Vance-Maxwell House

Also known as: Maxwell-Nicholson-Murphy House
158 E. Cambridge St., Greenwood, South Carolina

Historic home in Greenwood, SC

Photo

Vance Maxwell House

Photo taken by Michael Miller

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Map

Coordinates:
+34.19509, -82.15882
34°11'42" N, 82°09'32" W

Quadrangle map:
Greenwood

Street View

View #1

Description

The Vance-Maxwell House was built around 1850 for Allen Vance. The one-and-one half story upcountry farmhouse was remodeled between 1898 and 1904 in the Second Empire fashion. The Vance-Maxwell House is historically significant for its association with Dr. John C. Maxwell, a locally prominent physician, military surgeon during the Civil War, politician, and philanthropist, who lived in the house from 1871 to 1898. In 1876 Dr. Maxwell was elected to the Senate of the State of South Carolina, in which he served for nine years. He also took an active role in the formation of Greenwood County in the 1890s, and chaired the committee that determined the site for the county courthouse and jail. In 1891 Dr. Maxwell and his wife helped establish the state Baptist orphanage in Greenwood named for the only child of the Maxwell’s to survive infancy. Since its founding, more than 6,000 children have been aided by the Connie Maxwell Orphanage. After the Maxwell’s died, their home reverted to the orphanage. In 1903 it was sold to George Pressly Neel, and insurance maps show that soon thereafter the home was remodeled. The Vance-Maxwell House is architecturally significant for its adaptation of Second Empire elements. During the remodeling, the house was enlarged, adding a full second story and a mansard roof to the original story-and-a-half central hall farmhouse. Listed in the National Register March 5, 1982. - SCDAH

National Register information

Status: Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on March 5, 1982
Reference number: 82003866
Architectural style: Victorian: Second Empire
Areas of significance: Architecture; Social History
Level of significance: State
Evaluation criteria: C - Design/Construction; B - Person
Property type: Building
Historic function: Single dwelling
Current function: Single dwelling
Periods of significance: 1900-1924; 1875-1899; 1850-1874
Significant years: 1850; 1871; 1902

Update Log

September 16, 2014: New Street View added by Michael Miller
November 4, 2013: Updated by Michael Miller: Added "Description" & "Overview", Updated "GPS Coordinates"
November 4, 2013: New photo from Michael Miller

Sources

Michael Miller - michael_a_miller [at] yahoo [dot] com
South Carolina Department of Archives and History
National Register database - Reference number 82003866