Basic Information

• Location – High Hills Section, St. Mark's Parish, Sumter County

  Located on Argyle Drive, about 3 miles south of Stateburg off SC 261
  

• Origin of name – ?

• Other names – Originally called Ararat meaning "Here I Rest"; Stirling

• Current status – ?

Timeline

• ? – Earliest known date of existence

• Circa 1787 – House built (2)
  

  John Gabriel Guignard built a house as a wedding gift for his granddaughter, Ann Richardson who married William Mayrant. The plantation was called Ararat at this time (2).
  

• ? – The plantation was sold to the McLaurin family after the deaths of Ann and William Mayrant. The plantation was renamed Argyle at this time (2).
  

• 1869 – House built by Dr. Henry J. McLaurin in the Greek-Revival style and was named Stirling, for Stirling Castle in Scotland.
  

Land

• Number of acres – ?

• Primary crop – ?

Owners

• Chronological list – William and Ann Richardson Mayrant (Circa 1787-?); Dr. Henry James McLaurin
  

Slaves

• Number of slaves – 95 in 1820 under William Mayrant (2)
  

Buildings

• In 1885, a small school was built in the front yard of Argyle Plantation. Prior to that, Mary Agnes McLaurin taught white preschool children in a room in the house at Argyle Plantation. She was followed by Catherine Louisa McLaurin. For six months each year Argyle was a public school. Parents paid the school expenses for the other three months.
  

References & Resources

• Cassie Nicholes, Historical Sketches of Sumter County, Volume II (Sumter, SC: Sumter County Historical Commission 1981)
   Order Historical Sketches of Sumter County, Volume II

• Information contributed by Kellie Roughen.