Through the years and off the shelf

Ruff & Co. Hardware, Ridgeway, SC   

We have a few country hardware stores in South Carolina that sell all the regular things - parts, tools, bits and pieces but they have been in operation for so many years that they still have all the vintage items from years gone by on the dusty shelves and they serve as functioning museums. This particular one is Ruff & Co. Hardware in Ridgeway, SC which opened in 1840. I thought they were selling firewood but I discovered a gigantic wood burning stove in the center of the building with a couple of chairs to pull up cozy.

One of the gentlemen laughed when I was leaving and said he should charge me for taking pictures. I told he should put a tip jar out - I'd be happy to contribute! It was well worth it. See below the images for a video clip with more info on this character spot.

Church Photo in Lieu of Attendance - St. Stephen's Episcopal, Ridgeway, SC

St Stephen's Episcopal Church, Ridgeway, S.C.    

Here is your church photo in lieu of attendance for this weekend. I discovered this beautiful chapel while on a day trip to Ridgeway, SC and had to take a photo op break. Here is what wikipedia has to stay about it's history:

Stephen's Episcopal Church is an historic Episcopal church building located northeast of Ridgeway, South Carolina, on County Road 106. Built of wood in 1854 in the Carpenter Gothic style, it was designed by the Rev. John Dewitt McCollough, who later became its rector. The exterior was painted a maroon color. In 1920, its exterior wood was covered by brick veneer, so that it appears today as a brick Gothic Revival style building on the outside while the interior retains its Carpenter Gothic features. A wing was added in the 1940s to create space for a parish hall and Sunday school. St. Stephen's was founded in 1839 as a chapel of ease for St. John's Parish, Fairfield, and remained such until 1889 when it became a separate parish. Among its early rectors was the Rev. William Porcher DuBose, who served from 1865-1868.

On the road - Ridgeway, S.C.

Ridgeway, S.C   

With all the political chaos of the primaries going on in town I hit the road on a day trip and found myself in sweet little Ridgeway, S.C. We arrived in time for lunch at the former Town Hall restaurant but the other option for lunch was Laura's Tea Room and  caught these ladies leaving after their formal tea. Luckily they had an assortment of antique shops and I was able to type up this blog entry on the road.

World's smallest Police Station!

Guess what S.C. town - Ridgeway

Ridgeway, S.C.

Caroline in the City correctly identified the location of the tiny Police Station in the "Guess what S.C.?" entry on the blog and Frankie on Facebook. My entries roll over to Facebook and there was a separate discussion there. The Police Station is billed as the world's smallest Police Station and was in use until the 1990's.

Larger resolution files here. Ridgeway, S.C. is in Fairfield County and I was tickled to see they are using my pictures on their web site.

Originally known as New Town, Ridgeway obtained its present name when the owners of the Charlotte and South Carolina Railway decided not to build the railroad on the Camden route, but rather to use the "ridge way." The railroad spurred growth of the town.

The first telegraph line was completed in the Ridgeway area in 1855 with wires being stretched from tree to tree. The telegraph played an important role in the civil war as did the town itself.

The earliest settlers of the Ridgeway area came south in the late 1700's from Virginia after the Revolutionary War. Others came north from Charleston in the early 1800's.

The light colored building houses a wonderful gift shop and upstairs Laura's Tearoom, which I was told you'd best have reservations for. Thanks to Caroline in the City whose original entry on Ridgeway sparked my interest in the first place and prompted the day trip last fall. I had a good meal in the Old Town Hall, bottom photo. It is a neat little historic town and made a worthwhile drive in the country.