13 Staggering Photos Of An Abandoned Mansion Hiding In South Carolina
This article, about an abandoned mansion that once existed in the Upstate, is about more than just beautiful photos of nature reclaiming a grand old home. It’s about age-old hindsight of not knowing exactly what you have until it’s gone. You see, there are many abandoned mansions in South Carolina that are demolished after years of sitting empty and suffering from gradual decay. Luckily, we still have plenty of amazing photos of this place to admire; the building may be gone, but the memories remain. It will always be a piece of South Carolina history.
Bon Haven was built in 1884 by John B. Cleveland, a man widely credited for being Spartanburg's "first citizen."
The unique architecture of this old abandoned mansion in S.C. combined the Second Empire with 1920's Neo-Classical additions. The central exterior tower could have even been likened to that of a castle turret.
It rested at 728 N. Church Street, and it was barely visible from the street due to the overgrowth of plants and foliage on the perimeter of the property.
It was on private property, though some folks did indeed get a good, up-close, and personal look at it over the years.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976, this historic abandoned house in South Carolina included 6.39 acres in downtown Spartanburg.
The grounds included this reflection pool that was still stunning even though we know this property hadn't been thoroughly cared for in years. Was this the only thing that remained of the formal gardens that once graced the property here?
Here's another wonderful capture of the exterior of this grand abandoned home. We'll look at photos of the inside of abandoned Bon Haven shortly!
It's clear from these exterior shots that this grand property had been empty for quite some time. The crumbling window air conditioner seen at the bottom center of this photo is a good example of old technology at the manor.
Yet, even though it suffered some serious decay, Bon Haven's architectural elements and finishes were astoundingly attractive.
For certain, the exterior details of Bon Haven added to the charm and allure of the old Spartanburg home built by the same man who founded Converse College and opened Spartanburg's first bank; he also represented Spartanburg County in the South Carolina House of Representatives.
On the rear of this estate, there were several outbuildings.
Could one of them have been the servant's quarters or the brick "tea house" listed on the 1976 nomination form presented to the National Register of Historic Places? We don't know. Maybe. It's fun to think about!
On the inside, Bon Haven delivered just as much awe-factor as she did on the exterior.
These photos were captured by YouTube user Southern Accents Architectural Antiques back in 2015. From what we've been able to determine, since that time, a salvage firm was hired to dismantle the inside of Bon Haven - a clear and commendable attempt to donate her body parts to another deserving house before she was finally laid to rest.
The main floor featured a modest entryway with a tiled floor and high ceilings. The paneling and doors were constructed from walnut.
There was a brick kitchen located at the back of the abandoned home in South Carolina. As you can see, it had been pretty much gutted and the ceiling was crumbling.
There doesn't seem to be any records of how many rooms this mansion had, or if there were any estate sales or auctions to clear out the remaining items before its demise. One report said that some of the floors had already been removed as part of the repurposing project.
Hopefully, more history of this South Carolina treasure will become known so that, at the very least, she can live on through documentation.
To see more of Bon Haven, watch the video below from YouTube user Southern Accents Architectural Antiques:
Did you know this historic mansion existed in South Carolina – or that it was demolished? If you have photos or more information about this property, we’d love to hear about it and see your photos in the comments! Have you been to any other abandoned mansions in South Carolina?
