Proceeds from Sale of Federal Era Estate in Walterboro to Benefit the Community

Published in “The Charleston Mercury”
By Patra Taylor

Tucked behind a thicket of old trees stretching along Walterboro’s main thoroughfare stands one of South Carolina’s historic treasures. The faint echoes of horse-drawn carriages clattering along the narrow dirt path seem to linger there beneath an elaborate canopy of moss-draped live oak and mature magnolia branches, intermingled by time, to provide the picturesque prelude to the magnificent Southern estate that lies beyond.

A contented hush has fallen over Orange Grove Place since the passing in 2006 of its most recent owner, Audrey G. Thomas. Those entrusted to close yet another chapter in the estate’s illustrative history now wait in eager anticipation for its future to unfold.

“It yearns for a family,” states Pat Rogers, her eyes sparkling as her mind dances across her fond memories of the many years she has spent working in the house, first as the personal secretary to Ms. Thomas, and now as the administrative assistant to the estate’s trustee and the property’s ex officio docent. “I can imagine a family here enjoying this house and its grounds. It’s so very private, yet right in the middle of things.”

Children were undoubtedly a major part of Orange Grove Place during its early years. The estate was built ca. 1823 by Franklin Harper Elmore. Born in the Laurens district of South Carolina in 1799, he was the second son of General John A. Ehnore (later changed to Elmore), a soldier in the American Revolution. Young Franklin Elmore moved to Walterboro in 1821 to open a law practice when the ink was barely dry on the license he’d earned from South Carolina College at Columbia. Exactly how Mr. Elmore acquired the more than seven unspoiled acres of land in the prestigious area of Walterboro dubbed Hickory Valley by the wealthy rice plantation owners who initially founded it in 1784 as their summer get-away is unclear, but Mr. Elmore’s vision for Orange Grove captured the grace and charm of the opulent lifestyle of these early residents, among them Paul and Jacob Walter for whom the town was named.

Orange Grove Place has long been regarded as an important architectural statement of the Federal Era. The house has the beautifully balanced proportions that helped define the architecture of that period, along with a gabled roof, and single-story veranda (supported by Tuscan colonnettes) that wraps around both sides of the house. The inviting front entrance is graced by an elliptical fanlight of leaded glass and framed by full-length period sidelights. Inside, the foyer looks upon a lovely set of French doors which not only provide light to the copious living room on the other side, but afford guests a glance through a three-bay posterior façade to the carefully managed grounds beyond. The warm expansive rooms, somewhat unusual in homes of this era, seem to have been designed for entertaining with each accentuated by 12-foot ceilings and eye-catching mantelpieces that enclose reduced-size Federal fireplaces.

Prior to the completion of his new home, Mr. Elmore was named solicitor of the state’s Southern Circuit; and was appointed to the United States House of Representative in 1822, a seat he held until 1836. In 1827, after marrying Harriet Chesnut Taylor, the daughter of South Carolina Governor John Taylor and his wife Sarah Cantey Chesnut, the couple produced 12 children, nine of whom were born during their years at Orange Grove Place.

The family sold their sweeping Walterboro estate to Daniel Sullivan Henderson in 1838, just prior to Mr. Elmore taking the reigns of the State Bank of South Carolina. Upon the death of John C. Calhoun, he was appointed to fill the man’s vacant U. S. Senate seat, an office Mr. Elmore held only 23 days until his own death in Washington, D. C. on April 11, 1850. He was succeeded in office by Robert W. Barnwell of Beaufort, who served just six month until he was replaced in a special election by Robert Barnwell Rhett, also of Beaufort. [It is interesting to note that Mr. Rhett resigned his U.S. Senate seat in 1852 when South Carolina passed an ordinance merely declaring a state’s right to secede from the Union; and continued to express his fiery secessionist sentiments in the salmon pages of the Charleston Mercury, which was edited at the time by his son, Robert Barnwell Rhett, Jr.]

According to “Miss Pat,” the estate was purchased from the Henderson family by Audrey Thomas in 1980.  Later that year, the Hickory Valley Historic District which is located on the northwest corner of Walterboro and includes Orange Grove and 18 other historically significant properties, earned a place on the prestigious National Register of Historic Places

“She was a brilliant business woman, far ahead of her time,” continues Miss Pat, who retired from Wachovia Bank prior to working for Ms. Thomas. “Even though she came from a very poor background, it seemed everything she touched turned to money.”

Ms. Thomas, a certified nurse anesthetist, is credited with establishing both the Department of Respiratory Therapy and the Department of Anesthesia at Colleton Regional Hospital. She served both departments as director during her long nursing career. “Even while she was there at the hospital, she was beginning to collect real estate,” continues Miss Pat. “For her, it was always work, work work. By the time she retired from the hospital in 1989, she had collected 18 rental properties…quite an accomplishment for a single woman during that time.”

Real estate wasn’t the only thing Ms. Thomas acquired. A tour through the large comfortable rooms of the more than 6,000 square foot home reveals a bright, light-filled living space filled with period furnishings, original works of art, and other decorative items from the extensive private collection Ms. Thomas gathered during her travels around the world.

After retiring, Ms. Thomas created Walterboro’s first home medical care company, a successful medical billing company and a number of other corporations. “She spent the last eight years of her life working to get the most good from what she had accumulated to where it would benefit the community the most,” adds Miss Pat. “She was most unusual…a great lady and friend. I really miss her.”

Orange Grove Place, often referred to by area residents as the Elmore-Henderson House, is slated to be sold. Located at 527 Wichman Street, the proceeds from the sale will go to the Coastal Community Foundation to be distributed to the various charities designated by Ms. Thomas prior to her death. Orange Grove Place, which also includes three secluded guest cottages on the grounds, is being offered for $1.25 million. The buyer will also have an opportunity to purchase all or part of the estate’s contents. Anyone interested in more details about Orange Grove Place is asked to call the Huffines Company in Walterboro at (843) 549-6654.

As Miss Pat looks forward to enjoying her retirement again, she eagerly awaits that wonderful day when Orange Grove Place is once again filled with life. “The trustee, Beverly S. Petty, has done an excellent job at arriving at the place we are now,” concludes Miss Pat. “In my heart of hearts, I know this is exactly what Audrey would want, to let the money go where it’s needed in the community and to let someone enjoy this beautiful place…to let it be what it is…a home.”

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