Higher resolution pictures are available for all the pictures linked on this page but are too large to post on this page and are also too large to be e-mailed in most cases. Contact the page author if you would like to arrange another means to obtain the high-resolution files.
Walter Stewart was born about 1758 in County Antrim, Ireland. In 1787 or 1788 Walter Stewart, wife Mary Ross, and 8-year-old son Samuel sailed from Belfast to Charleston. Coming from Charleston, they settled in Bethany Presbyterian Church community of Laurens County, SC. Following are pictures and narratives describing significant Stewart sites in Laurens County and upstate South Carolina.
351231 La Marr Brooks and 151222 John Hellams graciously
provided the pictures and videos, and the videos are narrated by John Hellams.
Fairview Presbyterian Church has been a significant location for the Walter Stewart Clan for many years, since long before the First Reunion in 1907. In 1855, 6 Reverend Clark Berry Stewart accepted a pastorate that he was to serve for his remaining active years through 1883, Fairview Presbyterian Church in lower Greenville County. This church, established in 1786, was in the midst of a very prosperous farming area and was rapidly outgrowing its limited facilities. In 1858, Clark Berry joined the dedication of a new and larger building, complete with two galleries. Fairview continues to serve an active congregation today, and has recently grown with the addition of a museum building. The Stewart Reunion is held here in alternate years (the even-numbered years). Many Stewart cousins, including Reverend Clark Berry Stewart, are buried in the adjacent cemetery.
Refer to pictures taken at recent Stewart Reunions at Fairview Presbyterian Church here.
New Harmony Presbyterian Church
The
First Reunion of Walter Stewart’s descendants was held at New Harmony
Presbyterian Church, October 17, 1907 and Stewart Reunions are still held there
to this very year. In 2007, the
Walter Stewart Clan celebrated their 100th Anniversary Reunion at New Harmony
Presbyterian Church. This church
was organized August 13, 1844. Harmony
Baptist Church organized February 1845 at the same location.
Both denominations have used this building continuously from 1845 to the
present. The 1st Harmony School was
located where the picnic tables are – behind the church to the right.
The 2nd Harmony School was constructed in 1911, where Pleasant Grove
Baptist Church is located, a few hundred yards away.
Pleasant Grave Baptist Church was organized in the 2nd Harmony School
building.
There
are more Walter Stewart descendants buried in the Harmony Cemetery than any
other place. 3 Robert Stewart, who
died March 25, 1845, was the 1st person buried in Harmony cemetery.
3.13 Samuel Turner Stewart, infant son of 3 Robert Stewart, was baptized
1 week after his father’s death (along with 3 other children) in New Harmony
Presbyterian Church.
Refer to pictures taken at recent Stewart Reunions at New Harmony Presbyterian Church here.
Home site of 15 Rachel Ross Stewart and Benjamin Newman
This site, currently
a vacant field at the corner of
Refer to more pictures related to 1 Samuel Stewart and his descendants here.
Home site of 13 Mary Ann Stewart and Isaac R. Henry
13 Mary Ann Stewart and her husband Isaac R. Henry first lived on this site at 1118 Thompson Road (but not in this relatively recent building). The land passed down through 132 Robert Leland “Land” Henry, and 1328 Clark Stewart Henry, to 13285 Othello Grace Henry Kay and husband Joe Crayton Kay. The home shown on the original property is now the home of 1512111 James Allen Thompson and wife Catherine Joyce "Kitty" Moore.
Refer to more pictures related to 1 Samuel Stewart and his descendants here.
Property of 3 Robert Stewart and Rachel Gilliland Stewart
This
house is the third one which was built on the 400 acre property currently at
2384 Thompson Road, which was purchased by 3
Robert Stewart upon his move from the Bethany community to the New Harmony
Church area. This house was built
in 1859 by Robert’s wife Rachel Gilliland Stewart and their children after his
death in 1845.
Refer to more pictures related to 3 Robert Stewart and his descendants here.
Home site of 38 James Preston Stewart and Martha Anne Elizabeth Cely
This
property at 743 Stewart Road near New Harmony Presbyterian Church was part of the original 400 acres
owned by 3 Robert Stewart. The
first Stewart known to have lived here was 38 James Preston Stewart who married
Martha Anne Elizabeth Cely. They
lived first in a log cabin, and later in a two-story farmhouse, where they
reared their family of one daughter and three sons.
384 William Franklin “Little Will” Stewart and his sister 381 Dora
Jane Stewart continued to live at the old homeplace after the death of their
father in 1909 at age 72. This land
backs up to the property of31 William “Squire Bill” Stewart and 317 William
Clark “Big Will” Stewart. In
1917, Little Will married Lucy Allen Peden.
And they raised their family of three sons and two daughters at this
home. Today their daughter 3845 Lucy Peden Stewart owns this property.
Refer to more pictures related to 3 Robert Stewart and his descendants here.
Home site of 151 Margaret Caroline Newman and John Thomas Farrow
John Thomas Farrow returned from the Civil War, and in 1869 married 151 Margaret Caroline Newman. They lived for some time in nearby Pelzer in Anderson County, returning in later years to live in the Harmony community in this house at 392 Stewart Road built for John Thomas by his brother, Jefferson Marion Farrow (“General”), who was a carpenter, near Harmony Baptist Church, where Caroline and John are buried. Their only surviving son, Thomas D. Farrow (“T.” Farrow), never married, and lived for many years at the old homeplace until his death in 1941 at age 61. He is also buried at Harmony Baptist Church. 151222 John Thomas Hellams (who was instrumental in obtaining the information and media on Stewart locations) is descended from 151 John and Caroline Farrow via 1512 Mittie Emma Farrow and 15122 Raymond Farrow Hellams.
Refer to more pictures related to 1 Samuel Stewart and his descendants here.
Home site of 31 William “Squire Bill” Stewart and Rebecca Stoddard
This
property at 1958 Hunts Bridge Road near New Harmony Presbyterian Church was also part of the original land
owned by 3 Robert Stewart. This
location on South Durbin Creek was first the home of 31 William “Squire
Bill” Stewart who married Rebecca Stoddard.
This land backs up to the property of 38 Robert Preston Stewart and 384
William Franklin “Little Will” Stewart.
It was passed on to 317 William Clark “Big Will” Stewart who married
Jincie Wheeler Ballenger. 3171
Chief William Tinsley Stewart (1896-1984) and his six younger sisters were
raised here. William Tinsley
Stewart went on to marry Mabel Moore and had four children, all raised in nearby
Woodruff, S.C. 31712 Charles
Ballenger Stewart is currently Chief of the Stewart Clan and 31714 Dr. Mary
Stewart Newton is Chief Historian and author of the Stewart Family History.
Refer to more pictures related to 3 Robert Stewart and his descendants here.
Home site of 312 Alexander Baker Stewart and Ella Ann
Owings
This property at 2651 Durbin Road is also in the Durbin Community near New Harmony Presbyterian Church. The first Stewart known to have lived here was 312 Alexander Baker Stewart who married Ella Ann Owings. The Baker Stewart homeplace still stands at the three-prong crossroad in the Durbin community near Fountain Inn. At age 22, Baker bought 66 acres of land beside his father’s property. Here he set up not only a grist and flour mill later operated by his bachelor brother, 319 Jim Stewart - but also built a country store, which for many years was the Jakin (Durbin community) Post Office, later known simply as Stewart’s Store. Jakin was the community that preceded Durbin community. The thick-walled old concrete building that housed his store is still standing near his home in the Durbin community, although the building has been unoccupied for many years, except for storage. Baker prospered in this location, eventually adding more land, a cotton gin, a dairy, and one of the first peach orchards in the area to his various enterprises. In 1888, Bake married Ella Owings Fowler and built a large modern one-story house on his property. Bake and Ella reared their family of two daughters and a son in this home. Their son 3123 Wayne Dial Stewart and Mary Eliza Curry also lived here. Wayne and Mary’s son, 31235 Douglas Wayne Stewart, Treasure of the Walter Stewart Clan, lives here today.
Refer to more pictures related to 3 Robert Stewart and his descendants here.
Home site of 6 Clark Berry Stewart and Catherine Carson Hitch
This
house at 2406 Fairview Road near Fountain Inn (near Fairview Presbyterian Church) was built by Tully C. Bolling (not a
member of the Stewart Clan) about 1840. 6
Clark Berry Stewart purchased the large two story brick home with about 500
acres of land and moved here from his small farm some seven miles northeast of
Fountain Inn farm to be closer to Fairview, where he was pastor from 1855 to
1883. The house is about three
miles from the church. Clark Berry
lived here with his wife Katharine Carson Hitch from 1859 to 1890, raising a
family of eight children, of whom one died in infancy.
The house survives, happily overlooked by Sherman’s Army by only two
miles, and has been restored to its original simple elegance after forty years
of neglect. It is now known as
“Tullyton” and owned by Dr. Jim Richardson.
It was recorded in in 1990 on the Register of National Historic Places as
Tullyton (Bolling-Stewart House). The detached kitchen-servant quarters with its four beautiful fireplaces
remains only a ghostly shell, a mute reminder of a different way of life.
Reverend Stewart is buried at Fairview Presbyterian Church.
The house was passed to 62 John Wistar Simpson Stewart (married to
Margaret Louise Anderson), then to 622 Catherine Rachel Stewart (married to
Charles Lindsay Peden), then to 6221 Catherine Charles Peden.
The house is no longer in the Stewart Clan.
Refer to more pictures related to 6 Clark Berry Stewart and his descendants here.
Home site of 65 Dr. Henry Boardman “Bordie” Stewart and Martha Eugenia Peden
65
Dr. Henry Boardman “Bordie” Stewart was the fifth child and third son of
Katharine Carson Hitch and Rev. Clark Berry Stewart, founders of the House of
Clark. He and his wife Martha
Eugenia Peden lived here at 2244 Fairview Road and raised a family of nine children, of whom one died
in infancy. Dr. Bordie was the
quintessential “country doctor” to the Fountain Inn community for 65 years. In 1918 Dr. Bordie was elected fourth Chief of the Walter
Stewart Clan and served in this capacity until his death in 1947 at age 92.
His 29-year term was the longest of any of the six Stewart descendants to
serve as head of the Clan to date. His
wife Eugenia died in 1932 at age 73. Both
are buried at Fairview Presbyterian Church.
The house passed down his family to 659 David Dantzler Stewart (married
to Fannie Fair Parkins) and 6591 Frances Fair Stewart (married to Grayson
Gallman and now to James Rodgers). As
of very recently, the house is no longer in the Stewart Clan.
Refer to more pictures related to 6 Clark Berry Stewart and his descendants here.
Contact Walter Stewart Clan Chief Historian at email address: mary at walterstewart dot org(disguised to foil spammers)
Contact page author. Comments welcome!
Last updated: 9/10/2009
All contents copyright Walter Stewart Clan 1999-2011