SOUTH CAROLINA

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Abbeville County.

Abbeville vicinity Octagon house. Built in 1856. The Frazier-Pressley house. Located at the intersection of county roads 33,112 & 47.

GPS coordinates: 34.082173, -82.302157

Left click on the images below for larger versions.

Source: List of octagon houses, Wikipedia. Ellen Puerzer. HABS Project.
Entered: June, 2008.
Updated October, 2009
Updated: October, 2016

Beaufort County.

Bluffton. Octagon house. Two story.
Source: R. Kline.
Entered: September, 2002.
Bluffton. Octagon house. Built before 1796. Located on the May river. Mentioned in a February 21, 2010, Boston newspaper piece, and based on archeological evidence, and a 1796 letter mentioning the house.

Needs confirmation.

Source: Ellen Puerzer.
Entered: March, 2010.

Florence County

Lake City Octagon house. An article mentions an octagon house on Acline Ave being turned into a restaurant, near the old planters warehouse on north Acline w. of rr tracksin 1903. No other info.

Left click on the images below for larger versions.

July 9, 1903

Source: Ellen Puerzer.
Entered: April, 2016.

Greenville County.

Conestee. Octagon church. McBee Methodist Church. Designed ca. 1842, by John Adams, a local wheelwright. Named after Vardry McBee, the "Father of Greenville," who provided the construction funds.

GPS coordinates: 34.766023 -82.353221

Left click on the images below for larger versions.

Source: Ellen Puerzer.
Entered: March, 2010.

Greenwood County.

Cedar Springs. Octagon house. Built about 1852.
Source: R. Kline.
Entered: September, 2002.

Laurens County.

Laurens. Octagon House. Built in 1859 by Rev. Zelotes Lee Holmes, Presbyterian minister and educator. 619 E. Main street. Historic Trust Fund money used for restoration. Certified for occupancy 12/97. Now an apartment building.

Photograph 1
Photograph 2

The following group of photographs is from the Smithsonian HABS project, and shows a great deal of detail about the house, including the fact that the house as shown needs a great deal of work. When the photographs were taken is not stated. The house has been renovated, which is not to say restored, and now serves as an apartment building. Why Historic Trust funds were used to create an an apartment building, rather than restore the house, is not clear.

One also senses from the photographs that the house is quite large. Perhaps ministers were well paid when the house was built. Perhaps the owner had other means.

Photograph 3 Facade, looking south.
Photograph 4 East view.
Photograph 5 South, rear.
Photograph 6 First floor, south side, central hall.
Photograph 7 General view looking northeast.
Photograph 8 Front, looking north.
Photograph 9 South porch, looking east.
Photograph 10 View under south porch, looking east.
Photograph 11 North side, looking south.
Photograph 12 North rear - cooling fireplace.
Photograph 13 Interior, cellar, east side. Fireplace.
Photograph 14 First floor, south room. Entrance and Stair Hall.
Photograph 15 First floor. Center room, looking east. Note the balcony.
Photograph 16 Center room, west wall. Balcony.
Photograph 17 Through south door, into the center hall, looking north.
Photograph 18 First floor, east room, looking north to fireplace.
Photograph 19 First floor, north room looking west.
Photograph 20 Second floor, east room, looking north.
Photograph 21 Second floor, nest room, north wall fireplace.
Photograph 22 Second floor, nest room, north wall fireplace. Different angle. Note hearth.

Miscellaneous history - 1

Miscellaneous history - 2

Sources: Smithsonian HABS project, and Carl F. Schmidt, "More About Octagons." Ellen Puerzer.
Entered: June, 2001.
Updated: July, 2003.
Updated: January, 2012

Newberry County

Johnstone An octagon school known as the Johnstone was founded in 1866 on land donated by Jake Perkins. It was one-room and used until 1924. Newberry Observer 4/28/1939, p6B.

Source: Ellen Puerzer.
Entered: April, 2015.

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