George Salmon Plantation – Travelers Rest – Greenville County

— George Salmon Plantation © John Walker, 2011 —
(Do Not Use Without Written Consent)

Basic Information

• Location – North Saluda River, Travelers Rest, Greenville County
  

  894 Highway 414
  

• Origin of name – Named for early owner

• Other names – George Salmon House, C. Douglas Wilson Farm
  

• Current status – Privately owned

Timeline

• 1784 – Earliest known date of existence when George Salmon obtained a warrant for 640 acres that had been part of a Cherokee settlement (1, p. 8).
  

• 1784 – Log house built by George Salmon (1, p. 2)
  

  Salmon was an important surveyor as he worked on the division of the Cherokee land and established the border between North Carolina and South Carolina in the Upstate area. He would later be elected to serve in the South Carolina House of Representative (1, p. 3).
  

• 1836 – Over the previous years, Salmon had been slowly selling of his land holdings. In this year, he sold the house and remaining 1,826 acres of the plantation at auction to pay-off a judgement (1, p. 8).
  

  Ezekial Salmon, George's son, was able to purchase the plantation at the auction (1, p. 8).
  

• 1839 – Ezekial sold the plantation, which at that time consisted of 1,000 acres, to Colonel Robert Cox (1, p. 8).
  

• 1930s – It is believed the plantation remained in Cox family until this time (1, p. 10).
  

• 1950 – C. Douglas Wilson purchased the plantation (1, p. 10).
  

• ? – Mr. and Mrs. John N. Walker became owners (1, p. 10).
  

Land

• Number of acres – 640 in 1784; 3,415 in 1794; 1,826 in 1836; 1,000 in 1839; 2.6 in 1987 (1)
  

• George Salmon died in 1838 and is buried on the property (1, p. 8).
  

• Primary crop – ?

Slaves

• Number of slaves – ?

Buildings

• Original log house built in 1784 by George Salmon. He later enlarged the loft area to create second story. Later, two additions were added to transform the house into a plantation, plain style house. In 1984, the house was move approximately 100 feet and pivoted 90 degrees. At this time, the house was enlarged once again and refurbished (1, p. 2).
  

• A 19th century smokehouse still remains on the property (1, p. 7).
  

References & Resources

1. National Register of Historic Places
   – Nomination form - PDF - submitted in 1987
   – Photographs, architectural overview
   

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