Leroy Springs House
Catawba and Gay Sts., Lancaster, South Carolina
Once residence to local textile magnate; now office for Lancaster Co. Council of the Arts
Map
Description
The original part of this house was built by Robert W. Gill soon after he purchased the lot in 1828. About thirty years later, it was enlarged by Samuel B. Massey. Local textile manufacturer and banker Col. Leroy Springs remodeled the house around 1906. Springs' son Elliott, noted author and World War I flying ace, was born here in 1896. The house became City Hall in 1957 after lease-purchase agreement with the City of Lancaster. It now houses the Lancaster County Council of the Arts.The Leroy Springs House is an impressive two-story, frame residence in downtown Lancaster that was converted to municipal use as a city hall in 1957. An original section of the building was constructed around 1820-30. The house was greatly enlarged in the mid-1850s and it took its present appearance in a ca. 1906-07 remodeling. The original owner and builder are not known. The owner during the 1850s renovations was Samuel Buckner Massey. The ca. 1906-07 remodeling, which the buildings integrity derives from, occurred under the ownership of Colonel Leroy Springs, who secured James M. McMichael, an architect from Charlotte, North Carolina, to plan the changes and additions. The façade features a two-tiered pedimented portico defined by fluted columns with Doric-influenced capitals. The pediment contains a semi-elliptical window with tracery. There is a two-story, flat roof porch addition at the rear. The main interior feature is an entrance stair in a two-story foyer. Leroy Springs played a major role in the industrial development of Lancaster and the surrounding area. The Leroy Springs House represents a significant part of Lancaster’s past, and in this single building, the development of the town is reflected. The house contains structural evidence of a plain house of the early nineteenth century as well as the early twentieth century attempt of a successful industrialist to express his wealth and power through his residence. Many people believe that the town of Lancaster owes its character and economic status largely to Leroy Springs and his vision for the southern textile industry. Listed in the National Register March 20, 1986. - SCDAH
National Register information
- Status
- Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on March 20, 1986
- Reference number
- 86000467
- NR name
- Springs, Leroy, House
- Areas of significance
- Industry; Architecture
- Level of significance
- State
- Evaluation criteria
- C - Design/Construction; B - Person
- Property type
- Building
- Historic function
- Single dwelling
- Current function
- City hall
- Periods of significance
- 1900-1924; 1850-1874; 1825-1849
- Significant years
- ca. 1825; 1856; 1907
Update Log
- March 6, 2017: Updated by Joseph Hinson: Added three new photos
- March 6, 2017: New photos from Joseph Hinson
- September 18, 2014: Updated by Michael Miller: Added "Description" & "Street View"
- September 18, 2014: New Street View added by Michael Miller
- September 3, 2013: Photo imported by Joseph Hinson
Sources
- Joseph Hinson - joethephotog [at] yahoo [dot] com
- Michael Miller - michael_a_miller [at] yahoo [dot] com
- South Carolina Department of Archives and History
- National Register database - Reference number 86000467
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