Our Old House

605 Laurel Street Historic House for SALE

2011-06-03T10:53:00.000-07:00

myrtle beach craigslist > housing > real estate - by owner

$210,000.00 / 3br - Historic House in downtown Conway (605 Laurel St., Conway, SC)

Date: 2011-06-03, 1:52PM EDT
Reply to: see below

The Causey House
605 Laurel St
Conway, SC 29526

ASKING: $210,000 OBO FSBO (no low ball offers please)
Priced to sell. Sold as is.

Property Features:
Single Family Residence in historic district
Year Built: 1876 ***Significant Historic House... "The Causey House"... Owned by Rivership Captain Coleman Causey. On Conway HISTORIC TOUR OF HOMES (#25)
3 Bedrooms
2 Bathrooms
Approximately 1,728 Sq Ft
Lot size: 10,650 Sq Ft
Stories: 1
Rooms: 8
County: Horry
Heating type: Heating * NEW HVAC last month (5/2011)
Heating detail: Forced Air
W&D

Renters agreement in force until August 2011. Rental income is $1000/month.

Description:
Beautiful home in historic Downtown Conway-

Home is on City of Conway Historical Trail. Home was recently renovated in the past 20 years to add all of the modern conforts while retaining its charm and character. Located downtown just blocks from entertainment, dining, shopping, schools, and the Waccamaw River. Home features great floorplan with real "heart Pine" hardwoods that have been refinished, custom cabinets and moldings, two double sided fireplaces, carolina room, and detached storage bulding. Great Value on such a historic home. Properties rarely come available in this area close to everything. Enjoy all of the sights and sounds of living this close to beautiful downtown Conway!

History:

The Riverboat "Ruth" and the Causey House Connection
Riverboat Ruth and the Causey House Connection

"The Little Pee Dee Causeway is raised high above the slow moving dark water as a protection against spring floods which sometimes inundate the section. The bridge takes the place of Gallivant's Ferry, which was used until 1892 when a wooden span was built. On the eastern bank beneath cypress trees in the Ruth, an old river boat, now a rotting hulk of yellow primroses. Little here indicates the busy traffic of former times, when side wheelers and schooners plied between settlements to exchange manufactured goods for cotton and lumber products. Cooter, turtles, and alligators are the busiest inhabitants now, as they flop into the water for food or sun themselves on drifting logs. Occasionally a fisherman in his bateau slides out from the overhung banks." (sourced from Conway Historic Tour information).
------------

Capt. Coleman S. Causey & Julia E. Skipper Causey

by Ben Burroughs

The old brick mausoleum located in Lakeside Cemetery in Conway is the final resting place of Capt. and Mrs. Coleman S. Causey. Capt. Causey was born about 11 April 1852, the son of W. G. and Margaret W. Causey, and died on 22 August 1924. He was a riverboat captain and later operated a mercantile business and was innkeeper of the Kingston Hotel in downtown Conway . He married Julia E. Skipper on 9 May 1894. Julia was born on 5 Sept 1852 near the Little Pee Dee River in the Galivant's Ferry area and died on 22 Nov 1933. Julia ran a shop in downtown Conway where she made and sold hats. It was located approximately in the area where the Main Street Theater stands in 2006. Julia's parents were Abijah Hollingsworth Skipper (1821-1895) and Sarah Caroline Skipper, formerly Smith (1829-1912). Abijah served as sheriff of Horry County from 1868-1876(?) and her grandfather, Joel B. Skipper (1789-1876) served as Quorum (Justice of the Peace) for 24 years and as State Senator for several terms. The Causey's home is still standing (as of 2006) at 605 Laurel St. in Conway , South Carolina .

Source:
http://books.google.com/books?id=-dUfVeiy4yIC&lpg=PA130&ots=iVPbdzF-02&dq=Coleman%20S.%20Causey&pg=PA130#v=onepage&q=Coleman%20S.%20Causey&f=false

---------------

Strange but True. . .

Julia A. Skipper was forty-two years old when she married steamboat
captain Coleman S. Causey. The captain died in 1924 and
was buried in an unmarked mausoleum near the entrance to
Lakeside Cemetery, Conway. His widow wrote specific instructions
regarding her funeral and burial shortly thereafter, which
turned out to be ten years later. The undertaker followed her
instructions to the letter. After the funeral, he placed the casket
in the mausoleum alongside her husband's. When he was finished,
he threw the keys to the mausoleum inside and then
locked the door. Some old-timers still recall standing outside the
mausoleum looking inside to glimpse the keys. This mausoleum was recently
restored by the keepers of this historic cemetery.

For pictures: http://sharons-oldhouse.blogspot.com/2010/02/riverboat-ruth-and-causey-house.html

Call (843) 670-7964 for more information.

Location: 605 Laurel St., Conway, SC
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 2419041742

New HVAC

2011-03-08T10:56:00.001-08:00

Our renters had their baby a couple of months ago. We are still doing things at a snails pace piece-meal as they need taken care of. Our latest "renovation" was for the HVAC which gave-out as they say in the South. The unit was an air-handler/compressor outdoor unit first installed in 1988. Thank goodness for our home-warranty plan, as it saved us about $4000.

Our new unit is a Goodman and will surely save on $$$$ and save the environment as it is Freon-Free.

**** 6/3/2011... we replaced older duct work under the house to upgrade the duct work for the new HVAC.

Rented

2010-07-28T19:03:00.000-07:00

So as not to have the house sit idle, JP and I had decided to rent the house. We had no idea how well that would go over,but after placing an ad on Craigslist, the response was amazing and we were able to to show it to five couples. We decided on a young couple who were very energetic. They are also expecting. They needed a bigger place and she was enamored with the thought of living in an old historic home. They will rent from us for at least 11-months. We will miss our little weekend getaway home, but are thrilled that it will be occuppied rather than sitting empty.

We asked for $950 but actually got $1000/mo.

------

Craigslist Ad:

$950 / 3br - Historic Cottage for rent

Date: 2010-07-25, 11:40AM EDT
Reply to: see below

$950 / 3br - Historic Home for Rent (Conway, SC) (map)
Date: 2010-07-19, 1:56PM EDT
Reply to: see below

A Downtown Historic Cottage (#25 on the tour of historic Homes) is for rent. Quaint and desirable neighborhood with a high "walk score"... http://www.walkscore.com/score/605-Laurel-St.-Conway-SC. Neighborhood recently included in Conway Residential Historic District.

Built in 1876 and having a wonderful history you are within walking distance to much of Conway's Downtown business and entertainment, 12-miles from the beach. 3 Bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms, Old Cottage Charm, screened in sun room off master, Hardwood Floors, W&D, 2-car carport, shed and lawn service included for extra $50/mo. Fenced in backyard, Small pets allowed with nonrefundable deposit of $300.

$500 deposit & first month rent at lease signing. Prefer 12-mo. but will accept 6-mo lease for $1000/mo. Available to move in now. Allowances for new paint and MB carpet.

605 Laurel St. Conway, SC call and ask for Sharon (843) 670-7964.

cats are OK - purrr
dogs are OK - wooof
Location: Conway, SC
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 1862146297

A 3-D view of the addition

2010-07-08T21:13:00.000-07:00

This is a 3-D view of what the layout will look like. This is probably the final draft and from here we will instruct our architect to draft some formal plans for our contractors. Construction plans are pending. JP and I have interviewed and discussed the project with three General Contractors. We really liked John Iles (and he happened to be the spouse of my husband's new practice partner). Anyway, John had the most honest opinion on the project and gave us several different options in which to pursue. Reliability is important and John has been incredibly helpful and punctual!

During the past couple of months, JP has been emailing the HGTV folks for a show called Renovation Realities. A production company out of Tennessee called RIVR Media produces and searches the SE for projects for HGTV for the Renovation Realities program. Breana Leader is our contact person and we were required to fill out a lengthy application form and make a video. My husband jumped right in, bought a digital video camera and software to produce an edited video tape of ourselves explaining the project. (Yuck, I hate being in front of the camera and seemed so artificial.) My husband was totally excited about it, while I was thinking that it would be such a hassle. He would prefer life as a budding film director rather than emergency medicine physician.

Ultimately we sent in the video, but felt they were probably looking for more charismatic characters. Oh well, all is well that ends well. JP had fun in the process.

Sketch of new addition and renovation (Getting close)

2010-06-28T06:41:00.000-07:00

David's sketch of what the kitchen and bathroom will eventually look like. Now the next step is to see if the footprint of the new structure will fit onto our property plat, taking into account the several hardwood trees that are on property. We don't want to have to remove the trees if possible. I am getting excited as we are getting closer and closer.

A.H. Skipper Family House - 605 Laurel St.

2010-05-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

Abijah Hollingsworth Skipper Family & House

Southeast corner of Laurel Street and Sixth Avenue, Conway, South Carolina

This is believed to be a photograph of the home of Abijah Hollingsworth Skipper and his wife Sarah C. Smith Skipper. It stood on the southeast corner of the intersection of Laurel Street and Sixth Avenue in Conway, South Carolina. A.H. Skipper was the sheriff of Horry County in the late 1860s and in the 1870s. His father was Joel B. Skipper, who served as state senator from Horry. Abijah was born near the Little Pee Dee River just downriver from Gallivant's Ferry in Horry District, SC. Sarah was from the Little River, SC area. Both are buried in the Conway First United Methodist Churchyard. Abijah and Sarah are sitting in front of the steps. I believe that pictured standing to the left of the steps is Henry Homer Burroughs, beside him standing on the porch is his wife, Isadora C. Skipper Burroughs, sitting in a chair on the porch is an unidentified man, standing on the porch to the right is Julia Skipper Causey and standing to the right of the steps and behind Sarah is Capt. Coleman S. Causey. An unidentified boy is standing in the yard to the right. Notice the "joggling board" on the front porch. The house was purchased by Dr. Henry L. Scarborough and around 1918 it was demolished to make way for the house that is currently (2006) located on the lot.

[Submitted by John Benjamin Burroughs]

Horry County Historical Society, 606 Main Street, Conway, SC 29526-4340.

Plat of Property

2010-04-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

Click above for larger picture of rendering

In order to continue with our building plans we had the property surveyed. I forwarded the plans to our architect David Graham and he will determine based on where property lines are and setbacks needed to finalize our plans. We would like to avoid cutting down trees in the backyard as they provide a much needed shade canopy. Also, I have noticed running bamboo spiking up in the backyard along the fence. While I like bamboo, it is very invasive and will take over the yard if we are not careful. Every plant in the yard, is in fact invasive. Wisteria is growing bountifully on the iron fence beside the house, and Asiatic Jasmine is growing in the front yard. I am surprised that I have not found Kudzu growing there as well. Back to the plat, this is necessary for the final plans to be drawn. It will be up to us the take the plat to the city and to register it. Apparently, the current plat the city has shows that our property line is literally right on the house line. The corrected plans shows a good 20 feet leeway. I had visions of expanding the house from the kitchen, but our architect seems to think, as well as JP, that it is better to stay withing the footprint of the original house......Reality check ONE!

Narrowing it down

2010-04-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

David Graham presented us with four rough drafts of our restoration project. With a week and a half under our belts to digest his recommendations, we decided to morph the plans to incorporate from each plan the things that we liked. We really liked his ideas for the kitchen in #2 and the living room and bedrooms in #4. We met again and decided to adapt what we liked from his plans to bring them together into a final rough draft. We have divided the work into phase 1 and 2. Phase 1 will focus on a total redesign of the kitchen and one of the bathrooms. Phase 2 will add a new master bedroom, master bath, double garage and potential studio / garage apartment. And yes, an outdoor shower, my favorite indulgent suggestion!

April 7th, 2010

2010-04-08T10:07:00.000-07:00

David Graham came by with some preliminary rough sketches for our renovation. They were imaginative, functional and would add heated square footage in progressively greater amounts . We talked of adding a master bedroom and master bathroom to the area that is presently our garage. Yes, I will gladly give up the covered garage for a NEW totally functional and level space. All of his renderings opened up the living space floor plan quite a bit making the house much more functional and free flowing. Now it is time to digest all the plans, assimilate all the information and come up with a single rough sketch that we can take to a contractor for some estimates.

This was also the first time Anna, Michael & Madison stayed with us at the house. We were all there for spring break. Additionally JP's parents (Michael & Phyllis) spent a couple of days with us "discovering" Conway. We dined at our favorite restaurant in town (The Rivertown Bistro) and put them up at the Moore Family Farm B&B (having a group breakfast the following morning).

Existing Floor Plan

2010-03-12T21:50:00.000-08:00

The existing Floor Plan drawn up by our architect. 1876 structure plus add on from 1900's and 1984. I was surprised how little square footage that we have, roughly 1600 sq ft. Also surprised to learn that there is a flat roof section above the bathroom that was originally a back porch.

First night in "our old house"

2010-02-24T00:54:00.000-08:00

Last night we spent our first night in our old house. JP had a last minute schedule change at work, so we jumped at the opportunity to rent a U-Haul truck and take a few necessities down to our new place. We loaded up our 2nd Washer and Dryer and some kitchen supplies, a spare bed we had upstairs and some modern furniture JP had from long ago in Savannah.

I was totally appalled at what I found under the pretty abused old Washer and Dryer the previous owners left us. It was totally nasty, and on top of that, the plumbing was Jerry-rigged in a ridiculous and half-assed manner.

Today after a good nights sleep we walked down to the Trestle Restaurant for breakfast and then stopped by to see Don at Crown & Country Interior Design (our new neighbor and owner of a high-end antique store in Conway) for a chat. He filled us in on who to call as far as contractors and architects. Invaluable information for us newbies in town.

Finding the Right Architect

2010-02-21T10:37:00.000-08:00

So many people have advised us to "just use" a contractor. I am very skeptical of this approach. Have you seen "Holmes on Homes" and all of the nightmares that come out of poorly done construction? Wow! It's enough to make you think twice before remodeling or building. Anyway I am a firm believer in doing it once and doing it right! Remember the old adage, " measure twice and cut once".

First of all, I am absolutely appalled by the number of people that you call and that they never call you back. What the heck is wrong with people? Looks like with the economy the way it is, people would be running to your door. Cold calls for architects is interesting, because some architects only do commercial, and some architects do new building, and I am specifically looking for someone that can work with "old" houses! Architects are good in that they will refer each other and even provide phone numbers.

I have spoken with two architects so far. One has provided references and those references have been favorable. Prompt responses and good references may be the tipping factor. Due to the fact that I am new to this process, I have been reading The Old-House Journal Compendium, edited by Clem Labine and Carolyn Flaherty. Everything I have read so far has advised on interviewing your architect as you would anyway you would hire for any job. Get references and meet in person to decide if this is someone that you could work with and someone that would work well with you. This is a give and take relationship, so unless you are willing to give someone carte blanche, have ideas beforehand. Get a portfolio of the things you need first and want second. I have been cutting pictures out of magazines for the right style. I am more the white cabinet, country sink kind of person. My husband is more the modern "Dwell" kind of person. Somewhere the two twains must meet!

We Close... 605 Laurel Street is ours!

2010-02-08T13:36:00.000-08:00

We closed on our new "old house". We had a 1PM closing at the attorneys office (Robin Ciaccio) and prior we did our last walk through with Bill. All was well and the house was empty and cleaned up. The closing only took 36 minutes and it was ours. Now we had to figure out how and when to restore and remodel the structure.

MLK Day on the Farm. The Conway Farm that is.

2010-01-18T10:45:00.000-08:00

MLK Day in Conway at the FARM

We spent the day in Conway... Of course, if you are in the area, Myrtle Beach is well known for the outlet stores, which occasionally we can't resist, so hit there first . After that, we had an educational adventure at the L.W. Paul Historical Farm (part of the Horry Co. Museum) where there is an actual working 1940's farm. We were able to see the new pigletts and Michael fed the chickens, while Madison & Anna pulled the dried corn off the cobs to help make grits. We took in the blacksmith and watched them milk the cow. We also drove by our "new" home. Hopefully if the inspection went well, and we could acquire our financing. Closing was set up for Feb. 8th.

The Riverboat "Ruth" and the Causey House Connection

2009-12-19T10:41:00.000-08:00

Riverboat Ruth and the Causey House Connection

"The Little Pee Dee Causeway is raised high above the slow moving dark water as a protection against spring floods which sometimes inundate the section. The bridge takes the place of Gallivant's Ferry, which was used until 1892 when a wooden span was built. On the eastern bank beneath cypress trees in the Ruth, an old river boat, now a rotting hulk of yellow primroses. Little here indicates the busy traffic of former times, when side wheelers and schooners plied between settlements to exchange manufactured goods for cotton and lumber products. Cooter, turtles, and alligators are the busiest inhabitants now, as they flop into the water for food or sun themselves on drifting logs. Occasionally a fisherman in his bateau slides out from the overhung banks." (sourced from Conway Historic Tour information)

------------

Capt. Coleman S. Causey & Julia E. Skipper Causey

by Ben Burroughs

The old brick mausoleum located in Lakeside Cemetery in Conway is the final resting place of Capt. and Mrs. Coleman S. Causey. Capt. Causey was born about 11 April 1852, the son of W. G. and Margaret W. Causey, and died on 22 August 1924. He was a riverboat captain and later operated a mercantile business and was innkeeper of the Kingston Hotel in downtown Conway . He married Julia E. Skipper on 9 May 1894. Julia was born on 5 Sept 1852 near the Little Pee Dee River in the Galivant's Ferry area and died on 22 Nov 1933. Julia ran a shop in downtown Conway where she made and sold hats. It was located approximately in the area where the Main Street Theater stands in 2006. Julia's parents were Abijah Hollingsworth Skipper (1821-1895) and Sarah Caroline Skipper, formerly Smith (1829-1912). Abijah served as sheriff of Horry County from 1868-1876(?) and her grandfather, Joel B. Skipper (1789-1876) served as Quorum (Justice of the Peace) for 24 years and as State Senator for several terms. The Causey's home is still standing (as of 2006) at 605 Laurel St. in Conway , South Carolina .

http://books.google.com/books?id=-dUfVeiy4yIC&lpg=PA130&ots=iVPbdzF-02&dq=Coleman%20S.%20Causey&pg=PA130#v=onepage&q=Coleman%20S.%20Causey&f=false

---------------

Strange but True. . .
Julia A. Skipper was forty-two years old when she married steamboat
captain Coleman S. Causey. The captain died in 1924 and
was buried in an unmarked mausoleum near the entrance to
Lakeside Cemetery, Conway. His widow wrote specific instructions
regarding her funeral and burial shortly thereafter, which
turned out to be ten years later. The undertaker followed her
instructions to the letter. After the funeral, he placed the casket
in the mausoleum alongside her husband’s. When he was finished,
he threw the keys to the mausoleum inside and then
locked the door. Some old-timers still recall standing outside the
mausoleum looking inside to glimpse the keys.

----

I think we found it

2009-12-18T14:29:00.000-08:00

605 Laurel St, Conway SC

(#25 on Conway Historical house tour)

Causey House - Circa 1876.
For many years Coleman S. Causey, Captain of the riverboat Ruth, and his

wife, Miss Julia, one of the early milliners of the town, lived here.

This is atypical Greek Revival Cottage. (605 Laurel St.)

After a visit to the Conway Historical Museum and speaking with the folks there about the town, the historic tour of homes and the "live oak" tour we were stoked about one of the listings we found. It was an old house build in 1876 (or earlier) and was #25 of the 40 homes on the historic tour of homes in Conway. It was also within our budget. So we decided to see the property and made a return trip today (only 3 days after being in Conway last) to view the interior.

Well it was very quaint, needed some serious updating, but the "bones" were good. The following day we had a signed contract on the house.

My 3rd visit to Conway

2009-12-15T10:24:00.000-08:00

My second time in Conway this month. Stayed another night at the Moore Farm B&B and dined at the Rivertown Bistro downtown. Nice upscale place to eat. Read JP's review on TripAdvisor.com. On this trip we decided to look for our second home. Since our criteria was met for the place (both geographically and type of town) my husband and I decided to make a move. The Piners at the B&B gave us the name of an agent at Ray Realty. Bill Bennett would be our agent and help us find our new "second home". We were looking for a property that was downtown, walking distance from everything and close to the river. We also would prefer a historic place. I'll know it when I see it.

My second visit to Conway

2009-12-09T22:11:00.000-08:00

My husband and I wrapped up an uneventful work week in Charleston. We made our way back to Bennettsville via Conway, SC again (for another look).Going up I-95 one more time is monotonous to say the least. Hwy 17 is a good alternative. This time we stayed at one of the three B&Bs in the area. Selected for its smaller size and quaint atmosphere we couldn't have been more pleased. The Innkeepers Harry and Cathy Pinner at the Moore Farm House B&B were super hosts, we had a pleasant and restful stay, and breakfast was wonderful.

At this point we were getting excited at the prospects of finding a place to call home and to get away from our present location. JP and I had been looking for the past 2 years for a quaint historic town to purchase a 2nd home. This summer we explored the mountains. Taking us to Asheville and Hendersonville, NC. We spent the summer renting a place in Lake Lure, NC but ultimately decided the mountains were too far from family and friends. So now our focus will be coastal SC area between JP's kids and my family. Also we did not want to be too far from his parents in Laurinburg, NC.

Doing a Google search one evening my husband entered: "Top small town College towns." and we were shocked to find Conway, SC was 10th on the list. The list is featured on: http://www.epodunk.com/top10/colleges. Conway specifically on this page: http://www.epodunk.com/top10/colleges/conway.html.

As it turns out Coastal Carolina University is a rapidly growing college and is financially quite stable despite the economy. The town of Conway had recently seen a downtown revitalization of business, restaurants and shops. The River Walk Park was nicely put together and makes a fine attraction. So far so good.

Discovering Conway

2009-11-18T10:01:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, November 18, 2009, on a road trip back from Charleston, we trekked up the SC coast along Hwy 17N. We stopped and spent the night in Georgetown. Georgetown is an interesting place with its very cool Spanish moss draped live-oak trees on wide clean streets decorated with Antebellum and Victorian era mansions. However, when you first enter the city you cannot help but notice the abandoned steel mill on the right and the billowing smoke stacks from the paper mill on the left. Hummm? While I know Americans need industry, the industry appearance and the antebellum historical facade make poor bedfellows. That appearance detracts from the city and the fact that the steel mill is closed down plays havoc with the economy of the city. I suggest Georgetown hire some really innovative city planners.

The following day we passed through Litchfield and Murrells Inlet. Skipping Myrtle Beach as quick as possible and headed westward towards Conway. I wanted to visit the historic downtown district of Conway and had to convince my husband it was a worthwhile endeavour. I had heard some good things about Conway from Jim Roberson who grew up there. Jim is a friend of mine and Respiratory Therapist from MUSC. To our utter amazement and pleasant surprise, we discovered a little gem in that well thought out revitalized river town! The Waccamaw River Walk park was very nice and relaxing. We stopped by for drinks at Bernie's on the main drag and took in the Visitors Center & Live Theater building. This is a place that really caught our interest and we vowed to return.