Coker Spring

Coker Spring is a fresh water spring located on Coker Spring Road in Aiken, South Carolina.[2][3] This spring is formed by a "junction" where the water table intersects the ground surface and according to archaeological remains, has been used since prehistoric times.[4][5] Coker Springs was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on January 18, 1978.[1]

Coker Spring
LocationCoker Spring Rd., Aiken, South Carolina
Coordinates33°32′59″N 81°43′37″W
Arealess than one acre
Built1890
NRHP reference No.78002490[1]
Added to NRHPJanuary 18, 1978

History

Dating back to prehistoric times, Coker Springs served as a water source for Native Americans, Aiken's early settlers, and British troops during the Revolutionary War.[4]

This historic site was part of an original land grant to Ephraim Franklin in 1787, but the spring was named for the original owner of the adjacent land.[1][5] Over the years the land changed hands many times, but the spring gained prominence as a regular stop on the stagecoach route from Abbeville to Charleston.[6]

Eventually William Perroneau Finley (1803-1876) purchased the land in 1842 and deeded it to Aiken in 1844, with the stipulation that the city grant, "free use of said Spring to be had and enjoyed by the citizens and inhabitants of Aiken and the public generally for themselves, their servants, cattle and horses, forever."[5][7]

Used as a gathering place for servants to do the laundry, it also served as the primary watering source for the Town of Aiken until a central waterworks was established in 1892.[5][8]

The spring was first covered with a spring house that was constructed in the early 1800s and a "Greek-style brick-and-stucco facade" was added in the 1850s.[5] Throughout the years the springs fell into disrepair, but was completely restored in 1972.[4]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. McNulty, Katharine; Mrs. Lonnie Garvin (September 3, 1975). "Coker Spring" (pdf). National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
  3. "Coker Spring, Aiken County (Coker Spring Rd., Aiken)". National Register Properties in South Carolina. South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
  4. "Aiken History - Coker Spring | Aiken Regional". www.aikenregional.com. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  5. "Coker Spring". SC Picture Project. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  6. "Coker Spring Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  7. "Coker Spring Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved 2016-02-26.
  8. "Coker SpringsVisit Aiken SC". www.visitaikensc.com. Retrieved 2016-02-26.


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