Hart House — York, South Carolina

Built around 1855 by David Gordon, this Greek Revival cottage in York was home to attorney James Franklin Hart from 1866 until 1880. Hart was a Confederate veteran who lost a leg in the Civil War. In 1881 he was one of three South Carolinians – along with Charles H. Simonton and William H. Parker – appointed to write the General Statutes and the Code of Civil Procedure of the State of South Carolina: Adopted by the General Assembly of 1881-82. This text was written to codify the laws of the state. Hart went on to serve in the South Carolina senate from 1882 until 1884 and was a delegate to the Democratic Convention in 1888.

James Franklin Hart eventually sold the home to George Washington Seabrook Hart, his law partner and president of the Loan and Savings Bank of Yorkville. It remained in the Hart family until 1974. The home is considered a fine example of a raised basement cottage.

The Hart House is listed in the National Register:

The Hart House is significant in terms of both architecture and local history. David Gordon built the Hart House ca. 1855. In the 1860s and 1870s, James Franklin Hart, a lawyer who was one of three South Carolinians appointed in 1881 to codify the laws of the state, owned the house. Hart also served in the state Senate and in 1888 was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. In 1880 he sold the property to his law partner, George Washington Seabrook Hart, a prominent local figure and president of the Loan and Savings Bank of Yorkville. The Hart House is an excellent example of a Greek Revival raised cottage. Interesting features of the house include Palladian windows in the gable ends of the roof and the front door sidelights and transom that exhibit a Gothic Revival influence. The front façade features a double portico with simple square columns and pilasters on the main floor, and brick piers and central arch on the basement level. The rear façade reveals several additions and alterations, having originally featured a double portico with shed roof.

Hart House Map

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