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Caldwell-Johnson-Morris Cottage

Introduction

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The Caldwell-Johnson-Morris Cottage is a historic house located in the heart of Anderson. It is named after three of its owners, Nancy Caldwell, Dr. William Bullein Johnson (1782-1862), and Mrs. Edward Morris. Caldwell built the house around 1851 and the Morris family resided here for several decades. Johnson lived in the house from 1853 to 1858 and is perhaps its most well-known resident. A trained lawyer and educator, Johnson became a Baptist minister and was a strong proponent of women's education. In terms of architecture, the house is a good example of the Raised Cottage style, which was popular in the 1800s. The current status of the house is unclear. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

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The Caldwell-Johnson-Morris Cottage was built in 1851. It is a good example of Raised Cottage architecture and was the home of one of prominent state figure, Dr. William B. Johnson, who was a strong proponent of women's education.

Building, Plant, Window, Property

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

Information about Nancy M. Caldwell is not readily available, but she only owned the house until 1853 when she sold it to William B. Johnson. Johnson was born in Georgetown, S.C. in 1782 and as a young man attended Brown University and trained as a lawyer. While practicing as a lawyer in Beaufort, S.C., he experienced a spiritual awakening and was ordained as a Baptist minister in 1805.

Johnson spent the rest of his life committed to this new vocation and to promoting education. He founded many churches and schools around the state, came up with the idea of the first Baptist Triennial Convention and served as its president for a time (he was an active member for three decades), supported the South Carolina Baptist Convention and served as president from 1825-1853, and served as the first president of the Southern Baptist Convention (which was founded in Augusta, Georgia) from 1845-1849. From 1822 to 1830, Johnson served as a principal of male and female academies in Greenville, then as principal of Edgefield Female Academy 1853. That year, he became chancellor and teacher at Johnson Female University, which was the predecessor of Anderson University. He retired in 1858 and returned to Greenville where he passed away in 1862.

Mrs. Edward Morris bought the house in 1858 and lived here with her four daughters. The last family descendant left in 1976 and the house became a museum. It was then converted into the Morris Street Tea Room in 1980. It is unclear how long the Team Room operated.

Sources

Ruhf, Nancy. "Caldwell-Johnson-Morris Cottage." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. October 7, 1971. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/1d5177da-40b3-4e8c-bff9-8512c56ba1f9.

"William Bullein Johnson 1782-1862." The Historical Marker Database. Accessed May 10, 2021. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=10526.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Bill Fitzpatrick, via Wikimedia Commons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Caldwell_Johnson_Morris_Cottage.jpg

Additional Information