A joint meeting of Joseph Evan Davis 907, Children of the Confederacy (Greenville) and Bonnie Blue Flag Chapter 789 Children of the Confederacy (Anderson), was held on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 16, 2016, on the beautiful front piazza of the historic Woodburn Plantation. This lovely home had been recommended by Dr. Tim Drake of Belton and Michael Barnes of Honea Path. The two men are both descendants of the Pinckney family from two brothers of Charles Pinckney and have worked with the CofC and UDC Chapters for several years. The Children were accompanied by several members of the Robert E. Lee 146 UDC Chapter in Anderson, the Winnie Davis 442 UDC Chapter in Greenville, and members from the SCV.
The four-story plantation house was built around 1830 by Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (1789-1865), a Charleston planter who was the son of Gen. Thomas Pinckney and Elizabeth Motte. Mr. Pinckney served as a Lt. Governor of SC. Pinckney. He and his wife Phoebe Caroline Elliott Pinckney (1791-1864) lived for a number of years in the home with their children Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Caroline Pinckney, Thomas Pinckney and Mary Elliott Pinckney. The Pinckney family built the plantation house during the time that Pendleton became immensely popular as a summer refuge for Charlestonians who wanted relief from the hot and humid weather of the Low Country. The home enlarged in 1850 and was sold later to Rev. John B. Adger, who expanded it with large double front piazza porches. The farm was in the Adger family (including Smythes) for fifty years. There are two sets of stairs leading from ground level to the first floor. These lead through French doors to the parlor and to the drawing room.
Some second floor windows have hinged panels below to allow access to the veranda. The home is now part of the Pendleton Historical Foundation, providing a walk through history. Trained docents give the descriptions and history of the many artifacts in each room of the house. Additional features added in the past few years include a Victorian carriage house which houses Thomas Green Clemson’s travelling coach. Mr. Clemson was a Confederate official and father of a Confederate soldier, who donated the property surrounding the John C. Calhoun/Thomas Clemson home to the state of South Carolina for a college of agriculture. That small Clemson Agricultural College expanded to the giant Clemson University, an internationally recognized center of learning and innovation. On the Woodburn site also is an 1810 log cabin and cookhouse as well as a reproduction of a slave-tenant cabin.
The certificate of membership was presented to our newest and youngest member. Blake Williams was born on September 1st of this year. His Grandmother, Karen Kenyon had the honor to present the certificate to Blake and his mother, Brooke.
Anyone who wishes to have their children involved in the group is encouraged to contact Chapter Director, Martha Bailey (
