Spartanburg County, South Carolina - Chapter 3, 1900

Chapter 3

In the preceding chapter it is stated, as shown by the public records of Spartanburg county, that " the court-house and public buildings be established on lands of Mr. John Wood, on the waters of Fair Forest, on a small hill near said John Wood's dwelling-house." We would further state that the county offices and^ public records were conveyed and kept there during the time, the courts were held there, and the question seemed to be settled for a time that this was to be the permanent location of the site for the court-house and public buildings for Spartanburg county. We quote further from the records as follows :

" At a County Court began to be holden at the j^lantation of John Wood, on the third Monday in March, 1786, present John Ford, James Jorden and Henry Machan Wood, Gentlemen Justices. The Court proceeded to draw a grand jury. They are as follows, to wit: Thomas Wadsworth, Joseph Wofford, William Tate, Iden Gowan, John McEhemy, John Timmons, John Nichols, Wm. Smith (capt.), George Salmon, William McDowell, Robert Nelson, William Poole, I. M., John Russel, William Foster, Henry Wells.

Charles Goodwin, Esq., admitted as an attorney to practice in this Court on his producing admission in the Court of Common Pleas, at our next Court.

Ordered that a road be opened from McDowell's Mill, on No Pacolette, to Spartanburg Court House. Overseer, Thomas Bennett ; warner, John Conner.

Ordered by the Court that a road be laid out and opened from the main road at or near Major Farrow's, by Belville, to Capt. David McDowell's ; thence the nearest and best way across the Forks of Pacolette to the State line into the road that leads by David Miller's, from Major Farrow's aforesaid to Lawsonfork, overseer, John Williams, warner, Christopher Long ; from thence to Pacolette, overseer, David McDowell, warner, John Conen ; from thence to North Pacolet, overseer, John Freeman, warner, John Carrol ; from thence to State line aforesaid, overseer, John McKnight, warner, Robert McMillen.

Ordered, that a road be opened from William Jamison's to widow Bishop's, on Lawson's Fork, overseer, William Jamison, warner, Robert Henderson,

The June term of court, 1786, was held at John Wood's place and was presided over by Baylis Earle, Henry White, James Jorden, John Ford and Thomas Wadsworth.

The following were the petit jurors for the term, viz.: Richard James, John White, Landon Farrow, Moses Timmons, Joseph Barnett, Rowland Johnson, Frances Nevil Way land, Isaic Hendrix, Bay ley Taylor, Jeremiah Silmon, Peter Smith, W^illiam Smith and Abner Timmons.

The September Court, 1786, was held at John Wood's and was presided over by James Jorden, Thomas Wadsworth and Richard Harrison, esqnires, with the following as grand jurors : Martin Armstrong, Thomas James, Josiah Culbertson, William Foster, Wni. Poole, William Ivipscomb, John Gowin, George Bruton, Alexander Ray, Moses Casey, Thomas McKnight, David Lewis, Anthoney Coulter, Thomas Williamson, John Redman, Sam'l Lancaster, Wm. Tate, xMexander Vernon, Daniel McClain, Wm. Ford (upper), and Thomas Farrow\

Thomas Peters Cams, Esq., produced his certificate admission as an attorney and solicitor in the courts of law and equity in this State, which was enrolled on the records.

It was also ordered at this term that William Poole, Iron Master, have license to retail spirits and keep a public house of entertainment. The same privilege is also- granted to iVlexander Alexander.

But one more term of court was held at John Wood's place. This was convened at the regular term, third Monday in December, 1786, and was presided over by

"The determination of the governor and council respecting the court-house being produced and received, the court agreed to adjourn to-day and meet at Mr. Thomas Williamson's to-morrow, agreeable to said order, said order filed in clerk's office. Court then adjourned until to-morrow morning nine o'clock, tomeet at Thomas Williamson's. Tuesday, 19th December, 1786, court met according to adjournment."

It would seem from the following clause in the minutes of the court proceedings that there was some determined opposition when the proposition was made to remove the county site from John W^ood place to Thomas Williamson's plantation.

" Ordered, That the order respecting the Courthouse and other public buildings be reversed until the determination of the Legislature. Protested against, because it originated in an idea of carrying the Courthouse back ; and because it is finally determined and cannot constitutionally be taken up again.

Ordered, That the clerk's office be kej^t at Mr. Samuel Porter's plantation on Lawson's Fork, being the plantation whereon William McDowell lately lived, until otherwise ordered.

Ordered, That the Justices meet on the nineteenth day of January next, to agree on the plan of the public buildings, and on the twentieth of said January to let said buildings as commissioners, and that the clerk advertise the same as general as he can possibly. And that all absent members of the court be notified to appear on the above mentioned days at this place."

order of court entered on record 23d December, A. D. 1786 (to wit) : Baylis Earle, Richard Harrison, Sam'l Lancaster, and Obediah Tremmier, Esq's.

Pursuant to the above order of court (to wit) : 30 feet long by 20 feet wide, 12 feet pitch square roof, the timbers well proportioned by the rules of architecture, in a good and sufficient manner. The shingles of heart pine nailed on with 6d. nails, 21 inches long, to show 7 inches. Weather-boards 6 inches wide of quartered plank to show 6 inches, and beaded, nailed with 6d. nails. Two doors of a common size, one on each side. Good casings and the doors plain. Six twelve-light windows, good casings and sashes, with glass 10 by 6 inches, two in the end of the court-room and one in each side, and two in each jury room. Six feet taken off the length for jury rooms by a partition of plank well confined, and that subdivided into rooms 10 feet by 8 by a light partition. The jury rooms elevated 4 feet above the floor of the court-room, and steps leading up into each. The justice's bench to be elevated 4 feet above the floor, done up with plain, smooth plank in a circular manner, and stairways leading up at each end. A jury bench on the floor within the circle and convenient boxes for the sheriff. A clerk's table and an attorney's bar at a convenient distance in front of the justice's bench. The eaves of the house boxed and corniced and the whole done in a workm.anlike manner.

A Goal

of 16 feet square, 10 inches squared oak logs, with a partition of square oak timber of the same size crossing the front at 6 feet distance from the door. The largest room divided by a partition of logs of the same size. Through each partition a door of 3 feet wide. Casings to the doors 10 inches by 4. Doors of a proportioned thickness such as are common to jails, and strengthened, by iron bars of a common size. A common -sized jaiL lock to each door. The two lower back rooms ceiled with good two-inch oak jDlank. One of the lower rooms in the ceiling to be laid off in checks of 4 inches distance and a spike of 4 inches long drove into each center section. The other back room ceiled with the same kind of plank, and checked at 12 inches distance and spiked in like manner. At the height of 7 feet a floor of the same kind of plank and sized timber, and spiked at fonr inches distance over the back room ; that spiked in like manner, the floors of the other to be spiked as the wall, five feet from the upper floor to the plates whereon the roof is placed. The roof to be sheeted with inch plank and shingled with 21-inch shingles to show 7 inches. Steps from the front room up to the upper floor. Four windows to the goal of 10 inches square cased with iron bars of half an inch thickness, two bar grates crossing each other in each window. The foundation to be of logs of the same size of the walls, raised one foot from the ground, and the under part filled up with large stone.

The whole timbers ta be let into each other. The partition to be duf tailed into the wall at each end. The upper floor to be let into them by shoulders, and the whole to be completed in a workmanlike manner.

The Pillory, Whipping-Post And Stocks

to be done in a uniform manner to the other buildings, such as is usual and will answer the purpose. The Goal, Stocks and Pillory to be finished in the present year, and the Court-house to be completed in the space of two years, to commence from the first day of this instant, January, 1787.

The sum of twenty-five pounds to be paid at the ensuing June court, and the balance to be paid in four equal payments at the expiration of each succeeding six months.

Agreeable to the above order, the sheriff proceeded to let the buildings, but as the undertaker that attended had not time to make proper calculation of the costs, the letting said buildings are deferred until the first day of February next, at which time the sheriff is directed to let said buildings at the lowest terms offered, whether the Justices attend or not. And if the sheriff do not attend, the attending Justices or Justice is hereby authorized to do the same.

The justices met agreeable to the above order on the first day of February, 1787, and let said building to Richard Harrison esquire, for the sum of two hundred and four pounds, who gave bond, as they required, which bond is ordered to be filed in the clerk's office. They then received as a donation from Thomas Williamson two acres of land for the use of the county, which they then proceeded to lay off, and ordered that said Thomas Williamson be required at the next court to convey the same in fee simple to the said court for the use of said county."

The contract being duly signed, the first public buildings for our country were erected. The court-house is said to have been erected within a few steps of the Morgan Monument, on Main street.

now the city of Spartan buro-^ which was once the plantation of Thomas Williamson, there is an ancient tradition, which we have always doubted, but which we give to the reader for what it is worth. It is said that the location of a suitable county-site was placed in the hands of a committee, who had been hunting all day without agreement. Having previously provided themselves with a jug of whisky, they selected a camp for the night at a little spring in the hollow^ in rear of the Spartan Inn. Having imbibed freely from the contents of the jug, they had a social jollification and declared that the court-house should be located there, and they discontinued further search for a better place.