Street Scenes
Second Street Stores--This row of four stores is on the east side of Second Street behind the Market Hall. From left to right, the stores are Evans Furniture Company, the two stores of Burruss Finlayson and Ladd Drug Store. Today, they are left to right, a pawn shop, a restaurant, and a finance company. The portion that was Ladd's was torn down in the 1960's and is a vacant lot. According to deeds, the photo was probably taken sometime between 1904 and 1909. In the photo, each store has a platform built over the ditch along the side of the road on which to display their goods. Finlayson's New Store has rolls of wire, plows and harnesses while Evans Furniture Company displays rocking chairs, cribs and baby buggies.
Cotton Selling, Market Street--This photo from the early 1900's shows the cotton being sold in downtown Cheraw. The picture was taken from the south side of Market Street and shows the buildings which presently house Martin's Jewelry, Wannamaker's Drug Store, Attorney Tom Ingram's office and the remainder of the 100 block of the street. The photo is not dated, but it is known that the town council voted to have the trees in the center of the street removed in 1912.
Kershaw Street--This photo, taken in the early part of the century, is looking east on Kershaw Street from the corner of Greene Street. The first home, located on the northeast corner, is the present home of Mr. & Mrs. Phil Hoover. This house was built sometime between 1899 and 1904. The next home in the photo was built about 1902, the third home in the photo was built c. 1825.
Third Street--This is a view of Third Street looking south from the intersection of Kershaw and Third. The fence on the right of the photo is to the side of the Lafayette House, the present home of Mr. & Mrs. Bill Malloy. The first house in the distance was built in the early part of the century. The second house was built around 1820 and was sold to the PresbyterianChurch by Rev. John C. Coit in 1859. It was used as the Presbyterian Manse until 1889 when it was sold and a new building erected on a lot adjacent to the Presbyterian Church. The fence on the left of the photo is to the side of the Teacherage, the present home of Mr. & Mrs. James Spruill, III.
Looking east on Market Street--From the intersection of Market and Third Streets, one can see the old Cheraw (Planter's) Hotel at left and the side of the Merchant's Bank farther down. The Cheraw Hotel was on the site of the present post office. The Merchant's Bank was built in 1833 and served until the end of the Civil War. It later became the Bank of Cheraw. In 1928, the building became a residence and was later used as a tourist home called "The Cheravian". People's Bank took over the building in 1962 later changing to First Citizen's Bank and Trust.
Looking west on Market Street--Iin the early 1900's, the Cheraw Lyceum building and the old Cheraw Hotel can be seen on the right. The Lyceum was built c. 1820 and was used in the 1800's as a meeting place for the Cheraw Lyceum and a library, since 1962, it has served as a museum. The Cheraw Hotel was once known as the Planter's Hotel and was a stage tavern on the route between Texas and Washington, D.C., claiming such boarders as John C. Calhoun, Henry Clay and Sam Houston. It burned to the ground in the late 'teens.
Looking North Toward the Intersection of Market and Second Streets--This photo was taken looking north toward the intersection of Market and Second Street from the 100 block of Second Street. To the extreme left is Ladd's Drug Store which is now an empty lot. Beyond that is the rear of the Market Hall, and farther on can be seen the corner of the Town Hall. The postcard from which the photo came was dated January 24, 1907.
Town Green--The Town Green was deeded to the Town of Cheraw for public use by Eli Kershaw in 1768. The Market Hall seen in the distance was built in 1836. It's second floor was originally used for the Chancery courts in Chesterfield County. It is assumed that this picture was taken during the first seven or eight years of this century since the Civic League Garden Club had the first story enclosed when they
were given permission to use the building in 1907. The stairs leading to the second floor were removed from the front of the upstairs porch to the underside of the porch. The Garden Club met in the first floor room for nearly 60 years until the building was restored to its original design (as it looks in this photo) in 1979.
100 Block of Market Street--This photo from around the turn of the century shows the north side of the 100 block of Market Street. In 1888, seven stores, each with a 25 foot frontage, were built beginning at the northeast corner of  Market and Second Streets and extending as far as the present location of Thomas E. Ingram's law office. Most likely, this string of stores included the Cheraw Hardware, Horton and Hendrix Fancy Groceries, M. W. Duvall Groceries, Stubbs Furniture and Wannamaker's Drug Store at the time the photo was taken. The original stores remained, with various renovations, until a 1982 fire destroyed the first four which housed Baxter's Clothing and Belk.
(Digital Image Access Project Photographs, Special Collections Library, Duke University.)
(Digital Image Access Project Photographs, Special Collections Library, Duke University.)
(Digital Image Access Project Photographs, Special Collections Library, Duke University.)
(From "Historic Chesterfield County" and the collection of Dr. William L. Perry)
Market Street in 1914 before the middle row of trees was removed to provide space for water and sewer pipes.  Intervention by the Civic League of Cheraw saved some of the trees from destruction.  The Street Project was completed in 1912.  (From "Historic Chesterfield County" and the collection of Dr. William L. Perry)
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