Hanover House

by Violet Rebecca Jones

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On the grounds of Clemson University is the South Carolina Botanical Gardens. When one goes to a botanical garden, one expects to see flowers, trees, etc. All that is here (although there is still much repair to be done following last year's flooding). However, nestled in one corner of this natural setting is the Hanover House. One comes upon this house unexpectedly. There is a sharp, hairpin curve, and then there is the house. It is such a beautiful setting that I thought this must be an original settler's house that Clemson chose to preserve. I was only partially correct. The house is not original to the Clemson Campus, but Clemson did choose to preserve it. Apparently, the house was taken down and moved to the Clemson Campus  in the 1940's in order to preserve it when it was threatened by the construction of Lake Moultrie in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Since Clemson was the site of the architectural school, it was fitting that it be rebuilt on the campus. It was moved from the campus to its current location in the Botanical Gardens in 1994. 

The house was not open for tours on the day I was there although it is open during specified weekend hours. However, the inside of the house is available for viewing online at the following link:  http://www.clemson.edu/about/history/properties/documents/hanover.pdf  The original view of the house can also be found at http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/pickens/S10817739012/

This house and surrounding farm setting gave me such a sense of peace and calm the day I was there. I  imagined the family that had grown in this house, the lives that it had witnessed, and the journey it had taken to arrive from a coastal region into the foothills of the upstate. I thought of the children who had played inside its walls, and the meals that had been shared. There was almost a sense of love that emanated from its boards and window panes, and it made me want to stay a while.   I think I will find myself rambling to Hanover House again someday. 

Copyright 2014 Violet Rebecca Jones