Houser, David, House
National Register Listing
Street Address:
W of St. Matthews on U.S. 176 (Calhoun County)
NRHP Nomination
Record Number:
S10817709009
Description and Narrative:
The David Houser House is regarded as a local landmark significant not only for its architecture, but also for its association with David Houser, a prominent citizen of the St. Matthews Parish, Orangeburg District. David Houser built his house in 1829 on his plantation, which he called Oak Grove. The land had been bequeathed to him by his father Andrew Houser, Jr., who was a soldier in the American Revolution. David was a planter who also operated a saw and grist mill. An indication of his financial success is the fact that in just thirty years, his plantation grew from the original 500-acre tract to approximately 4,800 acres. The “I-House” type house is a typical upcountry farmhouse with some Federal style features on the interior. The house is a two-story wood frame residence, rectangular in plan, and has a one-story front porch and rear addition. A vernacular building, simplicity and skilled craftsmanship characterize its design and construction. The two-story beaded weatherboarded core of the house has a gable roof, with a stuccoed brick exterior chimney with corbeled cap centered at each gable end. Included in the nomination are several outbuildings: the original smokehouse, a part of the nineteenth century Dutch oven, a frame building believed to have once been bedrooms attached to the rear of the house, a barn, a servant’s house, a workshop, and the family cemetery where David Houser is buried. Listed in the National Register November 25, 1980.
Period of Significance:
1829;19th century
Level of Significance:
Local
Area of Significance:
Architecture
National Register Determination:
listed
Date of Certification:
November 25 1980
