Heyward House and Historical Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Heyward House |
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The Heyward House, now the Welcome Center of Bluffton, South Carolina
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| General information | |
| Type | House |
| Architectural style | Carolina Farmhouse |
| Address | 70 Boundary St. |
| Town or city | Bluffton, South Carolina |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 32°13′59″N 80°51′42″W / 32.2331°N 80.8618°W |
| Opened | 1840 |
| Owner | Bluffton Historical Preservation Society |
The Heyward House is a historic home in Bluffton, South Carolina. It was built in 1841 and shows the early Carolina Farmhouse style. This style was brought to North America by planters from the West Indies. Today, the Heyward House is a museum and the official welcome center for the Town of Bluffton. It helps visitors learn about the area's rich history.
Building the Heyward House
The first parts of the Heyward House were built in the early 1840s. John J. Cole and the enslaved people he owned constructed the north parlor and the bedroom above it. This was meant to be a summer home for his wife, Carolina Corley, and their children. Mr. Cole's main plantation was about 10 miles from downtown Bluffton.
By 1860, Mr. Cole had made the house much larger. He also had a bigger family. During this time, the front and side windows in the main rooms were replaced. The original parlor windows were then used in the dining room and a back bedroom. The inside walls are covered with wide heart pine boards.
The Slave Cabin and Kitchen
On the property, you can still see the last remaining slave cabin in Bluffton. This cabin shows an important part of the history of the people who lived and worked there.
The house also had an original summer kitchen. This kitchen was not attached to the main house. Later, in the 1930s, a large square kitchen was added to the main house. The old summer kitchen was moved to the back of the property. Parts of it were damaged by beetles, so it was rebuilt using some of the original wood and some new wood.
New Owners and Modern Use
After the Civil War, Mr. Cole passed away from tuberculosis. In 1874, his family sold their property in Bluffton and moved to Texas. Mrs. Kate Du Bois, whose husband was the federally appointed Post Master, bought the house.
In 1882, Mrs. Du Bois sold the property to Mrs. George Cuthbert Heyward, Sr. The house stayed in the Heyward family for many years. In 1998, the Bluffton Historical Preservation Society bought the house. They worked to preserve it. Now, it is open to the public as the town's only house museum. It also serves as the official welcome center for the town.
