The legal deeds of Chick Springs


Chick Springs Springhouse and Gazebo

This glory days of Chick Springs and its hotels have been told many times and better than I can do anyway. But where do they get their information? One source (and a good one) is Greenville County's Register of Deeds pre-1990 digital archive. While deeds are often an uninteresting, dry read, they can also provide useful bits of trivia about historical places like Chick Springs. I've found and listed as many of the Chick Springs hotel-related deeds that my search skills could find.
  • 1834: Book R, page 266: Burwell Chick buys property in the area that will become known as Chick Springs. 
  • 1851: Book W, pages 455 and 456: Burwell Chick dies in 1847. Burwell's sons, Pettis and Reuben Chick, buy Chick Springs for $3000 in accordance with their father's will.
  • 1857: Book Y, pages 173 and 174: Pettis and Reuben Chick sell Chick Springs to Franklin Talbird of Beaufort and John Henry of Charleston for $15,000.
  • 1867: Book AA, pages 686-687 and 688: The Chick brothers buy back Chick Springs for $22,944.68.
  • 1885: Book QQ, pages 545 and 546, page 592, pages 755 and 756, and page 810, book RR, pages 101 and 102: George Westmoreland buys up all interest in Chick Springs.
  • May 1903: Book PPP, page 159: George Westmoreland sells out to the Chick Springs Company for stock in the company.
  • July 1903: Book HHH, page 656: Chick Springs Company is chartered.
  • 1911: Book 15, page 56: The Greenville, Spartanburg, and Anderson Railway Company is granted a right-of-way.
  • June 1914: Book PPP, page 646: The Greenville, Spartanburg, and Anderson Railway Company is granted an easement to construct a spur track. The plat for the spur is in plat book C, page 187. This plan appears to have been abandoned for a different plan in August.
  • August 1914: Book 12, page 571 and the top of page 572, plat book C, page 172: The Piedmont and Northern Railway Company, successor to Greenville, Spartanburg, and Anderson Railway Company, buys a small triangle shaped piece of property for a spur track. The plat shows a small station located in the railroad company's right-of-way. This small piece of land is located near the track where Current Tools is currently located.
  • January 1916: Book 12, page 329: C. Brewster Chapman cancels power-of-attorney. This deed wouldn't be worth listing, except for the Chick Springs Company letterhead which I've never seen anywhere else.
  • April 1916: Book 32, pages 393 [continued]: A 4/5th interest in Chick Springs is sold at auction to J. A. Bull, S. L. Stroud, and R. N. Berry.
  • May 1916: Book 30, page 296: Chick Springs Water Company chartered.
  • July 1916: Book 30, page 307: Chick Springs Military Academy chartered.
  • January 1917: Book 47, page 441: Chick Springs Water Company buys 5.38 acres of Chick Springs Company property. C. Brewster Chapman's name appears again in this deed.
  • March 1917: Book 54, page 71: Chick Springs Water Company buys a 1/5th interest in Chick Springs.
  • May 1917: Book 54, page 72: Chick Springs Water Company buys the other 4/5th interest in Chick Springs from J. A. Bull, S. L. Stroud, and R. N. Berry
  • March 1919: Book 53, page 535: Steedly Clinic and Sanitarium chartered.
  • March 1919: Book 25, page 453: Chick Springs Water Company sells the Chick Springs hotel property to Steedly Clinic and Sanitarium.
  • August 1927: Book 124, page 61: Chick Springs Ginger Ale Company chartered.
  • March 1929: Book 147, pages 401 and 402: Edward Ayers obtains on option to lease the pavilion from the Chick Springs Water Company.
  • April 1929: Book 146, pages 461 and 462: Edward Ayers leases the pavilion from the Chick Springs Water Company. A dance floor is to be constructed.
  • July 1929: Book 153, pages 233, 234-235, and 236: Chick Springs Ginger Ale Company leases property and use of wells from Chick Springs Water Company.
  • May 1937: Book 198, pages 415 and 416: The Chick Springs Water Company is dissolved for failure to pay taxes. J. A. Bull is deeded the property with the spring house but not the hotel.
  • May 1937: Plat Book I, page 73: Plat survey made of Chick Springs. This document is interesting because it shows the location of the hotel, springhouse, gazebo, and certain buildings and roads that no longer exist.
  • July 1937: Book 199, pages 273 and 274: The hotel property is sold to car dealer businessman R. E. Foil.
  • March 1939: Book 212, page 27: Correction to the July 1937 deed.
  • November 1939: Book 246, page 129 [continued]: J. A. Bull buys the remaining Chick Springs land on spring house side of Main Street.
  • March 1941: Book 232, page 240 [continued]: R. E. Foil sells the hotel property to local resident Dr. J. E. Brunson. With this transaction, the hotel property passes into private ownership. The hotel itself was already scrapped for salvage. Dr. Brunson builds a house on top of the foundation of the hotel. Other portions of the property are sold off to Norris Manufacturing and several private residences.
As of today, the house built on top of the hotel foundation is still there and is still privately owned. The springhouse and gazebo are the only buildings still standing from the hotel era. The property where the springhouse sits is currently owned by descendants of J. A. Bull, Sr. Well publicized plans to make the springhouse property into a park during 2007 and 2008 appear to have failed for now.

Location: 200-298 Chick Springs Rd, Taylors, SC 29687, USA

Comments

  1. UnknownDecember 22, 2013 at 7:09 PM

    When Franklin Talbird and John Henry purchased the property from Rueben and Pettis Chick in 1857 they used my family members as collateral. The names of these slaves are documented in the agreement.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Thankful TheologianJuly 27, 2024 at 10:20 AM

      I would love to learn more about your ancestors in regards to Chick Springs! I am researching the history of Chick Springs for a book, and whatever information you have would be really helpful. Thank you in advance.

      Delete
  2. BethFebruary 6, 2014 at 9:32 AM

    I'm very interested in this piece of history and would love to see the spot be made into a historic park. Wonder if it's in part of the plans again?

    ReplyDelete

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