04/24/2026
In addition to the full array of reenactment events going on in downtown Winnsboro this weekend (April 25-26), come by the Fairfield County Museum at 231 S. Congress St. between 10 and 2 tomorrow to view the new features. Sunny Turner and her husband Chris worked with grant moneys from the SC250 Commission to pretty much single handedly construct this colonial garden which opens for public viewing tomorrow (Saturday, April 25). Sunny is an active leader in the garden club community, historical society board member, and numerous other community projects and groups. She and Chris are restoring the old Belks store building downtown https://www.rootsandrecall.com/.../142-south-congress/...
to house their coffee shop/meeting room/antiques/ and gift shop. The picture of the Cornwallis House is in a wonderful project that museum staffers Greydon Maechtle, Betty Carol Luffman, Eddie Killian, and volunteer Ed Gates have been busy researching and putting together as an exhibit for viewing tomorrow. The long-held tradition that Lord Cornwallis stayed in the house on Zion St. is still eluding final conclusion with a diligent deed and historical accounts study. The earliest deed that mentions a building on the site at https://www.rootsandrecall.com/.../127-north-zion-street/...
1824 when Capt. John Buchanan was living in the greatly expanded building and mentioned the masonry north corner portion of the ground floor as being where Lord Cornwallis was housed during the fall and winter of 1780-81. The property is first recorded as being owned by Minor Winn, the son of Col. John Winn and nephew of General Richard Winn who developed the town of Winnsborough. The attached photo of the house dates from around 1910.
