USA > South Carolina > Historic houses of South Carolina > Part 6
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POINT COMFORT
Adjoining the plantation of Mepshow (said in Dr. Irving's day to belong to the Ball estate, and only interesting on account of the land titles and Indian name) is found Point comfort, said by Dr. Irving to belong to R. W. Roper, now in possession of a Charleston family, connections of the Roper family, which is to be remembered particularly by the hospital bearing their name and which was founded by money left through the estate of this particular branch of the family. The house at Point Comfort was built by Mr. Roper, and resembles the Roper house on John's Island. Both are going to ruin.
On the plantation can be seen the remains of this beautiful house built of brick and conforming to the strictest archi- tectural code. It is said by Mrs. R. P. Tucker (Cornelia Ramsauer) to be the most satisfying situation for and design of a home of elegance and beauty, but now gone to ruin, al- though Mrs. Tucker states that even yet a student of archi- tecture would find a perfect example of early American architecture at its best in the front and side elevation of this large brick house.
The house is situated upon a knoll, and is surrounded by oak trees draped in moss which give a sombre aspect to this once busy plantation home, once well planted, well planned and well developed, now the lonely abode of vagrant winds.
Underneath the house is a series of large arches acting as supports, the enclosed part of which affords space for the household offices and constitutes a basement. Over the central front arch is built the "grand stairway, " after the fashion of French Colonial houses, viz., with a central landing at the
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piazza level descending on either side. This stairway is of marble with iron balustrades.
The house itself, irrespective of the basement, has two .. stories and an attic. The lower floor has two very large double windows, in the French fashion, which are found on either side of the house, and lead from the piazza directly into two large front rooms, which may be at will thrown together. In- side there are (so far as the casual inspection possible from the outside reveals) splendid examples of paneling and wood- work. The house at Point Comfort will soon be a thing of the past unless steps are taken to restore to its pristine beauty this fine old place worthy of a better fate.
WAPPAHOOLA
There stands at Wappahoola, on a creek bearing the name, a delightful old house built of black cypress, said to have been constructed under the personal supervision of the owner (a Mr. Porgson) by slave labor. This property has, of course, a set of outbuildings, and is a fine and complete example of an artistically planned home of a farm house type.
It is raised a few feet from the ground, and the front elevation shows the usual veranda with its low-hanging eves, the second story being without piazzas of any kind. As this type of house is met with in a modified form in so many in- stances along the Cooper River it must have been adopted because found to be absolutely the best for the daily regime of plantation life, while entirely suitable for the residence of a gentleman and his family of antebellum days; thus the houses at Wappahoola, Pimlico, Quinby and Limerick are all modeled on this general plan, with slight variations.
The house was said to have been built by Mr. Porgson, but in Dr. Irving's book it is ascribed to E. Lucas; it is better known as the home of Frank Heyward, whose father's town house was that wonderful old brick house on Legare Street now owned by Lamb Perry, just south of the Smythe house on the eastern side.
Frank Heyward married Fannie Ferguson, a daughter of James Ferguson and Abbie Ann Barker, and Wappahoola is
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still called the Home of the Heyward family, being the resi- -dence of a son, and a daughter, Marie, and another daughter, Mrs. G. Cannon, while another daughter, Panchita, Mrs. Wil:" liam Grimball, resides in Charleston.
DOCKON
The plantation next to Wappahoola is Dockon. Dr. Irving says Dockon plantation near Wappahoola was originally the property of Jacques duBose, and owned in 1742 by Samuel and Joseph Wragg, passing to Ropers, Lucas, and Fergusons, in whom it was vested a century later. Mrs. Samuel G. Stoney gives the information that the Dockon house was burnt, but that a beautiful avenue is left, and an unpretentious wooden house. According to Mrs. Stoney there was at Dockon a very valuable library at one time. Certainly a literary flavor of a spicy quality emanates from a famous novel called "Verve Cliquot," written by Mrs. General Ferguson, who was a lady from New Orleans and visited at Dockon. Mrs. Stoney is also the authority for the statement that at one time there were three Ferguson brothers well known in Charleston so- ceity, Dugué, Tom, and Sam, all being dead now except Major Thomas B., who was at one time Minister to Sweden and Norway.
The progenitor of this flourishing family was Thomas Fer- guson, who became a man of property and standing in South Carolina. "He was, " said Dr. Johnson, "born on a piece of land seven or eight miles north of Charleston, between the Dorchester and Goose Creek roads; and when an infant was removed by his parents, on a pillow, to a ferry of which they had become managers, sometimes called Ferguson's but more commonly called Parker's Ferry. Young Ferguson grew up proficient in all outdoor sports, and Mr. John Parker, then a boy and heir to the ferry (afterwards a member of Congress) became much attached to young Ferguson."
Mr. Ferguson's first outfit was very limited. It consisted of two negroes and a buck saw. He continued, however, to work hard, secured the good opinion of his friends and neigh- bors, and finally became overseer to several plantations, gen-
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"WAPPAROOLA," WESTERN BRANCH COOPER RIVER Built by Parson Porg ion. New the Heyw ard hange
WESTERN BRANCH OF COOPER RIVER
erally rising from that position to that of manager. He soon became independent, wealthy, popular and influential. He married happily and advantageously. In fact, if all that Dr. Johnson's Traditions tell of him is true, he may be said to have married early and often, having had no less than five suc- cessive wives.
It is narrated in Charleston of a certain dignified gentle- man who was frequently married, that upon the occasion of his last marriage his eldest son, by his first wife, failed to attend the wedding. When asked why he thus absented him- self from this ceremony he is said to have replied : "Pshaw! I haven't got time to go to all of Pa's weddings."
"Pa" seemed to have had a short memory also, for a lawyer is said to have been handling some property that the gentleman had acquired by one of his first marriages and to have remarked: "Now this property came to you when you were married to Miss So and So, "
The old gentleman protested that he had never married that lady. "Only thought of doing so." Finally convinced, however, that he actually had married the lady in question, he is said to have given in by saying casually, "Oh, yes, so I did by the way, and a very good woman she was, too."
Be that as it may, Mr. Thomas Ferguson was certainly five times married, and, according to Dr. Johnson, his wives were : (1st) a Miss Elliott; (2nd) the widow North, of the Perry family, by whom he had two children, James and Anne, the latter of whom became Mrs. Charles Elliott and subsequently Mrs. Richard Berresford; (3rd) Miss Martha O'Reilly, a handsome woman, by whom he had four sons who grew up and married; (4th) the widow of Andrew Rutledge, and daughter of General Gadsden; and (5th) Miss Wragg, who survived him, with two sons.
Col. Ferguson was one of the most influential men in the State and gave his best services to the upbuilding of South Carolina. ITis home in Charleston adjoined the Barker prop- orty on Tradd Street. To reach this latter charming place, now in the possession of the Manigault family, one has to go down a delightful old-fashioned lane which opens into a beau-
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tiful old garden. To the north and to the west of the Barker house were two lots bought in 1762 by James Postelle and Charles Pinckney. and conveyed within a few months to Thomas Ferguson, who erected thereon his dwelling.
Mr. Ferguson was a large planter of the parish of St. Paul, and it is interesting to note in addition to the previous data of this family given in the history of Dockon, that Major Thomas Barker Ferguson, at present visiting in Charleston, says that the first map of Charleston shows a Ferguson house built outside of the town limits. Tradition, he says, has it that the Fergusons came over with Oglethorpe. There were three branches of this family, one settling at Philadelphia, one in the West Indies (from which branch the family in South Carolina came) and the third in Holland, and when Major Ferguson was at a diplomatic dinner in Holland he noticed that he was being closely observed by his host, the reason for this observation appearing later when Major Ferguson was told that he very strongly resembled members of the Ferguson family in that country.
It will be remembered that Mr. Thomas Ferguson, the founder of the family, and the grandfather of Major Thomas B. Ferguson, made his start in life near Parker's Ferry, and Major Ferguson says that his grandfather was related to the Parkers. It is interesting to note in this connection also that Mr. Paul Sanders at Ritter says that his brother now owns and lives in a quaint old wooden house on a high brick basement placed upon land exactly opposite to one of Thomas Fer- guson's first plantations.
As Mr. Ferguson was married five times and had children by each marriage he seems to have disposed of the difficulty of dividing his property by leaving to each set of children the property acquired through their mother. There were, it appears, twenty-six or twenty-seven children by these various marriages.
Major Ferguson states that, should he live five years longer, until 1926, three generations of his family, that is from his grandfather's birth in 1726, his father's birth, 1784. and his own in 1841 and his life prolonged until 1926, these three
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generations which should be six generations (as commonly . computed) will cover two hundred years; a fact unique in American history.
The Ferguson connection with Cooper River property comes in when Mr. Thomas Ferguson married Miss Anne Wragg, Dockon being part of the Wragg property. The children of this marriage were Samuel, DuGue, Thomas Bar- ker. Joseph Sanford, and Fanny, who married Frank Heyward and lived at Wappahoola. (Major Ferguson has this to say in regard to Wappahoola, that the house there was built by Parson Porgson.)
The last mention made of the progenitor of this large and flourishing family, Mr. Thomas Ferguson, is when he was appointed aide to General LaFayette, who visited this country in 1821. Thus it will be seen that the dwellings, names and histories of the Barkers, Broughtons, Fergusons and Fitz- simmons are closely interwoven.
Dr. Sanford Barker was the brother of Major Theo. G. Barker, and their mother was a Miss Millican, whose father was the builder, for the Broughtons, of the house next under discussion.
Thomas Ferguson not only merited, but received the friend- ship of the distinguished men of his day, his friendship with Christopher Gadsden being a matter of history, where it is recorded that "an extrordinary intimacy and attachment ex- isted between General Gadsden and Mr. Ferguson, and con- tinued to the end of their lives."
SOUTH MULBERRY
A discussion of the geographical arrangement of the plan- tations on the western side of the western branch of the Cooper River shows that the first house situated near the water after leaving Pimlico is South Mulberry, formerly included in the Mulberry tract upon which North Mulberry was built. The two Mulberry tracts, north and south, were originally included, by error, in Fairlawn Barony, but their history will be dis- enssed in connection with the history of Mulberry house.
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On South Mulberry-stands an old wooden house sometimes called "Home Place, " the chief charm of the place being the garden filled with rare shrubs cultivated by Dr. Sanford Bar- ker, who married Christina Broughton, of North Mulberry. Dr. Barker was a botanist who failed to record his scientific achievements, but one who loved to botanize, and with whom many noted scientists also botanized on long "visits" to South Mulberry extending over many months at a time
The Barkers, Broughtons, Fergusons and Fitzsimmons were all connected by marriage. The first mention of Barker in connection with Cooper River is found in Mills' "Statis- tics," which tells of the massacre by the Indians of the gar -. rison at Schinskins. "A similar act of perfidy on the part of the Indians was committed about the same time, a little above the Eutaws, at a place called Barker's Savannah. The commanding officer, Col. Barker, from whose defeat the scene of action acquired its name, was drawn into an ambuscade by the treachery of an Indian named Wateree Jack, who pre- tended friendship, and lured the white people into a snare."
The Barker family residence in Charleston was found on the southern part of a lot on Tradd Street nearly opposite to Logan Street.
THE MULBERRY
Mulberry, also called " The Mulberry," or " Mulberry Castle, " was built in 1714. The land on which the house stands was purchased from Sir John Colleton by Thomas Broughton, afterwards the first Lieutenant-Governor under the Royal Government, and one of the Council who signed the celebrated " Church Act." Mr. Salley says that " at a very early date there was a landing at ' The Mulberry ' on Cooper River. Col. Thomas Broughton bought the place and built there, in 1714, a handsome house which is still standing-one of the hand- somest examples of the provincial architecture of that date to be found in America to-day."
According to Mills' " Statistics," " In the Indian War of 1715, St. John's and St. Stephen's parishes were the frontiers of the province. In or near them were three forts : the first on
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" MULBERRY CASTLE" WESTERN BRANCH COOPER RIVER, BUILT 1714 The old Broughton place; now owned by Mr. C. Chapman
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Cooper River, about. 3 or 4 miles below Monk's Corner, on the plantation of Mr. Thomas Broughton, called Mulberry ; the second on Mr. Daniel Ravenel's plantation, called Wantoot; the third on the plantation of Mr. Izard, called Schinskins, on the Santee River. The garrisons at Schinskins were all mas- sacred in consequence of their own imprudence in permitting a number of Indians to enter the fort under the cloak of peace and friendship."
Dr. Irving declared that as late as 1842 an old cannon, the relic of bygone days, was still to be seen in the yard upon an ancient mound, which mound was doubtless the remains of the old fortifications at Mulberry.
. In the "History of Fairlawn Barony," Judge Smith says : "On 6th September, 1679, an additional grant was issued to Sir Peter Colleton for 4423 acres on Cooper River, lying ad- joining to and south of the Fairlawn Signiory.
"The tract included in this last grant was afterwards known as 'Mulberry,' although it would appear, from what subsequently occurred in connection with the sale to Thomas Broughton, that the 'first bluff bank,' commonly called the ' Mulberry tree,' was within the lines of the Fair- lawn Signiory."
In January, 1708, Sir John Colleton, son of Peter, executed a conveyance to Thomas Broughton of the tract of 4423 acres granted to his father in 1679, describing it as on the "Westerne Branche" of the Tin Cooper River, which said plantation is now called or known as the Mulberry plantation, a part of which continued in the Broughton family for two hundred years. The error of misunderstanding about the exact loca- tion of "bluff bank" commonly called "the Mulberry tree" caused Thomas Broughton to assume that it was on his tract purchased from Sir John Colleton, and accordingly he placed his settlements upon it only to find that this was a mistake and that he had builded upon a southeastern part of Fairlawn Barony. This was rectified in a neighborly fashion by Sir John transferring to Colonel Broughton 300 acres off that of Fairlawn, and receiving in exchange a similar number of acres
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off the northwestern part of Mulberry and a hundred and fifty pounds additional in money. . -
Long ago when rice was grown at Mulberry "The Meteor". says: "The hill at Mulberry was covered with fine oak, cedar, elm, catalpa, and other forest trees, which, with luxuriant vines of wild grape and supple-jack, made groupings of beau- tiful foliage over the Spanish bayonet and fan palmetto that grow at will on the graceful grass-covered slopes as they trend toward river and forest. From the windows of the house on this plantation miles of riceland lie in view, which are in soft shades of brown and black when ploughed in spring, bordered by the green banks curving with the course of the river, to be followed in June by the tender yellow-green of the growing rice and in September by a waving expanse of golden grain.
"The square red brick building stands on this hill, which ends abruptly in a bluff thirty-five feet high on Cooper River, and slopes towards the forest and ricelands. The exterior is like the picture on the Broughton family tree of the house at 'Seaton' in England, the home of the Broughtons. A Dutch roof (now Mansard) with dormer windows, covers the main building, at the four corners of which are built detached rooms called 'flankers,' which connects with the house by space for a door way. These 'flankers' have each a pointed roof, sur- mounted by an iron vane six feet high, of light arabesque de- sign, upon which swings as weathercock an oblong plate of iron, out of which the date 1714 is cut. Above this date the vane ends in a royal crown. Seen as these 'Hankers' are, from some distance across the low-lying rice fields, they give a quaint, unusual look to the house, and probably led to its being called Mulberry Castle."
The bricks at Mulberry are unusually good. They are varied in shade, the darker or overburned ones being used at the corners and openings as quoins. The entrance to the house is from a porch into the large dining "hall," as it was called. with high ceiling, large windows and the broad fireplace of the time, in front of which stood a heavily built, solid mahogany table, the top being near two inches thick. The walls of this and the adjoining "parlor" were covered with family por-
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traits. The foundation of the house encloses a cellar, deep and wide enough to contain kitchen and store room, with ample space for the wood required to fill the wide hearths above. . Being so much larger and stronger than the neighboring houses, it was a refuge for many families, during the troubles with Indians first, and afterwards with British scouts. Loop- holes for muskets made in heavy window shutters gave means of defence from the four sides of the house. Trap doors in the floors of each "flanker" lead to shallow cellars paved with "French flagstones," in which ammunition was kept. When the "Broughton" of the day was at home, during the war with England, he was liable to surprise from British scouts. He therefore provided a way of escape through a subterranean passage from one of the flankers.
A letter from Mrs. Nath. Broughton, addressed to "Nath. Broughton Esgr., In Charles Town. These June ye 15 : 1732,"' gives fascinating glimpses of the domestic life at Mulberry and neighboring places :
"My Dear
"I sent on Sunday to wassamsaw about the fouls, my father having forgot to tell me what you desired till Saturday, there- fore could send no sooner M" Lawson sent me worde his wife had none fit for yeus as yet, he came down on Tusday and tould me had heard of Some at wampee but could not possably git them at wassamsaw till last night or this day, and as my father thought it was time the things should goe down I have done my best, could get but 3 dozen yong fouls in all the nabour- hood which I send with 14 young gees, they have bin well fed but it is so short a time that be but little the better. I design 2 of them for cosin Manigault if you think well of it should have sent her some fouls if they could have bin had but hope to make it up another time, pray give my affectionate servis to her, I was sorry to hear by Mr. Le Bas she was not well and wish her better health nancy being in want of rounds desier Mrs. La Tour will get withall to make her a couple, [ desire it may be something that looks well they not bring for comon wair, my sister Broughton desiers her to get her a pair of mous gloves at MA ceraus (Sereau!) that will fit cosin manigault she gives her servis to you and all with you, pray give my love to M". La Tour I hope she will excuse
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HISTORIC HOUSES OF SOUTH CAROLINA
my not writing to her, I shall be glad to know whether my neess mazick is brought a bed desier to be remembered to her if you see her, I wish Capt warren a happy voiage, we are all as the doct left us, but have heard my- -has had a bad night I hope to hear by the ---- unity you continue mending which will be a great Satisfaction to
Dear Life your affectionate wife H. CHARLOTTE BROUGHTON.
I send 4 chairs to be bottomed, since you are likely to receive some mony should be glad Mrs. La Tour would bye me a gound as I desired her."
The town residence of the Broughtons is difficult to locate in those early days, but in 1771 the following advertisement would seem to place one of them at least on Tradd Street :
"So. Ca. Gazette, April 4, 1771. Mr. Fournier, Miniature Painter, &c. Is removed to Mrs. Rivers in Tradd St., almost opposite to Mr. Andrew Broughton's: and having now, in a great measure, recovered his health. is ready to wait upon any Gentlemen or Ladies who may be pleased to favor him with their Commands."
The Broughtons married into neighboring families on the Cooper River, and Mulberry was for many years the residence of Major Theo. G. Barker, whose mother was a Miss Millican (whose father built the house for the Broughton family). After being in the hands of Major Barker, whose wife was Miss Louisa Fitzsimmons, the property passed on to other owners. The history of the Fitzsimmons family is wrapped up in the history of lands belonging to the Fitzsimmons and Ham- mond families near the Georgia line. Space does not permit of more than a brief mention of the Fitzsimmons family, some of whom are now living in Charleston and the vicinity. The old family place near Beech Island is in possession of Mrs. J. P. Richards at "Red Cliff," a former home of the Gov- ernor Hammond noted in history as using the famous ex- pression "Cotton is King." The Hammond and Fitzsimmons families have intermarried, and Christopher Fitzsimmons Hammond had in his possession some portraits by Peale of ancestors of both branches of his distinguished family. The
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THE DRAWING-ROOM, "MULBERRY CASTLE," COOPER RIVER:
WESTERN BRANCH OF COOPER RIVER
Fitzsimmons burying ground is found at the Cottage.tract on the Georgia side of the Savannah River. Beech Island, an- other Hammond house, still stands.
Samuel Barker Fitzsimmons resides at old Wiltown. He has in bis possession a most exquisite set of Crown Derby china and many rare pieces of glassware, along with portraits and historic furniture which came to him when the Barker ostate at Mulberry was broken up.
Mulberry finally passed into the hands of Mr. Clarence E. Chapman, who acquired the property when it was in disrepair, having been unoccupied for approximately ten years. He has been much interested in restoring this .old place, and has kept intact all of the original interior furnishing's of wood and iron- work possible. Mr. Chapman has even dismounted certain pieces of ironwork, sending them north. He consulted experts, and had the pieces duplicated in order to fully restore the original property correctly from an historical standpoint; he has also reduplicated the correct furniture for such an estab- lishment, and has treated "The Mulberry" with the respect and reverence worthy of its lineage, for the Ancient Lady says that at Strawberry Chapel "the oldest inscription that is legible is 1757, on the stone that covers Mr. Nathaniel Broughton, of Mulberry Castle, in St. John," who built the house in 1714.
LEWISFIELD
Lewisfield, comprising 1000 acres on the river front, ad- joining Exeter to the north and Mulberry to the south, was transferred by Sir John Colleton, 4th Baronet, on the 15th of September, 1767, to Sedgewick Lewis. At the time of sale this 1000 acres is stated to be known as the "Little Landing, " but after passing into Lewis' hands it acquired the name of Lewis- field, which it has ever since retained. Through intermarriage, the place subsequently passed into the Simons family, in whose possession it continued for many years. Johnson's "Tradi- tions" says that Keating Simons married Miss Sarah Lewis in 1774 and "thereby became possessed of a rice plantation and negroes, on the western branch of Coopere river, which he
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