Williamsburg County, South Carolina - Chapter 13: The Town of Williamsburg, 1788, 1923

In 1730, when King George contemplated the estab¬ lishment of a township on Black River, which afterwards was named Williamsburg, and the others in the colony, he had in mind the townships that he had formed in New England and their development. He believed that he could establish these townships on the rivers in South Carolina and that they would work out their own salva¬ tion in the same manner and after the same plan as those in Xew England. The settlers in Xew England built their pioneer homes close together in little towns. Each householder held a half-acre lot in the town on which he lived and a tract of land in the vicinity of the town whereon he raised his crops. The waste land in these Xew Eng¬ land communities formed a commons on which everybody grazed cattle and from which everyone secured the fire wood and lumber required for general purposes.

So, when Williamsburg township on the bank of Black River in South Carolina was laid out and established, the King decreed that each settler should have a one-half acre lot in the proposed town and a grant of land within the township, believing that the settlers who came would dwell in the town and would go out every morning to their plantations in the township. But those settlers who came to Williamsburg between 1730 and 1745 built their homes on their respective plantations in the township and paid practically no attention to their half-acre lots granted them within the town. The fact is that until 1788, within the township of Williamsburg as surveyed, there was practically nothing except a cleared space whereon the Court House now stands, which was used as a parade and muster ground for the Colonial Militia, and a race track in the northeast portion of the town whereon horses and men frequently were tried in athletic games for the amusement and entertainment of the people of the town¬ ship. The plot of land in the town granted to the Church of England had been cleared of pine trees.

There were in the town in 1788 five small buildings, not one of them more than 20 x 20 feet. Two of them were located about where the Wee Nee Bank now stands. In one of these, William Braeey lived; in the other he kept a mercantile establishment. His stock of merchan¬ dise usually consisted of one barrel of whiskey, one bag of buckshot, one bag of squirrel shot, one bag of turkey shot, one keg of powder, a few tallow candles, and a few sealing wax wafers. Occasionally, when an especially prosperous season indicated a good trade, he would add five pounds of linen writing paper to his stock of goods. Powder and shot and whiskey were the only salable articles all the year round. On the other side of Broad Street were three little houses. Patrick Cormick lived in one of these. It was located about where the Hammett resi¬ dence now stands. He had a little store near his home, which store was similar to that of William Braeey across the street. John Brady lived in a little house about where the Court House now is. There were some remains of old indigo vats to the rear of the Court House lot, about where the office of Kelley and Hinds now stands. At that time, the Branch ran through the town a few feet west of where is now located the Atlantic Coast Line station.

Outside of the town as surveyed and on the road to Black Mingo about half wav betAveen the King's Tree and the Presbyterian Meeting Houses was the James Davidson settlement, where the Harper home now is. This was one of the most pretentious mansion houses in the district. Further east along the Black Mingo road and where it was crossed by the Cheraw-Santee road was located the Williamsburg Presbyterian churchyard. There were two Presbyterian Churches on this lot at this time. The road from Darlington to Santee did not then curve eastward as now when it reached the churchyard, but went straight through the lot, passing directly east of the front door of the original Williamsburg Church. On the East side of this road and about fifty yards directly east of the original Williamsburg Church was the other Presbyterian Congregation's house of worship. It will be remembered that the original Williamsburg Presby¬ terian Congregation had divided in 1786 and these two churches were the meeting houses of the respective fac¬ tions.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that more than fifty years had not made a town at the King's Tree, as seemed so desirable and necessary. This King's Tree was the central point in Williamsburg. It was on Black River, which was still regarded as a natural outlet to the sea, and all roads in Williamsburg led to the King's Tree. The King's Tree was therefore the logical point in the district for establishing the seat of government.

On March 12, 1785, the General Assembly created "one other county beginning at Lenud's Perry on Santee River, thence along said river to the parish line, thence along said line to Lynch's Creek, thence along said creek to Great Pee Dee River, thence along said river to Britton's Perry, thence along the boundary of Winyaw County to the beginning, and shall be known by the name of Williams¬ burg County."

In 1788, the General Assembly of South Carolina passed an ordinance authorizing and appointing commissioners to resurvey and lay out the town of Williamsburg in the District of Georgetown. "Be it ordained, Iry the Honor¬ able, the Senate and House of Representatives, in General Assembly met, and by authority of the same, that the persons herein named, to wit: John Macauley, John Bur¬ gess, Sr., James Witherspoon, Jr., William Frierson,

John Scott, Robert McConnell, Thomas McConnell, James Fleming, Sr., and Robert Frierson, shall be commission¬ ers, and have authority to cause to be resurveyed and laid out in half-acre lots all that parcel of land allotted by law for the town of Williamsburgh, in Georgetown District, and bounding as follows, viz. : on the southwest, by Black River; on the northwest, by land of John Scott; on the northeast, by lands of James Witherspoon, Jr., and Moses Gordon; and on the southeast by the lands of Thomas Lansdale.

"And as sundry grants of land had passed between the year one thousand seven hundred and thirty, and the year one thousand seven hundred and forty-five, under the name of bounty lands, the proprietors whereof were en¬ titled to lots in the said town, many of which lots were not laid out or ascertained to the proprietors; be it or¬ dained by the authority aforesaid that all proprietors of lands under the said description and having a right to a lot or lots in the said town, shall within six months after the passing of the Ordinance, make known to the said commissioners their claims by producing their titles to enable their commissioners to assign each claimant the quantity he is entitled to; and thereupon the commis¬ sioners shall locate and lay out the same in such manner as shall be reasonable. The said commissioners shall re¬ serve such lots as they shall deem necessary for two churches, for a public school, market house, and other public purposes, and shall sell or dispose of the residue by public auction or otherwise as they shall deem most ad¬ vantageous. And the moneys arising therefrom, after paying the surveyor and other necessary charges, shall be appropriated for establishing a public school for the education of youth in the said town, under the direc¬ tion of the said commissioners.

thority to act under this Ordinance, and to fill any vacan¬ cies which may happen by the death, refusal, or removal of any of the other commissioners.

"And be it further ordained by the authority aforesaid that if any person shall be sued for anything done by virtue of this Ordinance, he may plead the general issue and give this Ordinance and the special matter in evidence." (In the Senate House, the twenty-seventh day of February, 1788. John Lloyd, President of the Senate. John J. Pringle, Speaker of the House of Representatives.)

This board of commissioners met at the King's Tree on Monday, December 8, 1788. There were present John Burgess, Sr., James Fleming, John Macauley, Robert Mc¬ Connell, James Witherspoon, Jr., William Frierson, Sr., Thomas McConnell. The first act of the board was to elect John Dickey a commissioner "in the room of John Scott," who had died between the time of his appointment by the General Assembly and the first meeting of the board. The board employed John Burgess, Jr., and Robert Witherspoon, surveyors, to resurvey and lay out the town of Williamsburg according to the plat made by Anthony Williams in 1737, which plat was delivered to them. The board then adjourned to meet at the King's Tree on March 25, 1789, for the purpose of assigning to rightful claimants lots within the town of Williams¬ burg granted between the years 1730 and 1745, and on the day following to sell all lots not claimed. The com¬ missioners advertised their action and invited the original grantees of these half-acre lots in the town of Williams¬ burg to come forward and establish their claims, warning them that all lots not claimed would be sold at public vendue.

Until this time, practically no attention had been paid to these half-acre lots by their owners, but this advertise¬ ment of the commissioners stirred all Williamsburg from center to circumference. Every original settler in the district immediately searched his home for his grant of land in the township and his half-acre town ]ot. Most of these old papers had been lost or destroyed, so many men in Williamsburg went to Charleston to see if they could secure a copy of the grants made to them entitling them to these half-acre lots.

When the commissioners met on March 25, 1789, all Williamsburg was there to present claims for these lots. Here follows a list of claims allowed :

It was decided to allow until April 16, 1789, to others to present their claims to titles to town lots and on that day to sell those not claimed. Seven lots were claimed under original grants on April 16, 1789, as follows:

For some time the titles to the town lots that were being sold were questioned and the board adjourned until the advice of attorneys could be secured. In 1790, Major John Macauley, a commissioner, died, and on January 4, 1791, Lieutenant Joseph Scott was elected to succeed him. At the meeting of the commissioners held at the house of James Alexander on August 1, 1791, there were present John Burgess, James Fleming, James Witherspoon, Wil¬ liam Frierson, Robert Frierson, Robert McConnell, Thomas McConnell, and Joseph Scott. At this meeting, Thomas Williams was elected a commissioner "in the room of" John Dickey. Robert Witherspoon was paid £12. 3s. and 6p. for surveying the town of Williamsburg; John Flem¬ ing Avas paid £1. 12s. and 8p. for chain carrying; William Douglass was paid £2. 2p. for chain carrying; William Bracey was paid £2. 5s. and 2p. for sundries (liquors) ;

Samuel Douglass was paid 9s. 4p. for serving liquor on two of the sales days. The commissioners voted at this meeting to fine any commissioner £1. sterling for being absent at any meeting of the commissioners.

At the meeting of the commissioners held on September 5, the following men were given titles to certain town lots: Samuel Maxwell, James Witherspoon, John Mc- Clary, John Wilson, James Bradley, Samuel Douglass, James Burgess, John Burgess, John McBride, William Bracev, George Gamble, James Gilbraith, Michael Hardy, Robert McConnell. Robert McConnell was paid £7. 18s. and 8p. for drawing up deeds to the lots sold to the above named men. William Bracey presented an account as follows : To 6 gals, rum at 7s. - £2. 2s. Op. ; 1 quire of paper, 2s. Op. ; 1 box wafers, Is. 2p. This bill was paid. After the payment of this bill, Captain William Frierson re¬ signed and "declined to act as commissioner any more." It is believed that Captain Frierson was a prohibitionist and that he did not approve of the use of liquors at the sale of the town lots nor at the meetings of the com¬ missioners.

At the next meeting, Robert Frierson and Thomas Wil¬ liams resigned, and James Witherspoon had died. James Burgess, John McClary, Captain John Fulton, and Robert Witherspoon were duly elected to fill the vacancies. Robert Witherspoon and John McClary were chosen to lay off and stake every lot in the town of Williamsburg, since the former stakes had fallen down. These men were re¬ quired to lay off one-half acre lots in each corner of the Parade Ground. On the 24th of October, 1792, it being Captain Jones' Muster Day, the commissioners sold the

On April 10, 1793, John Burgess declined to act as commissioner of the town, and Robert Ervin was elected in his place. On January 2, 1796, George McConnell was elected commissioner in the place of Robert McConnell, deceased. An August 30, 1800, Captain John Fulton resigned as commissioner and Captain Samuel Malcolmson was appointed in his place. Robert Ervin and James Fleming had died prior to this meeting and William Flagler and Robert Hamilton were appointed to succeed them. On November 27, 1800, the Board met at Mr. Robert Hamilton's. There were present Captain William Flagler, Chairman, John McClary, Robert Hamilton, George McConnell, Thomas McConnell, James Burgess, and Joseph Scott. Captain Samuel Malcolmson was absent.

On February 25, 1801, lot No. 425 was set apart for a market house. At this time, Captain Samuel Malcolmson, George McConnell, Robert Hamilton, and John McClary were appointed a committee to have the town resurveyed entirely and it was resolved to advertise in the George¬ town Gazette that all persons claiming land in the town should come forward and present their claims and take possession of them on or before April 22, 1802.

On April 30, 1801, John McClary resigned as commis¬ sioner and Eliphalet H. Hewitt Avas appointed in his place. James Burgess resigned and Captain James Campbell suc¬ ceeded him. At the meeting on August 22, 1801, it was resolved that no person should further trespass on the public lots in the town and that a man be appointed to keep the streets open. It was also resolved that any person who had planted any public lots in the town under fence should pay the sum of 2s. 4p. per year per lot. On Janu¬ ary 1, 1802, the Reverend James Malcolmson offered the board $2.00 for each of the unclaimed sixty one-half acre lots on the south side of Broad Street (Main) on both sides of the Branch. The board accepted this offer and made quit claim deeds for each one of these sixty lots. On August 19, 1803, Arthur Cunningham was elected in the place of George McConnell and made clerk and treas¬ urer of the board.

In 1801, Robert Frierson made a survey and drew a map of the "Town of Williamsburg" at the King's Tree. As originally platted, the two blocks in the centre of the proposed town had been reserved for the parade ground and the churchyard, and Broad Street had not been planned to divide this reservation. Frierson's map shows Broad (Main) Street passing through this reservation eastward, and that the parade ground had been limited to two lots - that land east of Main Street between Acad¬ emy and Long Streets. The Williamsburg Court House now stands on this lot. The churchyard, as then reserved, was one hundred and five feet in breadth from Academy to Long Streets of present Kingstree. Heller's stables stand on a part of this land.

The market house lot was set apart at the corner of present Main and Long Streets where Miss Andy Lockamy's home stands. Lots 420, where the Post Office now stands; 421, Silverman's building, occupied by Mc¬ Intosh Motor Company ; 422, Long Street tenements ; 423, Kellahan brick stores on Academy Street; and 424, Bank of Kingstree; all were taken from the parade ground and churchyard reservations and sold to individuals.

On this Map of 1801, the present Kingstree Main Street is known as Broad; Mill as Washington: Church as Adams; and Brooks as Jefferson. Beginning at the river, streets running North and South were numbered serially. Academy Street was then called Fourth Street. Later, it was named Bay Street. In 1805, the commissioners set apart a lot where the residence of W. I. Nexsen stands for a public school and a building was erected thereon. This academy finally gave the name to this handsome residence street in Kingstree.

On January 15, 1805, Joseph Scott was chairman of the board and Arthur Cunningham, secretary and treas¬ urer. Arthur Cunningham was appointed agent to carry on a suit against T. T. WToods for conspiracy. The com¬ mission had on November 27, 1800, employed T. T. Woods as surveyor to lay out the parade ground on which it was found that John Brady had built his house. WToods had been employed also as clerk of the board. At this meeting of the board on January 15, 1805, it is recorded in the minutes that the board adjourned to meet on the first Monday in February after the meeting of the committee appointed to place a Court House in Williamsburg.

In 1805, Joseph Scott died and Thomas Rodgers was elected in his place. In 1806, after many surveys of the town had already been made, Theodore Gourdin and John Scott, of Kingstree, obtained a restraining order from the court in the matter of the boundary lines of the town. Captain Samuel Malcolmson, Major John Nesmith, and Samuel Fluitt were appointed a committee to have the boundaries of the town confirmed by the courts. Henry Mouzon and Isaac Singletary were appointed as surveyors to determine the boundaries of the town and to make a new plat. On October 10, 1806, the commissioners attended the first court held in the town of Williamsburg and there sought an order confirming the boundary line as made.

On February 22, 1808, James G. McGill and Janies B. McConnell were appointed commissioners to succeed Major John Nesmith and E. H. Hewitt. In 1809, the board of commissioners consisted of Thomas D. Beard, Samuel Malcolmson, Thomas Rodgers, James B. McConnell, Arthur Cunningham. At this meeting, Patrick Cormick was elected in the place of William Moore, and Robert Witherspoon vice Samuel Fluitt. Patrick Cormick did not accept, so John Broome was elected. The next year Dr. T. M. Brown filled the vacancy caused by the resigna¬ tion of Thomas G. Beard.

On the 29th of January, 1810, Thomas Rodgers was ordered to pay $50.00 for the destruction of the old plat of the town of Williamsburg, otherwise to have a new plat made. Colonel Robert L. Witherspoon was given liberty to fence twelve feet of Broad Street (Main) and twelve feet of Church Street in order to plant out shade trees to form a pavement. At this meeting, it was decided to prosecute all men who trespassed on the streets. Dr. T. M. Brown introduced a resolution which was passed that the ground appropriated for Church and yard be kept sacred. At this meeting, the board entered suit against Theodore Gourdin for planting corn in one of the streets of the town. Thomas Rodgers was fined $10.00; Martin Staggers, $8.00; William Staggers, $8.00; Samuel Fluitt, $5.00; and Samuel Malcolmson, $2.00 for culti¬ vating crops in the streets. A resolution was passed that Broad Street should be forever the center street in the town and on no account be thereafter changed. John Matthews and Patrick Cormick were elected members of the board to succeed John H. McConnell and James B. McConnell. At the meeting of the board of July 6, 1821, Patrick Cormick was sold that portion of a lot of land lying in front of his house extending to Broad Street, directly between the Court House and the Jail, at the rate of $1.03 per foot.

In 1800, the following men or their heirs owned lots as follows: 1, James Fisher; 2, Thomas Hall; 3, Richard Hall; 4, William Morgan; 5, John Basnet; 6, Robert Finley ; 7, Archibald Connor ; 8, Samuel Kennedy ; 9, Francis Goddard; 10, Isaac Mattheivs; 11, Robert Fullwood; 12, John Dawson; 13, Thomas Lake, Esq.; 14,