Abbeville

Saturday, March 18, 2017


Now that my parents are retired, we enjoy going on an adventure day together about once a month.  Even though my trip planning skills come from my Dad, he still teases me about having an itinerary and depending on where we are going I may have put together a travel folder.  My Dad and I both enjoy (okay love) studying 1860 American History as it relates to the Civil War so we decided to visit Abbeville.  Abbeville is jammed back full of history! 

We stopped in the outskirts of Abbeville to visit the Calhoun Family Cemetery.  There is a historical marker on 1 side of the road & a path on the other side of the road that leads through the woods to the cemetery.  The cemetery is small but very peaceful and at the entrance of the cemetery was one blooming daffodil.  John C. Calhoun’s parents are buried here.  John C. Calhoun is not buried with his family but in Charleston, SC (I will be visiting there soon!). 



  After leaving the cemetery we ventured into Abbeville to the McGowan House.  The house was not opened at the time that we visited (opened Saturdays from 1:00p-4:00p) but I had contacted them prior and verified that it was fine for us to tour the grounds.  General Samuel McGowan was in the Mexican War and then a Confederate General in the Civil War.  After the Civil War he returned to live in Abbeville.  The McGowan House is picturesque!  There are several outbuildings, a large yard, and a pet cemetery.  We also visited his grave at the Long Cane Cemetery.  There are many Confederate soldiers buried at Long Cane Cemetery.

 


 
 
Within walking distance were a Union Canon and a Confederate monument.
 
 The Burt-Stark Mansion sits a distance from the road and is breathtaking!  Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the history of the home and the family.  Jefferson Davis stopped at the Burt-Stark Mansion on his flight at the end of the Civil War.  
 
 Within this Mansion is the bed that Jefferson Davis slept in!

 
 The Original Kitchen House


Downtown Abbeville is charming.  We decided to park the car and walk about the square because there are so many historical sites located within the square.
 Trinity Episcopal Church (1842).
 
 Big Bob.
Outside the Belmont Inn.
 
Secession Hill is located not far from downtown Abbeville and is a very quiet/still place.  
 
 Entrance to Secession Hill

If you are interested in the Civil War/1860s South Carolina history, then Abbeville is the place for you!

Happy Travels,
Amber

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