Furman Academy and Theological Institution

Front: Established by the S. C. Baptist Convention in 1825, Furman opened in Edgefield in 1826. Later sites were here at High Hills (1829-1834), Winnsboro (1837-1850), and Greenville in 1851 (now Furman University). In 1859 the theological department became the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, which moved to Louisville, Ky. in 1877. Reverse: The Rev. Jesse Hartwell was director of this school at High Hills, which took its name from Dr. Richard Furman (1755-1825), noted patriot, theologian, and educator. A native of New York state, Furman moved to High Hills with his parents in 1770. The property here was given to Sumter County Historical Commission by Furman University in 1978.