|
|
Magnolia House of (803) 359-5001 |
|
|
(Before Renovations) (After Renovations) Located in the historic Charlton Rauch house, built in
1893, Magnolia House of Lexington is rich in local folklore and history!
Named to the National Register of Historic Places, the home was one of the
largest single family homes in the town of Lexington. Built by CS Rauch and his mother, Permelia, the home was
designed by Frank Smithdeal, a prominent Columbian architect. When Permelia
passed on, CS bought out his niece's (Ethylyn R. Hendrix) share of the house
and moved in with his wife, Laura Harman Rauch. When CS died, Laura promised
the house to her nephew, J. Arthur Harman, and sold it to him for five
dollars and love and affection. His commitment to her was that he would erect
a tombstone for her late husband (and ultimately, for her as well), and see
that she was cared for and could live out the rest of her life in the home.
She and CS are buried in the St. Stephens Lutheran Church cemetery here in
town. Only three years after Laura passed away, Arthur Harman
also died. His wife, Clara Harman, sold the home to TH Rawl, Sr. and his wife
Lina Leaphart Rawl. It remained in the Rawl family until the current owners
and your hosts, Randy & Cathy Lanier purchased it in 1996. The house had not been occupied (by the living) for
almost 17 years when purchased, and was in quite a state of disrepair.
Bringing it back to its original grandeur took more than 18 months. The
period garden was added by the current owners to enhance the historical
significance of the property. After dealing with various ghosts and other
"Things that go Bump in the Night," we are happy to present this
wonderful "Grande Dame of Lexington" for the town's enjoyment
|
