Cherrydale

In 1852, George Washington Green purchased 350 acres of land "on the waters of Richland Creek and Reedy River" north of Greenville for $1,500. There he built "Green Farm," a modest one-story dwelling that is now the rear wing of Cherrydale. On March 2, 1857, Green sold that land and an additional 100 acres to James Clement Furman, President of Furman University for $7,000. This $5,500 price difference suggests that Green constructed the house between 1852 and 1857.

Between 1857 and 1860, Furman and his wife, Mary Glen Davis Furman, remodeled Green Farm, adding four rooms and a new entrance with a front porch, four Greek-Revival-style columns, a three-bay portico and were calling the renovated house "Cherrydale."

The Cherrydale farm was three miles from downtown Greenville, where Furman University was then located, so James Clement Furman kept a separate residence near the university while school was in session. Furman retired as president in 1881 and lived his final years at Cherrydale writing and preaching. He died in an upstairs bedroom of the house in 1891.
Furman willed Cherrydale to his wife, Mary, who sold much of the surrounding land but continued to live there until her death in 1911.
Mrs. Furman's will transferred ownership of Cherrydale and the remaining property to her children. Her daughter, Mrs. Goldsmith lived there until the mid-1930s, when she moved to New York. In 1939 Mrs. Goldsmith sold Cherrydale, together with 55 acres of surrounding land.
The buyers, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene E. Stone III, discovered the house to be in terrible condition, with no electricity, heat or water, a sagging front veranda, and an open porch along one side. They modernized and restored Cherrydale to be their home, and in 1976 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Stone family retained possession of Cherrydale and it was extensively and carefully renovated in 1997 as a corporate guesthouse.
When AIG Baker bought the plant site from Umbro International in 1998 with plans to construct Cherrydale Point shopping center, it also purchased the Cherrydale property. Together the Stone family and AIG Baker donated the house to Furman.

On March 7 and 8, 1999, Expert Movers of Virginia used their engineering skills to move the huge home three miles along Poinsett Highway to its present location at the highest point of the Furman campus. During homecoming that same year, the university dedicated Cherrydale as Furman's Alumni House.

Cherrydale is available for events and can be used by any group, however preference will be given to those affiliated with Furman. To inquire about reserving Cherrydale for a special occasion, please call the Furman Alumni Association at (864) 294-3464.
Cherrydale

© Flavia Westerwelle