Built in 1846, this home in downtown Orangeburg belonged to Judge Thomas Worth Glover. Judge Glover began his career as a teacher, eventually studying law and becoming an attorney. He was a statesman who served South Carolina in the legislature from 1822 though 1838 and again as Clerk for the House of Representatives from 1838 until 1852. Upon leaving the state legislature, he became a circuit court judge until 1858. After serving on the bench for six years, he retired from his judgeship and resumed practicing law. He was a signer of the Ordinance of Secession in 1860.
On February 12, 1865 the Civil War arrived in Orangeburg with General Sherman’s March to the Sea. Union forces entered Orangeburg by crossing the Edisto River and proceeded to burn the Orangeburg County Courthouse, railroad tracks, and any cotton field in their path. The city was devastated by the mission, though Judge Glover’s stately home was spared.
General Sherman occupied the Judge Glover home during the Union army’s brief stay in Orangeburg. According to local lore, Judge Glover’s second wife, Louisa Wilson, had become acquainted with General Sherman during an earlier gathering in Charleston. Mrs. Glover reminded General Sherman of their previous meeting, admonishing him to behave like a gentleman as he had then. As a result, the Union troops were instructed not to burn the home upon their evacuation of it, as they often did to the homes they took over. Other stories claim that General Sherman thought the home was too pretty to be burned, though many elegant homes were intentionally destroyed by Union troops during the war.
The house, which was originally built to face Russell Street directly behind it, has seen many modifications over the years. In recent years the building was converted into apartments.
More Pictures of the Judge Glover House
Kenneth … This is the Glover that I am kin to. His youngest son, Julius, is my 3X Grandfather, which makes Thomas Worth Glover my 4x Grandfather. We have the DNA linkage from Ancestry.com to match! Slave records that put our people in his possession.
The pictures of this historic site and information about Judge Glover was quite informative. Would you happen to know if there are any brochures about this family’s history in Orangeburg, South Carolina and other sites where they owned land in this city? Did this family own a large tract of land in Orangeburg, South Carolina prior to the Civil War? If this is the case, would you happen to know where this tract of land was located in Orangeburg, South Carolina?
To our knowledge, all of these historic homes are privately owned and it is up to the owners of the properties to maintain them. We do not have the specific answers to each property’s condition; you would have to reach out to the property owners themselves. Hope this helps.
I enjoyed seeing that some of Orangeburg’s history has been “somewhat” preserved. However, I don’t understand why the “historic” homes on Whitman are in such dire condition. The house next door to Judge Grover’s home was built by John Wesley Josey; he is my great grandfather. His oldest daughter, Kathryn, married Razor Salley.
I was delighted to see this once grand home publicized here. The history of Judge Glover has been forgotten in Orangeburg with the exception of this one historical marker. I would love to get permission from Jack Lynes to publish this link on our Glover family Association Facebook page.
Hey Jim! Jack is actually in surgery today but we know him personally and know he’d be delighted that family members can make a connection. Please feel free to share!