Cherrydale Alumni House: A Historic Landmark at Furman University
Cherrydale Alumni House stands as a testament to Furman University's rich history and commitment to preserving its heritage. Established as a gathering place for alumni, friends, and students in 1999, this Greek Revival home boasts gracious interior spaces and exquisitely landscaped gardens. Its journey through time reflects the changing landscape of the region, from its origins as a modest farmhouse to its current role as a cherished landmark on the Furman campus.
From Farmhouse to Grand Retreat: The Early Years
The story of Cherrydale begins in the mid-1850s, when George Washington Green constructed a modest, one-story farmhouse at the foot of Piney Mountain in Greenville County. This simple dwelling, now the rear wing of Cherrydale, marked the beginnings of what would become a significant historical site.
In 1857, Green sold the house and surrounding acreage to James Clement Furman (1809-1891), a Baptist clergyman and the first president of Furman University. Between 1857 and 1860, Furman and his wife, Mary Glen Davis Furman, extensively remodeled the house, transforming it into a grand summer retreat. The renovations included the addition of four rooms, a new entrance with a front porch, four Greek-Revival-style columns, and a three-bay portico.
Cherrydale was about three miles from the nineteenth-century Furman campus in downtown Greenville-too far for a daily commute-so Furman also maintained a residence near the university while his wife looked after the farm.
During this period, Cherrydale was also a working farm. The land of Cherrydale was granted to Joseph Langston in 1786. Langston had six enslaved persons to work the land; over the years the legal owners changed and the number of enslaved workers grew, until James C. Furman purchased the land and home in 1857, enlarging the home and forcing 50 enslaved persons to work the land. His wife Mary Glenn Davis Furman, coming from her father's immense Winnsboro slave plantation, insisted on the size and renovations to make the home suit her lifestyle. When her mother passed away, she also inherited enslaved persons and the wealth to expand. The farm grew crops such as cotton, corn, apples, peaches, and cherries.
Read also: Legacy of Fordham University
Transitions and Transformations: The 20th Century
After the death of Mary Furman in 1911, ownership passed to the Furman children. Mamie Furman Goldsmith lived there until the mid-1930s, after which it was used to store farm equipment. In 1939, Goldsmith sold the house to prominent textile manufacturer Eugene E. Stone III (1916-2004), who initially intended to demolish it to make way for a clothing manufacturing plant.
However, Stone later changed his plans. After Stone had acquired Umbro International, he extensively renovated Cherrydale in 1997 for use as a corporate guest house. The following year Umbro closed all its U. S. manufacturing operations, and the shopping center developer AIG Baker purchased the Cherrydale property.
A New Chapter: Cherrydale Finds its Home at Furman University
Recognizing the historical significance of Cherrydale, the Stone family offered the house to Furman University in 1998 when they sold the land to construct a suburban strip mall. This marked a new chapter in the life of the historic home.
On March 7, 1999, Cherrydale Mansion began its journey to Furman University. Expert Movers of Virginia used their engineering skills to move the huge home three miles along Poinsett Highway to its present location at the highest point of the Furman campus. The massive undertaking included removing electrical lines along Poinsett Highway and a slow daylong trek, as the large home rode the two mile journey up the four lane highway.
During homecoming that same year, the university dedicated Cherrydale as Furman's Alumni House. Renovated and thoroughly restored, Cherrydale Alumni House was dedicated on Oct. 23, 1999.
Read also: Baylor's Notable Alumni
Cherrydale Today: A Place of Gathering and Remembrance
Today, Cherrydale Alumni House serves as headquarters for the Furman University alumni association and as a venue for small dinners and receptions. It is a gathering place for Furman's alumni, friends and students. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Greek Revival home features gracious interior spaces and exquisitely landscaped gardens.
Stand on the front porch of this beautiful antebellum home. Admire the red maples lining the drive. It’s the best view on Furman’s entire campus. Straight ahead is Paris Mountain, on the left is "Blue Wall" of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the escarpment with between a 1,300 to 2,500 feet drop.
Acknowledging the Past: Enslaved Persons at Cherrydale
Furman University acknowledges the history of slavery associated with Cherrydale. A new plaque out front lists the names of the enslaved persons we know: Abraham, Clark, Joanna, Jethro, Mary, Pharis, Primus, Richard, Sylvia, and Toney. It offers a new chapter in recognizing the contributions of the enslaved who contributed to the success of the university and their story, as we continue to seek out the stories and identities of our shared ancestors.
Furman's land acknowledgement, created in 2019, reads: "We acknowledge that Furman University occupies traditional land of the Cherokee People, a land where the Catawba and other indigenous people might also have found food. Long before our Alma Mater sang of the mountain river that laves ‘our mother’s’ feet, the Cherokee honored that water, the land through which it flowed, and all the creatures living on the land with them. From the natural world, they also learned to live and form communities of respect. It is with gratitude that we, too, honor the land and the people who have stewarded it through many generations. We also must acknowledge that we benefit from the Cherokees’ loss of land and commit to remembering the human cost of colonialism."
The Furman Department of History, in collaboration with the Upstate Preservation Trust, hosted Joseph McGill Jr. McGill discussed the time he spent at Furman’s Cherrydale Alumni House, a summer home of James Clement Furman, the university’s first president. McGill also addressed UPT’s acquisition and preservation of Oakland Plantation in nearby Simpsonville.
Read also: Columbia University Legacy
tags: #cherrydale #alumni #house #history
