Untitled

Sherman Smith Collection
Accession Number (2000 - 41)

Biographical Information

Sherman Smith was born in Wilkes-Barre, PA, but after moving to Stateburg in 1953 and becoming a real estate agent, he developed a passion for Sumter County history. He was an active member of the Sumter County Historical Society and served as president. The Society established the Sherman Smith Lecture Series in his honor. The Series provided an award for a college student each year to present a paper on a historical subject at the Society. Four of these papers are contained in this collection (2/50, 2/51, 2/52, 3/21).

He became president of the Sumter County Museum when it was moved to the Williams-Brice house in 1972, when he was 73 (see clipping in 2/47). He ran the museum for the next 11 years. During his tenure, he was instrumental in procuring the Broun Family papers, one of the premiere collections in the Archives.

Active in historic site preservation, Sherman Smith was a charter member of the Sumter County Preservation and Restoration Foundation, whose mission was to purchase and restore historic buildings. This foundation was responsible, among other things, for obtaining a grant for $70,000 in matching funds for the restoration of the Sumter Bank Building and the Opera House. He was a member of the Sumter County Historical Commission. He served as chairman of the committee to restore the Church of the Holy Cross, and was responsible for the restoration of the Singleton Cemetery. (see 3/28-3/32, and note also 3/18, a letter from Sherman Smith requesting permission to clean and restore Manchester Cemetery). He died in March 1995.

Scope and Content

The Sherman Smith Collection is stored in three Holinger boxes totaling five cubic feet and covers the years 1817-1993. The bulk of the collection dates from 1964-1990. The oldest documents in the collection are a copy of an 1817 book on John Blount Miller, a copy of an 1851 clipping re: a co-operation meeting listing Miller as a speaker, a 1909 paper, "Some Old Homes of St. Mark's Parish" by Wade Hampton Manning, and a paper on "The History of the Village of Old Manchester" by Ralph Ramsey, written in the 1920's. Also included is the music to the Richardson Waltz, a Richardson family favorite, which was played in the 1700's and 1800's. His papers include correspondence by Pud (Patterson) Myers, Senator Phil Leventis, and Wilber Jeffcoat, and a 1990 paper by Jack Buchannan, "The Historical Society's First Forty Years."

Series:

1. Personal: This series contains his personal papers, correspondence from 1967-1992, cards, employment information, real estate license, and Sumter Production Credit Association information.

2. Sumter County Historical Society: This series contains the Sumter County Historical Society papers from 1964-1993. There are numerous notes throughout by Myrtis Osteen (see especially 2/8), and a Resolution of Appreciation given to Myrtis Osteen May 21, 1983 (2/39).

3. Names and Places: This series contains his research on prominent Sumter citizens and places of historical interest including several National Register of Historic Places nominations. It also contains clippings and correspondence of Portia Myers (3/22).

4. Real Estate: This series contains the papers from his real estate business and several maps.

5. Historic Site Preservation: This series contains the papers from his work on the Inventory of Historic Places project. The resulting work was published in the Historic Preservation Plan & Inventory book (5/1). It includes the original project assignments for gathering information on these sites.

6. Sumter School District 17: This series reflects his work with the School District 17 project. It contains 2 files of information given to all the Social Studies teachers in the district as resource material which Sherman Smith put together to use in conjunction with tours of the sites.

Series 1: Personal

This series contains 8 files and is arranged alphabetically.

1/1 Correspondence-cards and letters, including letter and article from Kinloch Bull re: Sherman Smith's home, Moor Hill, and letter from Hubert Osteen, Jr. re: S. Smith letter printed in The Sumter Daily Item
1/2 Birthday Cards
1/3 Christmas Cards-includes one with note from Portia Myers
1/4 Real Estate License-1978-1982
1/5 Employment Information-early letters of recommendation and resume
1/6 Sumter Production Credit Receipts - life insurance and loan paperwork
1/7 Sumter Production Credit Correspondence-financial letters and papers
1/8 Miscellaneous-business card, religious tract, Sumter Little Theater program

Series 2: Sumter County Historical Society

This series contains 57 files and is arranged alphabetically.

2/1 Board of Governors - roster and meeting announcements
2/2 Brochures, Misc. - out of state travel brochures
2/3 Brochures, GA
2/4 Brochures, SC - includes maps
2/5 Brochures, Sumter - includes Junior Welfare League Puppeteers flyer, Historical Society brochure, which features a pictorial list of all past presidents, &: Historic Tour of Stateburg - Wedgefield
2/6 Bylaws - of the Sumter County Historical Society
2/7 Chanticleer and The Regency - newsletter of the Sumter County Historical Society
2/8 Correspondence, No Date - includes several notes from Myrtis Osteen to Sherman Smith
2/9 1964-66 Correspondence - E.C. Gilmore, Thomas Stubbs, Jim Eaves, Myrtis Osteen, Fulton Creech, & Sherman Smith
2/10 1967 Correspondence - Sallie Anderson, Julia Reynolds, Clemson University at Sumter, Murr Hall, Jim Eaves, Loring Lee, Jr. Jim Haynsworth & letters re: Rembrandt Peale Museum, Gen. Thomas Sumter painting, & Mac Stubbs.
2/11 1968 Correspondence - letters from Loring Lee, Jr.
2/12 1969 Correspondence
2/13 1980's Correspondence - letter and business card from James M. Touchberry of B. L. Montague Co. & Robert Moses
2/14 1990's Correspondence - Pud Myers, Sen. Phil Leventis, & Wilbur Jeffcoat
2/15 Executive Committee Meeting Announcements
2/16 Federal Funding
2/17 Financial Reports
2/18 Gift Agreements
2/19 "Historical Society's First 40 Years" - paper by Jack Buchanan 5/5/90
2/20 Landmark Conferences
2/21 Meeting Announcements - of Historical Society
2/22 Membership Rosters
2/23 1966 Minutes
2/24 1967 Minutes
2/25 1968 Minutes
2/26 1971 Minutes
2/27 1975 Minutes
2/28 1976 Minutes
2/29 1977 Minutes
2/30 1978 Minutes
2/31 1979 Minutes
2/32 1980 Minutes
2/33 1981 Minutes
2/34 1982 Minutes
2/35 1983 Minutes
2/36 1984 Minutes
2/37 1985 Minutes
2/38 1989 Minutes
2/39 Miscellaneous - includes 1967 Sumter City Fact Sheet, Resolution of Appreciation for Myrtis Osteen, Witherspoon Family Chronicle, & Sumter Gallery of Art flyer
2/40 Newsletters, Misc. - Sumter Gallery of Art, Cornelson Family Newsletter
2/41 Newsletters - American Association for State and Local History
2/42 Newsletters - News for S. C. Local Historical Societies
2/43 Newsletters - S.C. Museum Commission
2/44 Newsletters - S.C. Museum of Art, Science and History
2/45 Newsletters - S.C. State Museum Images
2/46 Newsletters - S.C. State Gazette
2/47 Newspaper Clippings - re: F. Kinloch Bull, E.C. Gilmore, Sherman Smith, Jim Eaves, Mrs. W. L. Harritt, Myrtis Osteen, Stateburg Zoning & Museum
2/48 Papers - Rough Drafts - "History of Carnegie Hall," & notes on historic preservation, art & church history
2/49 Slide show for Historical Society
2/50 Sherman Smith Lecture Series - "Lost Towns of Sumter County" by Vikki Brogdon-Parimuha
2/51 Sherman Smith Lecture Series - "Sumter County Artists" - by Michael D. Duffy. Includes bio
2/52 Sherman Smith Lecture Series - "The Carnegie Library" - by Ruth Edens
2/53 Speech on Historic Preservation
2/54 State Historical Society Directories
2/55 Technical Leaflets on artifact preservation and displays
2/56 Williams Brice Museum Miscellaneous - includes brochures, bylaws, inventory of collection, schedule, operating manual
2/57 Williams Brice Museum Fact Sheet

Series 3: Names and Places

This series contains 54 files and is arranged alphabetically (note, those files with a letter after them are files which were found and merged into the collection after it had been numbered).

3/1 Bethel United Methodist Church - booklet
3/2 Borough House - National Register of Historic Places documents, article on Pise de Terre, pictures, maps
3/3 Boykin's Mill-letters
3/3B Brogdon, J. Clinton House - National Register nomination
3/4 Brookland - maps, letters, legal documents
3/4B Bull, F.K. - paper on DeSaussure Bull, on Moor Hill, and letters to Sherman Smith
3/4C Carnegie Building - National Register nomination
3/5 Churches - brochures re: "Early History of Sumter Churches" by Stubbs, "Church of Holy Comforter 1857-1959," article; Bethel Baptist Church, letter from Myrtis Osteen to Sherman Smith Re: Mrs. Elijah Sanders and money for High Hills Baptist Church & Historical Survey notes on churches.
3/6 Church of the Holy Cross-booklets: 1850-1950; 1850-1975; 1788-1988; National Register of Historic Places nomination; letters, & Certificate of Appreciation to Sherman Smith from vestry of Holy Cross
3/7 Dingle's Mill - National Register of Historic Places application
3/7B Dinkin's Mill - handwritten
3/8 Ellerbe's Mill - National Register of Historical Places application
3/9 Ellison Graveyard - letter from S. Smith to Richard K. Anderson requesting permission to make repairs of the cemetery; invoice from Service Electric and Plumbing to S. Smith for repairs.
3/10 First Baptist Church (Brown Chapel) - letters to deacons at First Baptist Church asking that they reconsider demolishing Brown Chapel. Paper on William Augustus Edwards, architect of building.
3/11 Hampton Park Historic District - National Register of Historic Places nomination and zoning proposal
3/12 Haynsworth, James - - letters re: Stateburg
3/12B Heriot - Moise House - aka Ingleside, National Historic Register nomination
3/13 Home of Thomas Sumter - letters to and from Reverend Thomas Sumter Tisdale
3/14 Kensington - clipping
3/15 Lee, Robert E. - paper on Lee, paper on Albert Capers Guerry, painter of the R. E. Lee portrait in Sumter County Museum, picture of portrait
3/16 Lenoir Store - National Register of Historic Places nomination
3/17 Manchester - paper: "History of the Village of Old Manchester" by Ralph Ramsey, written in early 1920, Poinsett State Park paper & maps
3/18 Manchester Cemetery - letter from S. Smith to Earle Williams requesting permission to clean/restore Manchester Cemetery
3/19 Mayesville Historic District - National Register of Historic Places nomination form
3/19B Mellet-Nettles Cemetery - right of way agreement
3/20 Milford Plantation - National Register of Historic Places nomination form, copy of letter dated January 8, 1835 from son John to mother, Elizabeth P. Manning & paper: "Milford Plantation, 1839-1869"
3/21 Miller, John Blount - copy of his will, paper on J.B. Miller, paper on William Harrison Scarborough, painter of the Miller portrait, S. Smith paper on Miller by Rebecca Lynne Fox, 1987 & copy of 1817 book: Militia Laws of the U.S. and S.C. written by Miller, copy of 1851 clipping re: Co-operation meeting listing Miller as a speaker
3/22 Moore Records of S.C. by Janie Revill - booklet
3/22B Myers, Portia - letters & clippings
3/22C Myrtle Moor - National Register of Historic Places nomination
3/23 Needwood - letter from architect re: moving building
3/23B Old Exchange Building - Charleston. Includes letter thanking Sherman Smith for serving on their commission
3/24 Opera House -National Register of Historic Places nomination
3/24B Orange Grove - Gaillard- Colclough house. National Register of Historic Places nomination
3/24C Oswego - National Register of Historic Places nomination, includes map
3/24D Plowden Landfill - maps and letters re: proposed landfill
3/24E Richardson, Richard - includes paper, "Some of the Old Homes of St. Mark's Parish" by Wade Hampton Manning, 1909, a paper on John Peter Richardson, 31st gov. of SC, music to the Richardson Waltz, a family favorite in the 1700's and 1800's, and clippings
3/24F "Ruins" - paper by Amelia Barnwell Harper, 1978
3/25 Rip Raps Plantation - National Register of Historic Places nomination
3/26 St. Mark's Church - National Register of Historic Places nomination
3/27 Salem Black River Presbyterian Church - National Register of Historic Places nomination
3/28 Singleton Genealogy - two copies of book
3/29 Singleton Graveyard Correspondence - re: restoration and preservation
3/30 Singleton Graveyard Clippings
3/31 Singleton Graveyard - National Register of Historic Places nomination, list of tomb inscriptions
3/32 Singleton Graveyard, Broun transfers - copy of transfer from Matthew Singleton Broun deeding cemetery to Sumter County Historical Society 4/30/1975
3/33 Stark House - aka Burt House, Abbeville, SC. (location of final meeting place of Confederate officers and Jefferson Davis, 1865) National Register of Historic Places nomination
3/34 Stateburg Historic District - National Register of Historic Places nomination, maps, clipping re: zoning
3/35 Sumter, General Thomas - notes from 1898 article, letter from Reverend Thomas Sumter Tisdale, invitation to Memorial Highway marker program
3/36 Sumter, Natalie Delage Chapel - information flyer with picture
3/37 Tanglewood Plantation - Lee County - National Register of Historic Places nomination, originally owned by Wm. H. Smith, Methodist preacher, who married Mary Isabel McLeod; 2 children prominent Methodists, 3rd child was "Cotton Ed" Smith, who served in the U. S. Senate
3/37B Tennent, Wm. & Fishburne, Henry - genealogy
3/38 Wavering Place, Eastover, Richland Co. - aka Magnolia Plantation. National Register of Historic Places nomination
3/39 White, Elizabeth House - slide, house plans, photo, National Register of Historic Places nomination, letter from Pud Myers & others, 1971 article in Sandlapper on Elizabeth White by Cassie Nicholes including picture of White, & brochures

Series 4: Real Estate

This series contains 48 files and is arranged alphabetically.

4/1 Barnett to Catawba - 9 E. Liberty
4/2 Behney - 12 McElveen Dr., Dalzell
4/3 Brabham, John-Gardner - timberland on Hwy 261, south of Dinkins Mill
4/4 Dean, Don - 803 Kornegy Circle, Camden
4/5 Deas - Sanders Homesite, Frierson Road, Stateburg
4/6 Derrickson - Brookland Road, Stateburg
4/7 Dinkins, Robert - Ben Sanders tract, Hwy 376 & 78, Stateburg
4/8 Dinkins, Shirer McElveen - acreage in Daytonville Township, Cherokee County, S.C.
4/9 Fisher-Ward - 3.81 acres, 1 mile from Shaw AFB, Stateburg
4/10 Forestry - woodland sketch of Sumter Co, S.C. State Commission on Forestry letters to S. Smith re: his property, brochures re: chemical control of weeds & hardwoods & deed of 225 acres High Hills Church area, Stateburg
4/11 Glick - former Edward J. Burns, Jr. property, Edgehill Plantation Subdivision, Stateburg
4/12 Godbold - Barnes- Wilson - farmland, Rembert, Lee Co
4/13 Godbold - McElveen - Sanders Road, Stateburg
4/14 Graham, Gen. Gordon - Brookland Plantation Subdivision, Stateburg
4/15 Graham, Wm. - cabin on Wateree River
4/16 Griffin - Dinkins - 40 acres on county road leading to Poplar Rd. deeded to Wm. Dinkins by Richardson
4/17 Hamilton, Wm. - 8.73 acres in Stateburg
4/18 House, Edward - 8.83 acres, Catchall Road & Poplar Lane Road, Stateburg
4/19 James, William Farm - Rafting Creek Township, Sumter County
4/20 King, George S. - Moncks Corner, Berkeley County
4/21 Leavell, Charles W. - Carter Road business to Honda
4/22 Lee, Worley, Burr & Greene - Briarcliff Mobile Home park. Hwy. 441 at Pinkney Crossroads, Providence Township, Sumter
4/23 Leonard, Harlen - Hwy. 521 at Dalzell
4/24 LeTempt - Dinkins -Barnwell, Sumter County
4/25 Linwood Plantation Subdivision
4/26 Lugoff Farms
4/27 Mayes, W.R. - Mayesville, S.C.
4/28 McCathern, John D. - Sumter
4/29 McTeer Real Estate Co. - Columbia, S.C.
4/30 Moore, George - Longtown, S.C.
4/31 Nash & Chappell, Attys. at Law - re: properties of Joe H. Lowder, Mr. & Mrs. Dinkins, Mrs. Money, Hunter Jenkins, and Tom and Anne Smith
4/32 Palochak, John, and Levi, Dr. Wendell - Providence Township, Sumter Co. near Lee County line
4/33 Peterson, Col. Donald - Rembert, Sumter Co.
4/34 Puckett, J.D. & Lowder, Clayton - area of Broad Street extension, Hwy 76, by Boyle Motor Co.
4/35 Rogers, John - Stateburg area near Sumter's Tomb
4/36 Sanders, Carolyn - 39 Carroll Drive, by SC261 & 76
4/37 Shirer, Sam - letters from Sam Shirer to Sherman Smith re: real estate prospects: James & Godbold farms, McLaughlin & Edens
4/38 Stark - Dinkins - Lake Wateree property in Kershaw County
4/39 Stewart, Harold & Dr.Wilson - Lee County farm
4/40 Summerour, Joseph - Spring Hill Township, Lee County
4/41 Taproot Farms/Marsh, Lee, Boykin - Rembert, Sumter County
4/42 Taylor, V. & Clayton, H. - Ballard Hill, Hwy. 521
4/43 Thompson & Alston - Rafting Creek Township, Sumter County
4/44 Tillman, M. - Hwy. 521, includes flyer with biography and picture "Wheeler Tillman - Candidate for State House"
4/45 Travis, K. - Stateburg
4/46 Vinson, C. & White, J. - Rembert, Sumter County
4/47 Wilson, John & Itly, S. - 1) Mosby/Deas Farm, Providence Township, 2) Sanders & Fish Road property, Stateburg Township
4/48 Miscellaneous Real Estate - notes re: Rutledge, landfill on Freeman property, diagram of Dogwood at Rembert

Series 5: Historic Sites

This series contains 7 files and is arranged alphabetically.

5/1 Historic Preservation Plan and Inventory - book listing historic sites of South Carolina
5/2 Historic Sites Annotated Bibliography - publication by American Association of Museums
5/3 Historic Sites Criteria for Selection - several copies of one page flyer developed from report on National Trust for Historic Preservation
5/4 Historical Marker Descriptions for Sumter County - marker inscriptions
5/5 Historical Survey of Sumter County - identical to Inventory of Historic Places, except each locale on a different sheet of paper
5/6 Inventory of Historic Places - survey of historic places of Sumter County (3 copies)
5/7 Inventory of Historic Places Project Assignments - list of properties, Historical Society researchers, dates assignments were given out and dates the information was returned

Series 6: Sumter School District 17

This series contains 4 files and is arranged alphabetically.

6/1 District 17 Project Correspondence
6/20 Sumter County By the Dozen - binder containing:
1. Overview of program and contents of binder
2. State historical markers for Sumter County
3. National Register nominations for: Ellerbe's Mill, Mayesville District, Milford Plantation, Rip Raps Plantation, Elizabeth White House, St. Mark's Church, Salem Black River, Singleton Graveyard, Stateburg District, Town Hall/Opera House, Sumter City District, Borough House, Church of the Holy Cross
4. National Historic Landmarks information
6/3 Sumter County By the Dozen - second binder, same as above
6/4 Sumter County By the Dozen - miscellaneous papers

Sherman Smith Collection Accession Number (2000 - 41)

Sherman Smith Collection
Accession Number (2000 - 41)