Kathwood Plantation – Jackson – Aiken County

— Kathwood Plantation © Larry Gleason, 2012 —

Basic Information

• Location – Jackson, Aiken County
  

• Origin of name – ?
  

• Other names – Originally called Cedar Grove Plantation. James Henry Hammond renamed the plantation Cathwood for his wife Catherine Elizabeth Fitzsimons Hammond who owned the plantation at the time of their marriage (1, p. 14). Now called Kathwood Plantation, probably for the cotton-seed oil mill company that was formed on the property in 1901 (1, p. 139). Locals also call it Suber House (4)
  

• Current status – Privately owned
  

— Garage of Kathwood Plantation © Larry Gleason, 2012 —

Timeline

• ? – Earliest known date of existence
  

• ? – Catherine Elizabeth Fitzsimons owned Cedar Grove Plantation when she married James Henry Hammond in 1831. Hammond folded the property in with his many land holdings renaming the plantation Cathwood in honor of his wife (1, p. 14).
  

• 1869 – Brothers Paul and Harry Hammond bought Cathwood from their father's estate and divided it between themselves. James Henry Hammond had invested heavily in the Confederacy leaving land as his only wealth at his death in 1864. The property was sold to pay off his debts (1, p. 137, 158, 161).
  

• 1896 – Harry's wife received an inheritance. With the money, Harry built a cotton-seed oil mill, which he called Kathwood Manufacturing Company, on the plantation. Sons Kit and Alf ran the mill (1, p. 139).
  

• 1901 – Under pressure, Harry sold the cotton-seed oil mill to Southern Cotton Oil Company for $30,000. Part of the agreement was that Kit and Alf would retain employment at the mill (1, p. 341).
  

• 1904 – House built
  

• 2012 – The plantation was for sale with an asking price of $825,000 (3).
  

• 2012 – Lee and Andrea Curley owned the property (4).
  

— Cook House of Kathwood Plantation © Larry Gleason, 2012 —

Land

• Number of acres – 116 in 2012 (3)

• Primary crop – Cotton (1, p. 228)
  

Owners

• Chronological list – Catherine Elizabeth Fitzsimons Hammond; James Henry Hammond (1831-1864); Estate of James Henry Hammond (1864-1869); Paul and Harry Hammond (1869); Harry Hammond (1869-?); Lee and Andrea Curley (?-present, 2012)
  

— Rear of Kathwood Plantation © Larry Gleason, 2012 —

Slaves

• Number of slaves – ?

Buildings

• The house built in 1904 has been renovated (3).
  

— Side of Kathwood Plantation © Larry Gleason, 2012 —

References & Resources

1. Carol Bleser, The Hammonds of Redcliffe (Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 1997)
   
   

2. Jane Ockershausen, The South Carolina One-Day Trip Book (McLean, VA: EPM Publications, 1998)
   
   

3. 2012 Real Estate Listing

4. Information contributed by Bert Ellis.