Kilgore Lewis House – Greenville, South Carolina

The Kilgore-Lewis House was built in 1838 by Josiah Kilgore as a wedding gift for his daughter Mary, who is said to have been married in the parlor. The house was passed down from generation to generation for 130 years, but it is now owned by the Greenville Council of Garden Clubs, which provides tours of the house and gardens each weekday.

The Kilgore-Lewis House – also known as the Josiah Kilgore House – is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It is described as follows:

Built ca. 1838 of heart pine, the Josiah Kilgore House is one of the oldest structures in Greenville County. Architecturally it is an example of the application of the Palladian or Classical Revival style to what is otherwise an upcountry farmhouse. The Palladian style found in the Josiah Kilgore House is more sophisticated than the vernacular styles usually found in this area of South Carolina during the first half of the nineteenth century. The Palladian stance of the square giant-order posts supporting the portico is echoed not only in the entrance but also in the windows at the front elevation and in some of the windows in the rear. The portico is capped by a pediment of plain design with an oculus. The bracketing of the pediment and eaves is a later addition. The house is a two-story L-shaped design on a low foundation. Shiplap is used in the protected areas under the porches while the remainder of the exterior is clapboard. The rear elevation with projecting rear wing has a three-bay porch on the right side of the wing balanced by a similarly gabled enclosed porch on the left. Originally located in a commercial area of downtown Greenville adjacent to Buncombe Street Methodist Church, the structure was moved to a five-acre site in McPherson Park to prevent its demolition.