• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

SC Picture Project

The purpose of the South Carolina Picture Project is to celebrate the beauty of the Palmetto State while preserving some of its vanishing landscapes.

  • FIND A LANDMARK
    • BY CITY
    • BY COUNTY
    • BY CATEGORY
    • BYGONE LANDMARKS
  • ADD IMAGES
  • VOLUNTEER
  • SPONSORS
  • DONATE

Market Hall

SC PICTURE PROJECT Leave a Comment

SC Picture Project / Chesterfield County / Market Hall

Market Hall graces the Town Green in historic Cheraw, guarded by the town clock standing sentry across the street. Built in 1837, this steepled building was designed by Irish immigrant and master builder Conlaw Peter Lynch. Lynch also designed St. Peter’s Catholic Church and Old Merchant’s Bank. In fact, he used the same architectural plan for Market Hall as he did for St. Peter’s. (Lynch may also have designed Cheraw’s Town Hall.)

Market Hall Cheraw

David Sides of Cheraw, 2013 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Cheraw’s former Director of Tourism and Community Development, David Sides, tells us that Market Hall is “one of Cheraw’s most significant buildings. Mr. Lynch was also responsible for the design of St. Peter’s Catholic Church, which explains the similarities of the two buildings. The lower portion of Market Hall was originally an open area where traditional commerce transactions took place, and on occasion personal property was auctioned here, including slaves. The upstairs was once used as a court of law, and in the 1940s housed the town’s police department.”

Cheraw Market Hall

Bill Fitzpatrick of Taylors, 2012 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Today the building is used for occasional meetings and for welcoming visitors and guests to the South Carolina Jazz Festival, held in Cheraw the third week of October.

Market Hall is listed in the National Register as part of the Cheraw Historic District:

Around 1736 Welsh Baptists came to South Carolina and settled in the Pee Dee region. In 1766 Eli Kershaw, who had been given a grant of land along the Pee Dee River, laid out the town of Cheraw. It was incorporated in 1820. Located at a key navigational point, Cheraw began to develop as a commercial center of interior South Carolina; however, the Civil War and Reconstruction temporarily halted this progress. For a time development was impeded and rebuilding was delayed. Although the town eventually prospered, much of its physical character remained unaltered. The town of Cheraw also played an important role in South Carolina military history. During both the American Revolution and the Civil War, British and Union troops used St. David’s Episcopal Church as a hospital. The meeting house style church still stands today. Additionally in 1825, Revolutionary War figure Marquis de Lafayette stayed in Cheraw during his tour of the United States. Located within the district are a variety of architectural styles that include the early frame homes of the 1800s (often called upcountry farmhouses, or essentially I-House in type), antebellum structures with Classical Revival details and Greek Revival porticos, and Victorian houses from the turn of the century. The district also includes several churches, a cemetery, and the towns’ original boundary markers dating from 1766.

Plan Your Trip: Market Hall

Where is Market Hall located?
Address: At Second and Market Streets, Cheraw, SC 29520
GPS Coordinates: 34.697333,-79.883558
What else should I see?
Cheraw Town Hall 0 mile
Cheraw Town Hall Clock 0 mile
Cheraw Town Green 0 mile
Inglis-McIver Law Office 0 mile
Show me more like this!
  • Cheraw Historic Sites
  • See other South Carolina National Register
    Market Hall Map

    Please Help Us Stay Online

    We’d like thank everyone who generously supports the South Carolina Picture Project. You provide us with the inspiration and financial support we need to keep doing what we do. Every reader’s contribution, larger or small, is valuable. If you have enjoyed this website or found it helpful, please pitch in. Each donation helps – and it only takes a minute. Thank you!

    Support the SC Picture Project!

    $ 50.00
    Select Payment Method
    Personal Info

    Credit Card Info
    This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.

    Donation Total: $50.00

    You may also like

    You may also like

    Cheraw Town HallCheraw Town Hall Hartzell House CherawHartzell House Merchants Bank BuildingMerchants’ Bank of South Carolina Robert Smalls SchoolRobert Smalls School St. Peter's CherawSt. Peter’s Catholic Church

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    FIND A LANDMARK

    Why This Site Matters

    Help Keep This Site Online

    We depend on the support of today’s readers to document South Carolina’s landmarks for future readers. Please help us continue this important work by making a donation below.

    $ 50.00
    Select Payment Method
    Personal Info

    Credit Card Info
    This is a secure SSL encrypted payment.

    Donation Total: $50.00

    Recent Posts

    • H.L. Hunley
    • Strand Theater
    • Camden Depot
    • Charleston City Marina
    • Secession Hill

    ABOUT US

    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

    Footer

    ABOUT US

    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

    CONTACT US

    We’d love to hear from you! Send us a quick email at share@scpictureproject.org.

    If you are looking for permission to use a photo, please reach out directly to the photographer listed in the image’s credit.

    JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

    The South Carolina Picture Project has two Facebook groups. One is dedicated to SC Historic Landmarks and Iconic Landscapes, and the other is dedicated to SC Nature and Wildlife.

    South Carolina Picture Project © 2022 · All Rights Reserved