Marsh-Johnson Plantation – Saluda County

— Marsh-Johnson Plantation, 1982 • National Register of Historic Places —

Basic Information

• Location – Southwestern Saluda County

  Fruit Hill Road
  

• Origin of name – ?

• Other names – Marsh-Johnson House, Robert Johnson House
  

• Current status – Saluda County Historical Society owns the house and is working towards restoring it for use as a museum (2)
  

Timeline

• 1773 – Earliest known date of existence (1, p. 2)
  

  Ogden Cockroft received a royal grant for 300 acres (1, p. 2)
  

• 1804 – Bryan Marsh purchased the property from Cockroft (1, p. 2)
  

• Circa 1817 – House built (1, p. 2)
  

• 1846 – Josiah Howell was documented to be the owner (1, p. 2).
  

• 1846 – It is believed Isaac Johnson purchased the plantation in this year from Josiah Howell (1, p. 2).
  

• 1938 – The plantation stayed in the Johnson family until this year when it was purchased by John Henry Hazel (1, p. 2).
  

• 1978 – Hazel deeded the house and 62 acres to his granddaughter Virginia T. Witt (1, p. 2).
  

• 1990 – Virginia T. Witt gave one acre and the house to the Saluda County Historical Society (2).
  

Land

• Number of acres – 300 in 1773; 225 in 1938; 62 in 1978; 1 in 1990 (1, p. 2 and 2)
  

• Primary crop – ?

Owners

• Chronological list – Ogden Cockroft (1773-1804); Bryan Marsh (1804-?); Josiah Howell (?-1846); Isaac Johnson (1846-?); John Henry Hazel (1938-?); Virginia T. Witt (1978-1990); Saluda County Historical Society (1990-present, 2012)
  

Slaves

• Number of slaves – 18 in 1810 (1, p. 2)
  

Buildings

• Two-story house of log construction with weatherboard (1, p. 2).
  

References & Resources

1. National Register of Historic Places
   – Nomination form - PDF - submitted in 1982
   – Photographs, architectural overview
   

2. Saluda County Historical Society information
   – 2011 article - includes pictures
   

Contact Information

• Saluda County Historical Society
  105 Law Range
  Saluda, SC 29138
  

• Telephone: 864-445-8550
  Website: Click here