USA > South Carolina > Aiken County > Graniteville > A history of Graniteville > Part 2
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When the mill was built in 1877, the builders removed the two upper stories of the old stone mill and added three stories of brick and two stories of granite. The two stories of granite are thus the oldest structure in South Carolina still used as a cotton mill. In the original granite wheel house with about a decade of intermission, the turbines have whirled for more than 110 years. The mill began with 1520 spindles and 25 looms to spin one-half of its yarn. It was operated by 30 whites and 20 slaves working both wool and cotton.
Vaucluse was settled by French Hugenots in 1830. The settlers gave the town the same name as their hometown near Alvon, France. (In all probability, that is where the expression that everyone born in Vaucluse has a "knot on his head' came from - Hugenots).
The old Vaucluse Mill Bell was cast in Midway, Mass. and has the date 1876 on it. It was used as an 'alarm bell', ringing at 5:00 a.m. to awaken the people. At 5:45 a.m. the bell rang out, calling the workers to the mill to begin their 12 - hour day of toils. Finally at 6:00 a.m. the "work bell' rang, signaling the start of a long day. At noon the bell rang to signal that it was dinner time. At 6:00 p.m. the bell brought the welcome end of the day.
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THE BEGINNING OF GRANITEVILLE SCHOOL
William Gregg, the founder of Graniteville, was what might be called a benevolent despot. "He acted in all his plans for the life of the people of Graniteville, from a profound sense of social obligation."
When in 1848 Mr. Gregg was working out the plans for his venture into building the mill at Graniteville, it is certain that the teaching of reading, writing, and arithmetic to the children was as definitely a part of his program as the industrial training of the operatives or the profits of the company. He took a great interest in school and held it dear to his heart. 1
Gregg inaugurated the first compulsory education system (although informal and limited yet surprisingly effective) in the South and perhaps the first in the whole country. This is the way he described it himself - "All parents are required to keep their children between the ages of six and twelve at school ... good teachers, books, etc. are furnished by the company free of charge." Usually in his daily visits to the mill, he would stop by the school at recess time. The children would climb over his buggy and he would laugh and play with them. Very often he would go in and talk to the pupils. And, often he would bring ja big tub of peaches from his farm, set it in the school yard and let the children help themselves to all the peaches they wanted.
Mr. Gregg not only had his compulsory school attendance law, but he was his own enforcement officer. If he found a boy playing hooky, he would return him to school, or if the offense were repeated, would take him to the office for a 'licking". Several times he was known to go to the 'ole swimming hole" and bring boys back to school. If the children's punishment and the lecture given by Gregg did not suffice to secure the attendance of the children, the offending parents were fined by him five cents a day for every day a child stayed away from school. Not only did he insist on the children of the village going to school, but he was anxious for the children in the country near by to benefit also.
One day Gregg learned that a boy who had often fallen under his displeasure of truancy had sneaked off from school and gone fishing. Gregg lay in wait for him on the road and as the boy came from the bushes beside the stream, seized him, lifted him into the buggy and drove him to the mill office. The boy got a new punishment instead of the customary whipping. He was stood on a high bookkeepers desk and left there without a word. The employees had been tipped off to ask him questions as they went by. Then Gregg would explain, "There stands a boy that would rather go fishing than get an education." The little fellow grew weary of hearing this and begged to be let down with a promise he would never run away from school again.
The school was known as the Graniteville Academy. It was far superior to those carried on by the state and county authorities. It was supported by the company and independent of state supervision. While the state schools were open three or four months in a year, with poorly trained and underpaid teachers, and where children learned only a smattering of any subject, the Graniteville Academy had a regular nine months course from October to July. It had teachers who were well prepared and occupied a comfortable school house.
The school, after it had been in operation for a few years, had three teachers, two of them ladies from Charleston and the third a man.
One of the first superintendents of the Graniteville School was William Marchant, a very extraordinary man. He had a passion for teaching with a burning passion like that which moves martyrs and heroes. His desire to impart knowledge was a living flame in his heart and soul. The punishments he gave his pupils were quick and severe.
On the walls of the schoolroom were hung large yellow maps. There were no names of any kind printed on the United States map - just outlines of every state, all the principal cities, rivers and lakes but no names. The location of the places was learned in reference to their surroundings.
Occasionally, and always without previous warning, the whole school was taken off its regular routine of studies and the
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(schools cont.)
attention of all the pupils was concentrated for a whole week on some special subject. There was an Arithmetic Week, a Spelling Week, etc. At this time every one concentrated on the one subject for that week - without even a glance at any other subject.
Sometimes Mr. Marchant would take the class on a visit to some special place - maybe a paper mill close by or some other place of interest. After the children returned, they were asked to write a paper about the things they had seen on the trip.
Our school system has continued to improve each year until now it ranks high in the state, We are aware of the fact that the early action of William Gregg is undoubtedly somewhat responsible for the fine reputation we enjoy today with regard to our schools.
At the time Mr. Marchant was the principal of Graniteville Academy, Mrs. Anna Hard had a private school for those children whose parents did not want to send them to "public" school. "Public School" were dirty words then.
Mr. Marchant had goats - Mrs. Hard had ducks. In the afternoons when the children were coming from opposite directions from school, they poked fun at each other; Mr. Marchants goats, "baa, baa" and Anna Hard's ducks, "quack, quack'.
Later Mrs. Hard gave up her private school to teach in the academy for about sixty years and two or three generations. A better teacher never lived.
Since then there have been many good and dedicated teachers.
One portion of the original H-shaped building now stands. It is now used as a club house for senior citizens. However, the top story once used as the first grade room and some of the triangle cloak closets are still there. The stairs where the little ones stumbled down to chapel are there, also.
The original and the part that still stands has the simple Gothic beauty with its vertical siding, steep-pitched roof, and scalloped border that the original buildings and homes have.
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STUDY AREA
2
....
Savannah
AIKEN
78
AUGUSTA
78
S. C.
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25
River
SAVANNAH I RIVER PLANT
LIMIT OF STUDY
GA.
191
CR.
VAUCLUSE
FLAT ROCK POND
spil
BRIDGE CR. POND
LIMIT OF STUDY. 254
LANGLEY POND
GRANITEVILLE
78
0
and
Jeeller
LIMIT OF STUDY
GLOVERVILLE
WARREN- VILLE
SAND
ROBINSON POND
RIVER
LIMIT
1
OF STUDY
19
AIKEN
78
(215)
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY SAVANNAH DISTRICT, CORPS OF ENGINEERS SAVANNAH, GEORGIA FLOOD PLAIN INFORMATION AIKEN COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA
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SCALE IN MILES O 2
3 4
GENERAL MAP
DECEMBER 1971 DMS 62/122
PLATE 1
HORSA
BRIDGE
VAUCLUSE
CRC
421
BURNETTOWN
19
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Settlement
Aiken.County, with an area of 1,097 square miles, was formed in 1872 from parts of Orangeburg, Lexington, Edgefield, and Barnwell Counties. The county was named in honor of William Aiken, builder of the South Carolina Railroad. The early settlers came to the area to avoid malaria which, at that time, was' prevalent on the Atlantic Coast. Aiken County's early economic development was centered around agricultural products. The last decade has been witness to a rapid population growth as manufacturing has increased job opportunities. Continued growth and development of the county is expected because of the mild climate, natural resources, and expanding transportation routes.
The Stream and Its Valley
Horse Creek, with a drainage area of 158 square miles at its mouth, joins the Savannah River near the City of Augusta, Georgia. The watershed of Horse Creek, which drains a portion of the Sand Hill Section of South Carolina, is almost entirely within Aiken County. Above Vaucluse, Horse Creek flows in a steep channel through woodlands in a narrow valley. In this upper reach, the average stream slope is about 40.0 feet per mile; however, below Vaucluse the stream slope becomes more gradual. The average stream slope of Horse Creek from its headwaters to its mouth is 22.0 feet per mile.
The stream reaches of Horse Creek, Sand River, and Bridge Creek included in this study are shown on the general map. Horse Creek flows southward from its source at the north-central
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part of Aiken County and the southeastern part of Edgefield County. Horse Creek falls about 66 feet in the 6.1 miles of the reach of stream included in this study which results in an average slope of about 10.8 feet per mile. Bridge Creek, with a drainage area of 12.1 square miles, drains the northwestern portion of the City of Aiken and flows west to join Horse Creek about a mile north of the City of Graniteville. The stream falls about 178 feet in the 3.4 miles of the study area with an average slope of about 52.5 feet per mile. Sand River, with a drainage area of 18.0 square miles at its mouth, drains the City of Aiken and flows westward into Horse Creek at the City of Warrenville. This stream falls about 201 feet in the 5.6 miles of study reach with an average slope of 35.8 feet per mile. A view of Horse Creek in the vicinity of Graniteville is shown in Figure 1. Drainage areas at selected locations in the study area are shown in Table 1.
FIGURE 1. View of Horse Creek in the vicinity of Graniteville. 2
Recollections Of Youth
The Daughter Of William Gregg Recalls The Joys And Fears Of Her Childhood
"My fifth summer was spent at Aiken boarding." Rosa Clara (Gregg) Chaffee wrote in her autobiographical sketch.
"At that time my Father looked over the country search- ing for a suitable spot on which to build a summer home. He found a lovely situation at that time called Summer Hill, but Mother soon named it Kalmia (the botanical name for moun- tain laurel) as there was much of this beautiful flower around and near."
So William and Marina Gregg established their home, Kalmia, on what today is still known as Kalmia Hill. The year was 1846, and just over the hill from Kalmia lay Granite- ville, where Gregg was build- ing a textile manufacturing plant and a whole village around it.
Today, little remains of Kal- mia - a few ancient trees, a hedge of ancient boxwoods 20 feet high, some terracing along the sloping hillside and the foundations of an outbuilding. Approximately where the Gregg mansion stood Is the andsome brick home of Dr. Finley Kennedy, who acquired the site about 30 years ago.
Rosa Clara grew up and, in 1864, married a young Confed- erate soldier, Nathaniel G. B. Chafee. She wrote her memoirs in 1927 at age 86 and she died three years later, al 80.
Her autobiography was dis- covered recently in the Gregg- Graniteville Library at the Uni- versity of South Carolina Aiken. It gives an unrevealed side of Gregg family life and of a girl growing up in a wealthy Southern family in the antebel- lum era. .
It is reproduced here with the cooperation of the Gregg-Gran- Iteville Library:
ROSA CLARA CHAFEE July, 1927
I AM PAST &6, so there is nuch in my long life to remem- xer, and very much that is forgotten.
The first occurrence that I remember was when a little wer 3 years, my Father and Mother and three brothers went North. Whether we went y trains or boats I have no re- collection, nor do I remember where we first stopped, but re- member Milford Ct. where we went to visit some friends.
One afternoon the older peo- ple went for a drive and left us children with our nurse Char- olle, and a young lady. One of ny brothers misbehaved, what le did I do not know, but the ady got a switch with which to correct him. Do not remember f she struck him, but I flew at jer like a tiger, scratching and oulling at her dress, and crying
Aiken History
BY DONALD M. LAW Associate Editor
out, "You shan't whip my brother."
We were separated by the nurse. No doubt the lady was horrified at the temper of such a scrap of mortality, and thought me greatly spoiled, as no doubt I was. We had a pleas- ant walk afterwards, and be- came friends.
The following year, 1845, my mind had considerably devel- oped, for I distinctly remember another trip North with Father, Mother and my devoted nurse, Maria Simkins.
The boys were left in Charleston with the father and mother of our Bishop Ellison Capers.
AT THAT TIME there was no railroad In this state going . North.
There was one running from Charleston, S.C., to Hamburg. opposite to Augusta, Ga., on Savannah River.
We embarked In a little steamer called (the) Vander- bilt, which plied between Charleston, S.C. and Wilming- ton, N.C. I remember all about the Boat, but nothing more un- til we reached our destination Poughkeepsie, N.Y. I remem- ber how the house looked where we went to Board for several weeks. It has three sto- ries, and was kept by a Mrs. Grant, a widow, who had two daughters, who immediately began to make a Pet of me. They were not grown up, but looked very big to little me.
My sister Mary Bellinger was born here that summer, Sept. Ist, 18-15. Dr. and Mrs. Bellinger of Charleston, S.C. went with us. That was proba- bly why Mother chose that City for a stopping place. My sister was named for them. At first I was much pleased with the baby, but the novelty soon wore off, and I preferred to be with my faithful Maria or with the Grant girls.
I CAN REMEMBER the dif- ferent walks Maria and I took. One place I loved to go to was to the laundress who lived at quite a distance across a common.
My Mother told me that once I went up to the third story alone to a Bedroom and locked myself in. There was conster- nation in the house when I was found to be missing. But In a little while Mother's keen cars heard a distant screaming.
I was soon located, bu! the
door was locked and I did not know how to turn the key. Fearing that in my fright I might try to get out of a win- dow, which was scarcely likely, a fireman's ladder was sent for. However, here he came, Mother told me if I could get out the key to push it under the door which I did, was soon re- leased and the commotion ceased. All enjoyed Pough- keepsie, but a parting time arrived.
I remember nothing of the journey until we reached Wil- mington, Del., where we stopped to visit relatives of Fa- ther; James Webb and family (Quaker cousins.)
Cousin Mary, then a young girl, very pretty and sweet, gave me toys and much pleasure.
AFTER LEAVING WIL- MINGTON, DEL., my only rec- ollection was the gladness of getting home lo see my darkey friends and to rove around Mother's lovely flower garden which was my daily delight. With her help and that of the gardener I learned the name of every plant in the garden.
(See RECOLLECTIONS, Page 12)
FATHER: A success'u bus nere ra Marina Jores cl Ridge Spy founded the Grame. . Co any bus' c Granler e He was hic in ane Enc / s. t. · a
0 her father
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RARE PHOTO: This pdl of ham shows rear ve& w h o s' structure The house v orchards, was born d. shipped peaches to Now You raise ca 120 by var o' Railrond.
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GREGG DAUGHTERS: Rosa Clara Gregg, shown at left with younger sister Mary Bellinger Gregg, lived with her family in Charleston and later at Kalmia in Aiken. Portrait is the possession of her great-grandddaughter, Mrs. Talmadge (Charlotte Buchanan) LeGrand ol Columbia.
Recollections
.. (Continued From Page II)
Sometimes strangers would stop, and ask if they could walk around, and look at the roses and other flowers. Mother was always willing and if the gar- dener was too busy she would send me to pilot them around, much to their amusement and surprise that so small a child could tell the names of so many plants and flowers.
. My fifth summer was spent at Aiken boarding. At that time my Father looked over the country searching for a suit- able spol on which to build a summer home. He found a lovely situation at that time called Summer Hill, but Moth- er soon named it Kalmia (the Botanical name for Mountain Laurel) as there was much of . this beautiful flower around and near. Father set carpen- ters to work, and the next sum- . mer we moved into our new summer home. Our winters were spent In Charleston, S.C. " Our home was at the Western · end of Boundary Street, after- wards call Calhoun.
""I BEGAN TO GO TO . SCHOOL the winter after I was , six. My first teacher was Miss Griggs, a kind pleasant wom- : an. My first little book had pic- . tures in it. Mother had taught
til I learned better ) just as the pictures looked to me. So when I came to a hen I spelled it H-e- n - chicken, which caused quite a little amusement to some of the children who knew more than I did, but my kind teacher soon showed me the difference; and I became an apt scholar in that linc.
But being much annoyed by an older girl, Mother took me away, and put me at Miss Per- ry's where I became a remark- able speller for one so young. Stood head of a large class the whole winter.
I wore a little silver medal as a reward of merit. But next to me was a boy who spelled equally as well, who could not get above me, nor was he ever taken down. This boy after- wards became a physician, Dr. Grange Simons, highly thought of in Charleston. The honor of the medal was divided between us - he wearing it one week, I the other. We were two very proud little youngsters.
NOT WISHING the boys to be idle all summer Father em- ployed a young man from Charleston to teach Them (Mr. John Wesley Miller). I too re- cited a little to him, but was not kept long. A colored girl, named Jane, daughter of our laundress was my constant me the alphabet. I spelled (un- companion'- we played with
AN OLD LADY: Rosa Clara Gregg Chafee holds her infant great-granddaughter, Charlotle Buchanan, in a photo made in 1929, the year before Mrs. Chalee's death. At left is the baby's mother, Clara Hammond Buchanan, wile of distingushed newspaperman George Buchanan, later dean of the University of South Carolina School ·of Journalism; and at right is Mrs. Buchanan's mother, Mrs. Alfred Cumming Hammond (Charlotte Kinloch Chalce), who was Mrs. Chafee's daughter. The baby Charlotte Buchanan is now Mrs. Talmadge LeGrand of Columbia, who made this photo available lo the Aiken Standard.
dolls, and also roved the hills up and down for hours, often bringing wild flowers, tearing our clothes, and running the risk of being bitten by snakes, but there seemed to be few, and they harmless.
The following winter when eight years old my sister and I were put to Mrs. Hahnbaums school. I just remember that Mary did not go until the next winter, when but little over 5 years. Mrs. II. had a sister, a most amiable and lovable per- : son, Miss Rebecca Badger. She taught work, knitting, crochet or sewing. I took crochet, and became quite expert. To me when out of school it became a delightful pastime, and at 86 I am still enjoying it and doing nice pieces of work.
The children all loved Miss Rebecca, but slood in awe of her sister. We were not allowed to go into the work room unless our lessons were perfect. After
two enjoyable winters we were put into another school, at the solicitation of friends. It was kept by Mrs. Basil Lanncau.
BEFORE GOING to this school during the summer my Father took me every morning with him to Graniteville, and pul me lo school with Mrs. B.C. Hard. Ile - Mr. Hard - at that time was bookkeeper and trea- surer at the Graniteville Manu- facturing company.
These two or three summers were the very happiest of my childhood. I loved the whole family, and they were devoted lo me. Sometimes Father would be in deep thought, and leaving to go home to late din- . with tooth-ache. He said to Fa- ther if you will hold the child, I will pull the tooth out, which to a great jollification among the my terror they proceeded to do.
ner, three miles away, would forget me. Then there would be children because I would be there all night and such a frolic we would have. Mr. Hard join -. 'ing.us in every game. Such fun
we had.
At Graniteville I met Bella Montgomery, her father being superintendent for the factory. We became devoted friends but she married just before I did and had a most unhappy life, until after the death of her drunken husband.
ONE SAD THING in my child life was my great fear of Father. No one knew it except my playmate Jane. To me he seemed very austere, but I doubt very much if he was, for I did not find it so in later years. One circumstance helped on this great fear. An' uncle was visiting us in Charleston. I was suffering
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(Sec RECOLLECTIONS, Page 13) .
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XVIII -(19)
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