House

Map Marker #: C-04 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: 2006 by Abbeville County Historical Society
Marker Text: Front: This 1888 Queen Anne house was the home of Gen. Samuel McGowan (1819-1897) until his death. McGowan, a lawyer, Confederate general, and jurist born in Laurens Co., had moved to Abbeville in 1841. He was an officer during the Mexican War and in the S.C. militia after it. During the Civil War he commanded the 14th S.C. Infantry 1862-63 and commanded a S.C. brigade in the Army of Northern Virginia 1863-65. Reverse: After 1865 McGowan bought a house on this lot. Built by Col. James Perrin in 1860, it burned in 1867; this house was built on the old foundation. McGowan served as a justice on the S.C. Supreme Court 1879-93. The Barksdale family bought the house in 1905, and WWII Gen. W.E. Barksdale was the last to live here. In 1989 his nephew J.D. Bundy gave it to the Abbeville County Historical Society as its headquarters.
Location: 305 North Main Street in the City of Abbeville
Coordinates: 34° 10.792′ N 82° 22.871′ W

Maj. Thomas D. Howie the Major of St. Lô

Map Marker #: C-06 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: 1995 by Abbeville County Historical Society
Marker Text: Front: Birthplace of Thomas Dry Howie (1908–1944), World War II hero famous as “The Major of St. Lô,” Abbeville High School, Class of 1925. The Citadel, Class of 1929, where he was an all-state football player and was president of his class. Coach and teacher, Staunton Military Academy, Staunton Va., 1929-1941. Lt., 116th Inf. Va. National Guard, 1941. Promoted to major; served at regimental H.Q. until Reverse: July 1944, when he took command of the 3rd Btn. Howie told his men, “I’ll see you in St. Lô” — a major Allied objective in the weeks after D-Day. He was killed July 7, 1944, the day before American troops captured the town. In a tribute from his comrades, Howie’s flag-draped body was carried into St. Lô on the lead jeep and lay in state on the rubble of St. Croix Church. “Dead in France, Deathless in Fame.”
Location: 118 Pinckney Street in the City of Abbeville
Coordinates: 34° 10.703′ N 82° 22.9′ W

Abbeville’s Confederate Colonels

Map Marker #: C-08 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: 1956 by Secession Chapter, U.D.C.
Marker Text: AUGUSTUS J. LYTHGOE, 19 S.C. Inf./Killed Murfreesboro, 1862/J. FOSTER MARSHALL, Orr’s Rifles/Killed Second Manassas, 1862/GEORGE M. MILLER, Orr’s Rifles/Wounded Spotsylvania, 1864/JAMES M. PERRIN, Orr’s Rifles/Killed Chancellorsville, 1863/THOMAS THOMSON, Moore’s Rifles/Served Oct. 22, 1861-Dec. 10, 1863
Location: Intersection of North Main Street and Wardlaw Street in the City of Abbeville
Coordinates: 34° 10.86 N 82° 23.012 W

Henry McNeal Turner

Map Marker #: C-10 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: 1987 by African Methodist Episcopal Church
Marker Text: Historical Bicentennial marker in memory of Henry McNeal Turner 1834-1915. Birthplace: Newberry, South Carolina -Boyhood home: Abbeville, South Carolina, Missionary Pioneer to South Africa, Liberation Theologian, Social and Political Activist, First Black United States Military Chaplain, Consecrated Twelfth Bishop, African Methodist Episcopal Church, 1880. Senior Bishop, Henry Wendell Murph; Active Bishops, John Hurst Adams, Richard Allen Hildebrand, Samuel Solomon Morris, Jr., Frederick Hilborn Talbot, Manel Hartford Brooking, Vinton Randolph Anderson, Frederick Calhoun James, Frank Madison Reid, Jr., Frank Curtis Cummings, Philip Robert Cousin, Donald George Ring, Reuben Edwards Stokes, Cornelius Egbert Thomas, James Haskell Mayo, Harold Benjamin Senatll, Robert Lee Pruitt, Henry Allen Bestin, Jr., Vernon Randolph Byrd; Retired Bishops, Decatur Ward Nichols, Howard Thomas Primm, Ernest Lawrence Hickman, Harrison James Bryant, Harold Irvin Deakden, Robert Nelson Robinson. Marker Dedicated at Saint James African Methodist Episcopal Church, Abbeville, South Carolina, April 5, 1987.
Location: Intersection of Henry M. Turner Street and Secession Avenue in the City of Abbeville
Coordinates: 34° 10.667 N 82° 22.467 W

Abbeville County Courthouse (1908)

Map Marker #: C-12 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: By Abbeville County Historical Society
Marker Text: Abbeville’s 6th courthouse – designed in beaux arts classical style by Edwards & Walter of Atlanta – dedicated in 1908 with City Hall/Opera House. (Two buildings indirectly financed by profits from Abbeville Dispensary, only one still operating above Columbia.) 1st Courthouse – wooden frame building, pulled down in 1825; 2nd Courthouse (c. 1825) – two-story brick building demolished after discovery of workmen’s fraud (kaolin used instead of lime in mortar; 3rd Courthouse (c. 1829) designed by Robert Mills during his residency in Abbeville – some years later one corner found to be sinking & deemed unsafe because of cracks in wall, replaced by; 4th Courthouse in 1853 – destroyed by fire in 1872; 5th Courthouse (c. 1870’s) replaced by present structure in 1908. (Significant Portrait of John C. Calhoun inside.)
Location: South Main Street (SC Highway 20/Court Square) in the City of Abbeville
Coordinates: 34° 10.65 N 82° 22.7 W

Belmont Inn

Map Marker #: C-14 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: By Abbeville County Historical Society
Marker Text: Opened August 1903 as $30,000 hotel “The Eureka” under management W.T. McFall. Built to cater to “drummers” of the textile trade with 30 rooms and 1 public bath. Banquet rooms used to show their wares while Curtain Call Lounge was a barber shop. Touring theatre companies performing at Opera House also stayed there during railway stopovers in Abbeville. Closed in early 1970s but restored and reopened in 1984 as “Belmont Inn” full service hotel with 25 rooms.
Location: East Pickens Street (SC Highway 20/just off Court Square) in the City of Abbeville
Coordinates: 34° 10.637 N 82° 22.696 W

Abbeville County Confederate Monument

Map Marker #: C-16 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: 1906 by Daughters of the Confederacy of Abbeville County
Marker Text: South: Ship’s Anchor, 1861-1865, “The world shall yet decide, In truth’s clear, far-off light, That the soldiers who wore the gray, and died With Lee were in the right!”; “Brave men may die – right has no death; Truth never shall pass away.”; “Come from the four winds, O breath and breathe upon these slain, That they may live.” South Base: “On fame’s eternal camping ground Their silent tents are spread And glory guards with solemn round The bivouac of the dead.” West: CSA, Crossed Swords & Crossed Rifles; Ordinance of Secession, Adopted Dec. 20, 1860. West Footstone: Given in Memory by William Henry Simpson, July 31, 1907 – May 17, 1992, For His Beloved Abbeville, December 14, 1996. North: Stainless Banner, 1861-1865, We have furled it; slowly, sadly; Once we loved it, proudly, gladly, And we fought beneath it madly, Fought in bloody, deathly fray; For we swore to those who gave it, In triumph we would wave it, Or life’s crimson ride should lave it, Ere to blue should yield the gray. Yes, ’tis taken down all faded, And like those who bore it, jaded, For through lakes of blood, they waded Nor did weary footsteps lag, Oh! ‘Twas hard to fold and yield it, While a man was left to shield it, For ’twas Dixie’s Bonnie Flag. “Honor the Brave.” They knew their rights and dared to main them.” East: CSA, Erected by the Daughters of the Confederacy of Abbeville County, 1906. Laurel Wreath, National Flag, DC, 61-65, by Dario Rossi, 1996, Dedicated to the soldiers of Abbeville District. East Base: The first mass meeting for secession was, held at Abbeville, S.C., Nov. 22, 1860. The last cabinet meeting was held at Abbeville, S.C., May 2, 1865. East Footstone: First Monument Erected, August 23, 1906, Destroyed by Fire, December 28, 1991, Second Monument Erected, December 14, 1996.
Location: Court Square (SC Highway 20) in the City of Abbeville
Coordinates: 34° 10.65 N 82° 22.733 W

Trinity Episcopal Church

Map Marker #: C-18 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: South Carolina Heritage Corridor
Marker Text: Trinity Episcopal Church is the oldest standing church in Abbeville. With its classic Gothic architecture and 125-foot steeple, it dominates the Abbeville skyline. Built by a congregation made prosperous by the economy of cotton in the antebellum period, it was constructed in 1859-60 as clouds gathered for a war that would radically change their way of life forever. Marshall Memorial: Memorial to Colonel and Mrs. J. Foster Marshall. Colonel Marshall is one of three lost colonels of the Confederacy buried at Trinity but the only one buried in the churchyard. Trinity’s Architectural Heritage: The congregation engaged Columbia architect George E. Walker to design a new church to replace its 1843 wooden structure. Mr. Walker found his inspiration in the Gothic cathedrals of France. Designed to hold 400 persons, the church was consecrated on November 4, 1860 and still retains many of its original elements. The organ built by John Baker of Charleston dates back to 1860. The bell in the tower is also original and it remarkable because it survived Confederate requests to be melted down into cannon balls. One can still see the original artistic graining on the pews. The boxwood gardens were planed in 1859-1860 by Rev. Benjamin Johnson from the nursery at Pomaria, South Carolina. Trinity Church Today: While a major restoration took place in the mid-1970s, the congregation is committed to the church’s care and maintenance as well as the preservation of trinity as a house of worship
Location: Intersection of North Church Street and Trinity Street in the City of Abbeville
Coordinates: 34° 10.617 N 82° 22.833 W

Humane Society Alliance Fountain (1912)

Map Marker #: C-19 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: 1912 by National Humane Society Alliance
Marker Text: One of 125 watering troughs/fountains presented to communities around the U.S. in early 1900’s by National Humane Alliance with endowment from Herman Lee Ensign, founder. Minnie Maddern Fiske (1865-1932), actress/activist (husband president of the Alliance) was instigator of campaign to improve lot of workhorses & donated proceeds from her performances to fund these watering troughs. Abbeville’s 5-ton fountain, one of the few still in original location, installed as watering trough in 1912. Features ingenious design of water flowing from lions’ mouth into basin of polished Maine granite trimmed with bronze – upper bowl for horses & small cups at bottom for cats & dogs.
Location: Court Square (SC Highway 20) in the City of Abbeville
Coordinates: 34° 10.633 N 82° 22.717 W

Big “Bob”

Map Marker #: C-20 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: By Harry Wilkins Chandler, Sr.
Marker Text: This Alarm Bell Was Acquired During The Term Of Robert McGowan Hill, Mayor, 1892 – 1898, And Named For Him.
Location: Court Square (SC Highway 20) in the City of Abbeville
Coordinates: 34° 10.65 N 82° 22.733 W

Major Thomas Dry Howie

Map Marker #: C-22 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Text: Abbeville honors herself in honoring her son The Major of St. Lo. He fell during the liberation of Normandy and was taken by his troops into St. Lo. His flag-draped body was enshrined in the ruins of Ste. Croix Church and was saluted by his passing soldiers. Buried in St. Lauren Military Cemetery. Dead in France. Deathless in Fame.
Location: Court Square (SC Highway 20) in the City of Abbeville
Coordinates: 34° 10.668 N 82° 22.728 W

Last Cabinet Meeting

Map Marker #: C-24 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: 1921 By Civil Club
Marker Text: This tablet was placed here to commemorate the last meeting of the Confederate States Cabinet which was held in the Burt House near by directly in front of this stone. The following cabinet members were present: Jefferson Davis, President; Judah P. Benjamin, Secretary of State; John C. Breckenridge, Secretary of War; S.R. Mallory, Secretary of Navy; John H. Reagan, Post Master Gen’l. A council of war was held at the same time with the cabinet and the following generals were in attendance: W.C. Breckenridge, Geo. G. Dibrell, Basil W. Duke, S.W. Ferguson, J.C. Vaughn, Braxton Bragg. It was decided after mature deliberation and discussion that it was useless to continue the war longer and that the government should be disbanded. M.H. Clarke acting treasurer, Confederate States of America says: The last cabinet meeting, which could be called such, was held at Abbeville, on the 2nd day of May, 1865. A full history of these events may be found in the office of the Clerk of Court of Abbeville County.
Location: Intersection of North Main Street and Greenville Street in the City of Abbeville
Coordinates: 34° 10.8 N 82° 22.883 W

Old Livery Stable

Map Marker #: C-25 (Central Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: 2011
Marker Text: The original livery stable on this site is believed to have been built in the 1840s. It was a wooden structure, and was lost during a devastating fire in 1872 that also destroyed much of downtown Abbeville. The current brick and masonry livery stable was built in the late 1870s on the site of the original building. After the advent of the automobile, the building was used as a warehouse for a number of decades. In 2002, the building was generously donated by Mrs. Margaret Flynn Bowie and the W.G. Bowie Trust to the City of Abbeville. The renovation of the livery stable was completed in 2010 as a part of the Trinity Street Enhancement Project. City Council: Harold E. McNeill, Mayor, Spencer G. Sorrow, Lee C. Williams, Annette Faye Thomas, Bertha D. Crawford, Joe E. Seawright, Augustus E. Wilson, Jr., Fred V. Peeler, S. Delano Freeman; City Manager ,Nolan L. Wiggins, Jr.; Assistant City Manager, Ashley Ramey Kellahan; Architect, Johnson, Laschober and Associates, Augusta, Georgia; General Contractor; Town and County Construction, Inc., Greenwood, South Carolina
Location: Inside the Livery Stable on Trinity Street in the City of Abbeville
Coordinates: 34° 10.65 N 82° 22.783 W

West Markers

Birthplace of John C. Calhoun

Map Marker #: W-01 (Abbeville County West Tour)
Marker Erected: 1962 by Abbeville Historical Society
Marker Text: On this land settled by his father Patrick Calhoun in the 1750s, John Caldwell Calhoun, American statesman and champion of the old South, was born, March 18, 1789, and nurtured to young manhood. Patrick defended the land against the Indians in the Cherokee War and the enemies of liberty in the American Revolution.
Location: Approximately 7 miles South of the City of Abbeville on Mt. Carmel Road (SC Highway 823), approximately 3.6 miles from the intersection of S-1-498
Coordinates: N 34° 3.598 082° 26.98

 

Millwood Home of James Edward Calhoun

Note: This marker sign has been removed

Map Marker #: W-03 (Abbeville County West Tour)
Marker Erected: 1953
Marker Text: Half mile southeast is Millwood, home of James Edward Calhoun, 1796-1898, son of John Ewing and Floride Bonneau Calhoun and brother-in-law of John C. Calhoun. After serving as lieutenant in the U. S. Navy, he developed Millwood, which ultimately included 25,000 acres. Seeing the value of Trotter’s Shoals, a part of this estate, he was among the first to encourage the use of Southern water power.
Location: SC Highway 72 at the Savannah River Bridge West of Calhoun Falls and approximately 2.9 miles from the Intersection of SC Highway 823 and SC Highway 72
Coordinates: 34.071° N 82.637° W

 

W.D. Nixon Bridge

Map Marker #: W-05 (Abbeville County West Tour)
Marker Erected: 1982
Marker Text: Named in 1982 in honor of a dedicated public servant and ardent supporter of the construction of Richard B. Russell Dam Member, S.C. House 1949 — 1953. Served also as Chairman, Abbeville County Council, Mayor, Lowndesville, County Chairman, Democratic Party.
Location: Near intersection of SC Highway 81 and SC Highway 71
Coordinates: 34° 12.748 N 82° 37.849 W

 

Lowndesville

Map Marker #: W-07 (Abbeville County West Tour)
Marker Erected: 2006 by Town of Lowndesville
Marker Text: Front: This town, established in 1823, grew up around a store owned by Matthew Young (1803-1878), who was also postmaster 1831-43. It was first called Pressly’s Station, for the post office opened in 1823 with David Pressly (1764-1834) as postmaster. The town was renamed Rocky River in 1831 and then Lowndesville in 1836 for William Lowndes (1782-1822), U.S. Congressman 1811-22. Reverse: Lowndesville, incorporated in 1839, had about 150 inhabitants then and 150-350 inhabitants for most of its history. Cotton was the major crop in the area, with bales ginned here and shipped by the Charleston & Western Carolina Railway. In 1890 Lowndesville included a hotel, nine general stores, a grocery, a dry goods store, a drugstore, a stable, and three saw mills.
Location: Main Street (SC Highway 81) in the Town of Lowndesville
Coordinates: 34° 12.627′ N 82° 38.71′ W

Patrick Calhoun Family Burial Ground

Map Marker #: W-02 (Abbeville County West Tour)
Marker Erected: 1953
Marker Text: 5.5 miles south of Abbeville is the burial ground of Patrick and Martha Calhoun, parents of John C. Calhoun. Patrick was made deputy surveyor, 1756; first representative from Up-Country to Commons House of Assembly, 1769-1772; member of First Provincial Congress, 1775; of the Second, 1775-1776; of the General Assembly, 1776, and frequently thereafter until his death, 1796. His greatest service to his state was his successful fight for the Circuit Court Act of 1769. Across the road opposite the burial ground is his home site.
Location: Intersection of SC Highway 823 and SC Highway 72
Coordinates: 34° 8.102′ N, 82° 24.856′ W

 

Olin D. Johnson Memorial Boulevard

Map Marker #: W-04 (Abbeville County West Tour)
Marker Erected: 1985
Marker Text: Named in honor of a distinguished South Carolinian in recognition of his contributions to the life and welfare of this state and its citizens. Member, House of Representatives: 1923-1924 Anderson County; 1927-1930 Spartanburg County. Governor: 1935-1939; 1943-1945. United States Senator: 1945-1965. He worked tirelessly for development of the Savannah River Basin. Erected in 1985, the 50th Anniversary of his first inauguration as governor.
Location: SC Highway 72 at the Savannah River Bridge West of Calhoun Falls and approximately 2.9 miles from the Intersection of SC Highway 823 and SC Highway 72
Coordinates: 34.071° N W 82.636° W

 

William Bartram Trail

Map Marker #: W-06 (Abbeville County West Tour)
Marker Erected: By Garden Club of South Carolina in Cooperation with the Department of Highways & Public Transportation of S.C.
Marker Text: In 1775, William Bartram visited several days at “Lough-Abber” home of A. Cameron, en route north to the Cherokee country.
Location: Approximately .82 miles from the intersection of SC Highway 71 and S-1-63 in Lowndesville
Coordinates: 34° 12.583′ N 82° 30.35′ W

 

Parsons Mountain

Map Marker #: W-08 (West Abbeville County Tour)
Marker Erected: 2010 South Carolina Heritage Corridor
Marker Text: At 832 feet, Parsons Mountain holds the title of the highest point in the general geographic area surrounding Parsons Mountain. Mr. James Parsons, the mountain’s namesake, acquired it through a land grant in 1772. In the mid 1800s, gold was discovered on the mountain, further adding interest to the area. Long before Mr. Parsons, American Indians lived in and used these rich, productive forests. Settlers in the 1770s worked the land, obtaining what they could from agricultural practices, and cleared most of the timber. By 1920, severe soil erosion created abandoned fields, deep gullies, and soil-filled streams. From this worn out land, the Sumter National Forest was started in 1936. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) planted trees, repaired gullies, fought wildfires, and built roads. In 1935 the CCC built the fire tower on Parsons Mountain and in 1940 they began construction on this lake and recreation area. From its beginning, the Sumter National Forest has provided clean water, timber, wildlife habitat, jobs, and recreation sites for its communities. Parsons Mountain Recreation Area is an example that if resources are used wisely they can be enjoyed generation after generation.
Location: Campground Road, Sumter National Forest
Coordinates: 34° 5.875 N 82° 21.433 W