A Legacy Built, Lived, and Passed Down
Confederate pension application and supporting correspondence from former officer William Townsend documenting Charles Lawton’s postwar service history.
The Home
Around 1901, his son, Charles H. Lawton Jr., a carpenter by trade, built the home that still stands today for his wife Amanda and their six children. After his passing in 1938, the home remained with his family — a continuity that has lasted more than a century.
Archival deeds documenting the transfer and preservation of the Lawton family property across generations.
A Community at Home
In the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, Amanda Lawton and later Gertrude Ford opened the home to students attending Claflin College and South Carolina State College.
During segregation, the house became a place of refuge, support, and community for young African American students navigating a divided South
Simpson Industrial Home, nearby Claflin University
A Return
In September 2021, descendants gathered in Orangeburg to honor their family legacy.
That visit sparked a renewed commitment to preserve the home and its history.
A Path Forward
After consulting with preservation leaders and the Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation, the family determined that forming a nonprofit would be the best path forward.
On April 1, 2022, the Lawton House and Treadwell Street Historical Association was established.
