Coker Spring
Historic Property
Alternate Name:
Coker Spring
Street Address:
S. Side Coker Spring Rd. SW. ~870' SE from intersection w/Newberry ST, Aiken, SC (Aiken County)
Site Number:
03_0004
Control Number:
U/03/0004
Date Surveyed:
January 6 2010
Category:
Site
Construction Date:
1800 – 1850
Alteration Date:
1972
Historic Use:
Agriculture/Subsistence
Current Use:
Landscape
Construction Method:
masonry
Exterior Walls Materials:
Stucco
Foundation Materials:
Not Visible
National Register Determination:
listed;
Signficant Architectural Features:
Rectilinear masonry block set into hillside with curving walls flanking it; This main block has a gabled top and classical detailing.. Prev. SHPO No. 718
Alterations:
Restored - 1972
Historical Information:
Coker Spring is a fresh water spring. Archeological remains found near this property suggest that this was probably a water supply for prehistoric Indians. The spring later served as the source of drinking water for the early settlers of Aiken (ca. 1830-1890). The spring is covered by a springhouse, which is constructed of brick, covered with stucco. The front façade features a pedimented entranceway with a wide entablature. Stuccoed brick retaining walls extend along the left and right sides of the springhouse. The first recorded owner of Coker Spring was Ephraim Franklin who obtained the spring as part of a 285-acre land grant in 1787. Apparently the spring then changed hands several times. The spring gained prominence as a regular stop on the stagecoach route from Abbeville to Charleston, and also as the major source of drinking water for the town of Aiken which had been chartered in 1835. Eventually, however, the spring fell into ruin. Listed in the National Register January 18, 1978.
Source of Historical Information:
“Coker Spring” [Online]; available from http://www.nationalregister.sc.gov/aiken/S10817702010/index.htm; Internet. Accessed April 26, 2010.
Survey:
City of Aiken Historic Resources Survey, Aiken County, South Carolina. May 2010
Quadrangle Name:
Aiken