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A Short History of Union County South Carolina: Union County was named
for the old Union Church, which served both the
Union County was created as a
part of Ninety Six District in 1785. It was part
Much fighting took place here during the
Revolutionary War, including the battles of |
 Location of Union County in South Carolina |
 William Gist (Gov) House |
Left - Below The home of Secession Governor William H. Gist was built in 1812. It is a 2 1/2 Stuccoe brick building with a double-tiered portico. The grounds contain formal boxwood gardens, large magnolia trees, slave quarters, kitchen, and carriage house. Restoration initiated by the Fairforest Chapter D.A.R. Rose Hill is now a State Park. |
 Fairforest Creek |
 William Gist (Gov) House |
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 The Gist Cemetery |
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 William Gist |
 William Gist |
 Gist Cemetery |
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The Quaker Cemetery (1778) - More Gist Family Located on the road past Padgett's Creek Baptist Church on the right side Click Here to View of List of Those buried here
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 Cross Keys (Robert arrived here 1788) |
 Union City Limits |
 Cross Keys House (Barnum Bobo) Click HERE to go to a 4 page story of the Cross Keys House Plague reads: "South Carolina - CROSS KEYS HOUSE: A post office was established in 1809 at Cross Keys SC. In 1812-14 Barham Bobo erected this house at the intersection of the Piedmont Stage Road and the Old Buncombe Road. During the ante-bellum period it was the center of a prosperous plantation. The gables of the building contain the cross keys insignia and the dates of the construction". |
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 Cross Keys House (Barham Bobo) |
Cross Keys House - Built in 1812-14 by Barham Bobo, he had the crossed keys insignia of a Ship's Purser (the storekeeper and formerly paymaster) engraved in the topmost gables. The Georgian style home is a carryover from the 18th century in design. Here Jefferson Davis the confederate president, for a noon meal on his flight south in 1865. |
 Cross Keys House (Barham Bobo) |
 Cross Keys House (Barham Bobo) |
 Cross Keys House (Barham Bobo) |
 Cross Keys House (Barham Bobo) |
 Cross Keys House (Barham Bobo) |
 Cross Keys House (Barham Bobo) |
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Below
- Built by Byrd Murphy in
1794, it is one of the few 18th century structures extant in Union
County. A typical Up-Country farm house it is a frame, two-story building
with a shed-roofed one story porch. The house was called the Cedar
Bluff House. The house is located about 7 1/2 miles SW of Union,
SC, on the north side of Hwy 49, on the North Bank of the Tyger River.
The Pictures below were taken about 1989-90, and currently the house is
in poor condition.
Pictures and Article provided by |
 Cross Keys House (Barham Bobo) |
 The Byrd Murphy House or Cedar Bluff House In recent times "The Joe Smith Place" Return Murphy Web Page |
 The Byrd Murphy House or Cedar Bluff House In recent times "The Joe Smith Place" |
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April 2006 Update - Murphy - Cedar
Bluff & Joe Smith House (Controversy surrounds ownership of this house) Picture provided by: Mary Ruth Thomas
Images below from SC Archives Website - Cedar Bluff House in Better Days...
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 Hiram Byrd Murphy House |
 Hiram Byrd Murphy House Return Murphy Web Page |
| Above ^ Compare the Byrd Murphy House, Hiram Murphy and the Kindred Bobo
House (below), for there similarities. |
 Hiram Byrd Murphy House |
 Robert & Addie Murphy Fincher House |
 Robert & Addie Murphy Fincher House |
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More info on the above 3 Murphy homes. By: Vernon M. Stevens "Hiram Byrd (Bird) Murphy
house, my mothers part of his estate after his death. We
lived there from winter 1921 to 1937 it had been sold to Eldridge
Fincher, brother to Robert C Fincher property joining Addie Murphy's, "The original Byrd Murphy -
Bobo house" I visited it yesterday after receiving your
letter I am glad for the two pictures you sent me, of the house, on the
close up the odd shaped limb on the fir tree is still the same now. It
is near Tyger River and is all most hidden from highway 49 by trees,
etc.... |
cont...from left bottom I will copy a statement from one of the last occupants, Vera Smith Spears, teacher, historian, writer etc: "Lewis Bobo, father of Kindred Bobo migrated from France through England and Virginia in the early 1700's. He was granted 700 acres of land along the Tiger River in Union County SC. The Murphy - Bobo house located on a portion of the original grant. Lewis married Sara Harden and Kindred Bobo was born January 14, 1775. In 1795 he married Mary Murphy, daughter of Simon Murphy Jr., a large adjacent landowners. Also in 1795, Lewis sold Kindred property of the original kings grant for 40 lbs sterling. Mrs. Spear's also says that Lewis Bobo built the Murphy Bobo house for his son and new bride, Mary Murphy." We always knew the place as the "Joe Smith Place". Joe Smith, father of Vera Smith Spears, owned and lived there as far back as I can remember, with several other children, most of which moved away, some to Charlotte, N.C. Still owned by some descendants. Mr. Smith's wife was Nannie Bobo of the area. On this same property there is an old grave yard, (burying ground) known as the Duncan grave yard, yet there is a "Byrd Murphy" buried there. I have seen it years ago while hunting. It has some shaped flat stones. I explain this because there maybe some confusion of the (Byrd-Bird) Murphy's. This one was son of Mark A. Murphy, 1763-1830, married Charlotte Duncan. Byrd 1772-1859, Duncan 1779-1868 (Information given me not my own search). A descendant of the Duncan's came by several years back looking for this grave yard, I couldn't go with him to look for it that day, but gave him some instruction as I had remembered. Later, he called me from home in, Detroit Michigan and said he had found it." Mr. Vernon Stevens is in his mid-80's, as been a member of the Padgett Creek Baptist Church since 1930. END |
| THE KINDRED BOBO HOUSE
In 1795 Lewis Bobo gave his son Kindred a piece of land on the South end of his Union County property as a wedding present. Kindred contracted with John Cain to build a house and in 1799, he and wife Mary Murphy, took possession of it at a cost of $700.00. The house was restored over a 12-year period by Mr. And Mrs. Richard Campbell, and was completed in 1989. The house is presently owned by Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Wilson (Photo/Aricle: Robert G. Bobo, 1996) |
 The Kindred Bobo House |
 Padgett's Creek Baptist Church |
Left - Padgett's Creek Baptist Church -
Established in 1784, the oldest church in the county worships in a
building dating from 1848 and containing a slave gallery.
Robert White Sr. is buried to the left Below - Padgett's Church in 1920 & 1973- Photo's provided by Mrs. Mary Ruth (Norman) Thomas |
 Padgett Creek Baptist Church in 1920, by Mary Ruth (Norman) Thomas |
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 Padgett Creek Baptist Church in 1973, by Mary Ruth (Norman) Thomas |
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 Tiger River |
 Fairforest Creek |
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Historical
Plaque Union Co SC Hwy 49 (Cross Keys Hwy)
Photo by John Coggins |
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The Lower Fairforest
Baptist Church as of the year 2000
Church on Hwy 49 little over a mile from
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| Continue the Tour - Robert's Churches - Grave Sites | Visit
BF White's Memorial and Grave site |
