J. Warren Smith House
Encyclopedia
The J. Warren Smith House is a house at 21 North Palmetto Street at the corner of North Palmetto and Edgemont Strees in Liberty, South Carolina
in Pickens County. It has also been called "Maggie Manor" and the Myrtle Inn, which were names during its use as a boarding house. It was named to the National Register of Historic Places
on January 26, 2005. It is considered an excellent example of a Colonial Revival house and for its connection with J. Warren Smith, who was a local business executive.
. He went to public schools and began his career in farming but switched to carpentry for six years. Then he worked for International Harvester
in sales and as an expert in gas engines. In 1910, he founded Liberty Light & Power. Two gas engines were used to produce electric power for Liberty. When demand for power exceeded the company's generating capacity, he sold the company to Duke Power
under an agreement that included lifetime employment. He became the Pickens County manager in its Liberty office. In 1937, he was transferred to Greenville in Duke's Rural Electrification and Engineering Department. He sold his house and moved to Greenville
in 1941. He retired in 1955. In 1966, he moved to Easley
where he died in 1968.
Around the time of the sale of Liberty Power & Light, Smith started building a new house that was appropriate for his status in the community. It is likely that construction took a number of years. Starting in the 1930s, the house was used to board local teachers and others. Eventually, the house became known as "Maggie Manor," which was named for Mattie Smith, wife of J. Warren Smith. When the house was sold to L. J. and Sybil Kelley in 1941, it became the Myrtle Inn. The cook was Mrs. Kelley's mother, who was known as "Granny Chamblin" and also lived in the house with her husband. Myrtle Inn served lunch for boarders and others. It was a popular place for many local businessmen to eat. It was used for boarders and as a tourist home until 1970. It was resold in 2003.
with composition shingles has a balustrade around its top. The house has wide, overhanging eaves. The attic has dormers facing east, south, and north.
The house has two formal entrances with porches. The porches are supported by Doric
columns that are clustered at the outer corners and paired and engaged
at the house. The main entrance is on the east elevation on Palmetto Street and the family entrance is on the north side on Edgemont Street. There is porch on the south elevation. In 1970, this porch was enclosed. The small porch on the west elevation was also enclosed with vinyl siding
about the same time. The ceilings of the porches are bead board.
The windows on the east elevation are mainly six over six light sash windows. The dormers have a pair of smaller six over six light windows.
The first floor has 10 feet (3 m) ceilings. The living room is the main room of the first floor and is off the main entrance. The room has dark oak baseboards that are 10 inches (25 cm) tall. The house has hardwood floors, which are covered in carpet in the living room. The room has a faux brick fireplace with marble mantle.
Other rooms on the first floor are the dining room, center hall with stairways to the second floor and basement, breakfast room, kitchen, south porch, master bedroom and bathroom. The dining room has two fifteen light doors that lead to the south porch. The breakfast room connects with the dining room through a two-paneled swinging door. The kitchen is off the breakfast room and in the southwest corner of the house. A fifteen light door leads to the rear porch. The master bathroom is between a rear hall and the master bedroom.
The second floor, which has 9 feet (2.7 m) ceilings, has six bedrooms and two bathrooms. Each bedroom has a six over six light sash window. The trim is the same as on the first floor. Only one of the bathrooms has the original plumbing fixtures. The other bathroom was converted from a closet. The attic was plumbed with water lines but was never unfinished. It is currently used for storage.
The front of the basement is a crawlspace. The rear is excavated and has the utilities for the house. It has a central vacuum system with connections in each room of the house for the vacuum hose. It has a coal-burning furnace that produces steam for heating. The furnace has a conveyor belt feed system that brings coal from the basement utility room. The basement was altered in 1970 that included a bedroom and an acoustical tile ceiling.
Liberty, South Carolina
Liberty is a city in Pickens County, South Carolina, United States. It is part of the Greenville–Mauldin–Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area...
in Pickens County. It has also been called "Maggie Manor" and the Myrtle Inn, which were names during its use as a boarding house. It was named to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on January 26, 2005. It is considered an excellent example of a Colonial Revival house and for its connection with J. Warren Smith, who was a local business executive.
History
J. Warren Smith (1880-1968) was born in Anderson, South CarolinaAnderson, South Carolina
Anderson is a city in and the county seat of Anderson County, South Carolina, United States. The population was estimated at 26,242 in 2006, and the city was the center of an urbanized area of 70,530...
. He went to public schools and began his career in farming but switched to carpentry for six years. Then he worked for International Harvester
International Harvester
International Harvester Company was a United States agricultural machinery, construction equipment, vehicle, commercial truck, and household and commercial products manufacturer. In 1902, J.P...
in sales and as an expert in gas engines. In 1910, he founded Liberty Light & Power. Two gas engines were used to produce electric power for Liberty. When demand for power exceeded the company's generating capacity, he sold the company to Duke Power
Duke Energy
Duke Energy , headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is an energy company with assets in the United States, Canada and Latin America.-Overview:...
under an agreement that included lifetime employment. He became the Pickens County manager in its Liberty office. In 1937, he was transferred to Greenville in Duke's Rural Electrification and Engineering Department. He sold his house and moved to Greenville
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...
in 1941. He retired in 1955. In 1966, he moved to Easley
Easley, South Carolina
Easley is a city in Pickens County in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is a principal city of the Greenville–Mauldin–Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area. Most of the city lies in Pickens County, with only a very small portion of the city in Anderson County...
where he died in 1968.
Around the time of the sale of Liberty Power & Light, Smith started building a new house that was appropriate for his status in the community. It is likely that construction took a number of years. Starting in the 1930s, the house was used to board local teachers and others. Eventually, the house became known as "Maggie Manor," which was named for Mattie Smith, wife of J. Warren Smith. When the house was sold to L. J. and Sybil Kelley in 1941, it became the Myrtle Inn. The cook was Mrs. Kelley's mother, who was known as "Granny Chamblin" and also lived in the house with her husband. Myrtle Inn served lunch for boarders and others. It was a popular place for many local businessmen to eat. It was used for boarders and as a tourist home until 1970. It was resold in 2003.
Architecture
It is a -story, 4080 sqfoot, brick-veneer house on a brick foundation. The front elevation faces east. The hip roofHip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
with composition shingles has a balustrade around its top. The house has wide, overhanging eaves. The attic has dormers facing east, south, and north.
The house has two formal entrances with porches. The porches are supported by Doric
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
columns that are clustered at the outer corners and paired and engaged
Engaged column
In architecture, an engaged column is a column embedded in a wall and partly projecting from the surface of the wall, sometimes defined as semi or three-quarter detached...
at the house. The main entrance is on the east elevation on Palmetto Street and the family entrance is on the north side on Edgemont Street. There is porch on the south elevation. In 1970, this porch was enclosed. The small porch on the west elevation was also enclosed with vinyl siding
Vinyl siding
Vinyl siding is plastic exterior cladding for a house, used for decoration and weatherproofing, as an alternative to traditional wood siding or other materials such as aluminum or fiber cement siding. It is an engineered product, manufactured primarily from polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, resin, giving...
about the same time. The ceilings of the porches are bead board.
The windows on the east elevation are mainly six over six light sash windows. The dormers have a pair of smaller six over six light windows.
The first floor has 10 feet (3 m) ceilings. The living room is the main room of the first floor and is off the main entrance. The room has dark oak baseboards that are 10 inches (25 cm) tall. The house has hardwood floors, which are covered in carpet in the living room. The room has a faux brick fireplace with marble mantle.
Other rooms on the first floor are the dining room, center hall with stairways to the second floor and basement, breakfast room, kitchen, south porch, master bedroom and bathroom. The dining room has two fifteen light doors that lead to the south porch. The breakfast room connects with the dining room through a two-paneled swinging door. The kitchen is off the breakfast room and in the southwest corner of the house. A fifteen light door leads to the rear porch. The master bathroom is between a rear hall and the master bedroom.
The second floor, which has 9 feet (2.7 m) ceilings, has six bedrooms and two bathrooms. Each bedroom has a six over six light sash window. The trim is the same as on the first floor. Only one of the bathrooms has the original plumbing fixtures. The other bathroom was converted from a closet. The attic was plumbed with water lines but was never unfinished. It is currently used for storage.
The front of the basement is a crawlspace. The rear is excavated and has the utilities for the house. It has a central vacuum system with connections in each room of the house for the vacuum hose. It has a coal-burning furnace that produces steam for heating. The furnace has a conveyor belt feed system that brings coal from the basement utility room. The basement was altered in 1970 that included a bedroom and an acoustical tile ceiling.