Mauny House     152     342 E. Liberty

Originally built in 1842 and sold in John Avery, this home was owned by Avery until Federal troops came to York after the Civil War to suppress the Ku Klux Klan, of which Avery was a member.  The present owner-occupants are Steve and Lisa Evans.

This fine Victorian home was built by John Logan, Sheriff of York County and owner of a local lumber yard, in 1889.  The builder spared no expense when constructing this home, which is evident in the solid granite foundation carved to the contour of the hexagonal cupolas on the wraparound porches.  The interior of the home features fireplaces and mantels in every room.  The beautiful original stained glass and sensitive restoration were accomplished by Jim and Lynn Crane.  The present owner-occupants are Rob and Marilyn Bishop.

A pivotal house.  This Piedmont Georgian style house was built 1850-1853 by B. F. Rawlinson, planter, architect and contractor, along with two similar houses away from the corner.  It was in the Grist family for a century after Louis Grist bought it in 1870.  After being out of the Grist family for two decades, the house was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Frederick R. Jackson, Jr. Mrs. (Helen) Jackson is the great-granddaughter of Louis Grist.  John Grist founded the first news publication in York, The Patriot, in 1833, in opposition to the doctrine of nullification.  After two other less successful attempts, the newspaper, Yorkville Miscellany, was begun by Grist in 1843.  John's son, Louis, bought this paper in 1851 and changed the name to Yorkville Enquirer, as it remains today.  Louis's sons took over the paper in 1891.  One of them, Albert, continued with it until his death in 1941.  Dr. and Mrs. Fred Jackson, relatives of the Grists, presently occupy the house.

A pivotal house.  This home and the residence next door were built as wedding presents for twin sons by B.F. Rawlinson, the designer of the first three homes on this block.  Interesting details of the house include unusual heart-shaped designs in the windows surrounding the doors of the upper and lower stories.  The house, which rests on stone corner pillars, rises above an earthen cellar.  The supportive beams of the house are secured by pegs and are each carved with Roman numerals to make construction easier.  Inside, the formal rooms boast similar but distinctively different moldings and headings on and above doors and windows.  Mr. Charles Boyd is the present owner-occupant.

The earliest deed was recorded from Cynthia Moore to James Mason, husband of Mrs. Moore's daughter, Mary Mason, in 1866.  Cynthia's granddaughter became the owner in 1907 and continued to live in her grandparents' home until her death in 1954.

The house then became the home of Mrs. Floy Hammett and later of her granddaughter, Bobbie Jean Barnwell, who with her husband “Pete” extensively and sensitively restored the house in 1992.

The Boyds have lovingly maintained the house, adding many new comforts and furnishing it with family “treasures” Mr. Boyd, himself a twin and son of a twin, feels at home in this gracious house.  Mr. Boyd's son-in-law is a direct descendant of Col. Wiliam Bratton and George Mason IV, Patriots from the Revolution.

The home was purchased by Charles D. Boyd and his wife, the late Susie Bankhead Boyd.

A pivotal house.  This lovely 1850s home was a speculative house built in anticipation of the location of Winthrop College in York.  However, Winthrop located in Rock Hill since York already had two institutions (Kings Mountain Military Academy and York Female Academy).  Present owner-occupants are Mr. and Mrs. James Caldwell.

The house, originally a double angle house, was designed to resemble the Low-Country manor houses.  The plantation style is reflected in this frame design and placement of the windows and chimneys as seen in many old homes in York.

A pivotal house.  Built about 1853, this house was probably copied from a Robert Mills design.  A National Register site, this 1 ½ story antebellum building has a medium gable roof.  On the front is a 1 ½ story portico with a gable roof and four columns.    A recessed transom and sidelights with lattice work frame the main doors.  Below 6/6 windows are lintels.  Lattice work highlights the cornice.  The building sits on a raised brick foundation and is said to be one of the truest examples of the “raised basement” type of house.  Lifted well above the ground, it takes full advantage of the circulation of air.  Exterior wall material is clapboard.  The house originally had outside circular staircases leading to each end of the porch.

George Washington Seabrook Hart (1851-1925) came about 1872 to Yorkville from Wadmalaw Island, a sea island near Charleston, in hopes that the higher altitude would be beneficial to his acute asthmatic attacks.  He “read law” under Major James Franklin Hart (no relation), who evidently helped make it possible for the young man to buy this property.

G. W. S. Hart married Ellen Almene Hacksett [1860-1940] in 1877.  They became parents of eleven children, two of whom, Brig. Gen. William Lee Hart, U.S. Army Medical Corps, and Rt. Rev. Oliver James Hart, Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, were included in Who's Who in America.  Mr. and Mrs. Frank Robards are the present owner-occupants.

Built by Mr. Olive Lee Saunders around 1910, this two-story clapboard home with medium hip roof features a one-story porch with hip roof supported by columns, and recessed transoms and sidelights around the main door.  This home reflects the values typical in the late Victorian era, evidenced by use of the non-symmetrical balance along with the movement to revert to a “simpler” lifestyle.  Present owner-occupants are Russell Propst and Deborra Wood.

Originally owned by the Adickes family, this site was purchased in 1849 by Robert Gadsden McCaw [S.C.'s Lt. Gov. in 1864-1865].  During the tumultuous 1860s, the property was owned by the Palmers and Arledges and, early that decade, a residence was built.  In 1912, this property was bought by York attorney J.C. Wilborn. Present owner-occupants are Mr. and Mrs. Zane Abernethy.

Built circa 1883 by Dr. A. Y. Cartwright, this home was sold in 1893 to W. Brown Wylie.  After being inherited by Rachel Wylie (Mr. Wylie's daughter), the house was purchased in 1947 by Helen Ervin.  During the 1970s it was completely restored by the Flack family, which added a gazebo and garage.  Present owner-occupants are Mr. and Mrs. James Neary.

A pivotal house.  This fine home was built in 1900 by the Stroup family in the Colonial Revival style.  The house includes many architectural features not usually found in the Up-Country.  These include high-columned, mirrored mantels with overmantels.  Of prominence is the entry hall, which boasts an unusually large centered staircase with matching side hallways and ornate hand-cut latticework which graces the ceilings.  A second rear staircase bespeaks the beautiful detailing of banisters and rails.  The large, columned front porch and the flower house in the front yard are framed by white block walls and iron gates that exemplify the beauty of its period.  Mrs. Ralph Wiley is the present owner-occupant.

A pivotal house.  According to original architectural plans, this Carpenter Gothic house with a gable roof was built in 1890 by Brooks Inman, the first occupant.  The three stories high bays with a gable roof have one dormer each.  Woodwork and imbricated shingles spotlight the dormers.  A one-story, open porch runs the length and sides of the house, and features several carved posts, heavy woodwork, and ornate pediment.  Decorative carvings, fluted sides, and a lintel frame the main door.  Above each window is a fluted entablature.  Snow remains on this roof longer than in any other spot in York.

The tour turns south on College Street.