Source: Spartanburg Herald and
Journal
Sunday, March 26, 1939
BELMONT ESTATE NEAR CROSS ANCHOR ONE OF SECTION'S NOTED HOMES
Fine Old Union County Home Has Been in Hands of DILLARDS Since
1848
This is the story of a country boy, a youngster who from the first
showed determination and ability, who came to Spartanburg in 1876
at eighteen years of age started to work as a clerk in a general
store at $18 per month, and finally became owner of the firm. He
is ARTHUR JEFFERSON DILLARD, now past eighty-first milepost in
life, but who still works six days a week, and has a smile for
everyone.
This is also a mirror of the man's background, giving his family
connections and a brief history of " Belmont " in Union county,
where he first saw the light of day on February 1, 1858.
Today MR. DILLARD , known to his host of friends as " Jeff", is a
representative of a Charleston Fertilizer Company.
600 ACRES
" Belmont ", the family estate , has been in the possession of the
DILLARD'S since 1848. It is located near Cross Anchor, a quarter
of a mile over the Sptbg. county line, and was completed in 1840.
The present occupant of the home is DOUGLASS DILLARD, a nephew and
a son of the late W.Y. DILLARD...
The DILLARD'S take much pride in the historic nature of the
place...in 1790 it belonged to Judge JOHN FAUCHERAUD GRIMKE of
Charleston...
In the present house there is a hand-carved pine slab, now badly
eaten by termites, which bears the following inscription: " J.L.
LAMBRIGHT- G. PHILLIPS- GEORGE MILES- 1840." A large cedar tree
that shaded the GRIMKE'S house, still stands.
A deed shows that MR. LAMBRIGHT bought the present house in
1840...in turn THOMAS GREGORY purchased the house from MR.
LAMBRIGHT, lived there about 7 years and then sold it to ' JEFF
DILLARD, and whose last resting place is in the Belmont graveyard.
MR. GREGORY moved west and MR. DILLARD lived and died in the home.
At his death, his children fell heirs to the property. Later a
son, W.Y. DILLARD bought the interests of his brothers and
sisters.
In 1885 W.Y. DILLARD was married to MISS KATE GREGORY of Cross
Keys.
MR. DILLARD was one of the two Confederate veterans living in
Union county for the past 10 years, and was 89 years old at his
death. Up until his death he was unusually active and had a keen
and alert mind.
Today the house has 5 rooms on the first floor and 4 on the
second...five generations of DILLARDS have lived in the present
house.
MR. DILLARD'S parents were natives of Laurens county. His father
died at the age of 65 and his mother passing in her 82nd year.
When he was 18 years of age , in 1876, MR. DILLARD , accompanied
by his father, came to Spartanburg to seek work..there were about
65 business houses, a bank, 2 hotels, 2 weekly papers and a book
store. On salesday, said MR. DILLARD, there may be seen almost a
hundred wagons congregated in the Public Square, loaded with
cotton and other products.
In 1895 MR. DILLARD, C.F. THOMPSON and W.E. BURNETT bought and
operated Fernwood Farms. For 17 years they operated the farms,
producing cotton and corn. This property consisted of 1, 400
acres.
In 1915 the store went out of business and MR. DILLARD started
selling fertilizer.
MR. DILLARD'S wife died in Spartanburg on Sept. 13, 1938, after 55
years of happily married life. His children now treasure the
letter that MR. DILLARD wrote to his wife's father, asking her
hand in marriage, and the reply MR. THOMPSON made to MR. DILLARD.
MR. DILLARD has five children living and one , ARTHUR, deceased.
Those living are MRS. A.R. CHISHOLM, N.J., SAM B. DILLARD SR,
Sumter, JAMES H. DILLARD, Asheville, MRS. P.J. O'CONNELL, N.Y.,
and A.J. DILLARD, N.J. ,
all are natives of Spartanburg.
Mr. DILLARD philosophy of life is simple...
" I feel that I have lived a full and happy life. I have had many
misfortunes but I have also had much more happiness than I
sometimes feel I deserve. I was blessed with a good Christian and
noble wife, and she was a devoted mother to our children. We were
blessed with six children, one of whom has passed on and my wish
and hope for those who remain , is that they will do even better
and progress further in life than did their father, but that in
doing so, they will play the game fair, and always lay their cards
face up on the table ".
----
{ there is a photo of MR. ARTHUR J. DILLARD and the home but it's
not very clear.}
nancie o.
