Springfield Plantation House
National Register Listing
Street Address:
US 21, Fort Mill, SC (York County)
NRHP Nomination
Record Number:
S10817746019
Description and Narrative:
Springfield Plantation House is one of the oldest documented frame buildings in York County and certainly the oldest in the Fort Mill area. In January 1806, John Springs III took his new bride, Mary, to live at Springfield Plantation. John Springs, Jr. is supposed to have built the house in 1790. As no solid evidence for this date exists, the date of construction can be considered sometime prior to 1806. The house has never left the ownership of the Springs family, which has provided economic, political, and agricultural leadership to the area and the nation. The two-story residence underwent a remodeling and enlargement project in the 1850s, and was restored in 1946, at which time electricity and plumbing were added. In addition, Springfield Plantation served as one of the final meeting places of the Confederate cabinet during the last days of the confederacy. On April 26, 1865, President Jefferson Davis of the Confederate States of America, five members of his cabinet, and a cavalry escort spent the night at the plantation. The following morning, Davis assembled his cabinet and high-ranking military officers on the front lawn of the house and conferred on future actions and the most advantageous route for further retreat. Andrew Baxter Springs, then owner of Springfield, advised that the cabinet should separate to avoid capture. It is believed that the group stayed at Springfield for two or three days before continuing their flight across South Carolina. Listed in the National Register September 12, 1985.
Period of Significance:
circa 1806;1850s
Level of Significance:
State
Area of Significance:
Architecture;Agriculture;Commerce;Industry;Politics/Government
National Register Determination:
listed
Date of Certification:
September 12 1985
