Henry Bennett-Cheras House

This cheery Queen Anne home in Clio was built for its namesake, Henry Bennett, in 1904. When Clio experienced economic growth at the turn of the twentieth century with the 1895 addition of a railroad depot along the Florence Railroad line – allowing for travel and transportation of agricultural products – businesses and grand homes began to spring up in the Pee Dee town. Distinct features of the Henry Bennett house include a wrap-around porch, stained glass windows, a colorful palette (which occasionally changes), and a notable polygonal turret.

Over time, the home passed into the Cheras family. The 4,500-square-foot home, which is set back on a one-acre lot, has also operated as a bed-and-breakfast in recent years, making use of its 15 rooms. Today it is used solely as a private residence by the Cheras family.

More Pictures of the Henry Bennett-Cheras House

The Henry Bennett-Cheras House is listed in the National Register as part of the Clio Historic District:

The Clio Historic District is notable as an unusually intact collection of late nineteenth and early twentieth century vernacular architectural design, including commercial, residential, and religious examples. Design influences include the Queen Anne, Victorian, Classical Revival, and Colonial Revival styles. The district centers along a downtown commercial district and extends outward to include significant residential sections of the town of Clio. Most of the properties were built or remodeled during the town’s boom period, from about 1895 until about 1920. The majority of these properties were constructed by local contractors without the help of an architect. The district continues to retain a unique sense of place as a small turn-of-the-century South Carolina community. Historically, Clio is significant as an economic center of northeastern Marlboro County. Its growth and development consequently reflect the evolution of a small South Carolina community which felt the combined impact of the changes that occurred in the rural trading patterns of the nineteenth century South – of railroad expansion into agricultural areas during that period, and of the great increase in cotton production.