Wilkins House

Front: The Wilkins House was built in 1878 by Greenville builder Jacob Cagle for William Wilkins and his wife Harriett Cleveland Wilkins. The home, which originally fronted Augusta St., was designed in the Italianate style, but also incorporated Gothic and Moorish elements. The interior finishes, including complex millwork and Lincrusta wall coverings, matched the high style of the exterior. An 1898 article declared it “the finest home of any man in northern South Carolina.” Reverse: William Wilkins died in 1895 but Harriett lived here until her death in 1930. In 1933 the house was leased by the Wilkins family to R.D. Jones, who used it as both a residence and funeral home. When the home was threatened with demolition in 2014 a public fundraising campaign, along with the efforts of a new owner, combined to raise enough money to move the 750-ton building to its current site. At the time, it was believed to be the heaviest building ever moved in S.C.