George Mower House
The George Mower House, also known as the Mower House, is a significant historic residence located at 1526 Boundary Street in Newberry, South Carolina. Built in 1893, this two-story, weatherboarded dwelling exemplifies the Queen Anne architectural style, characterized by its ornate detailing and asymmetrical design.
Designed and constructed by local builder Cam Davis, the house showcases several distinctive elements:
- Prominent polygonal end turrets that enhance its asymmetrical façade.
- A pedimented dormer with three-over-one windows interrupting the front slope of the sheet metal shingled roof.
- A wraparound porch on the lower story, featuring projecting center pediments, trued balustrades, and Doric colonettes atop paneled wood pedestals.
- A second-story balcony porch framed by the turrets.
- The left turret, level with the roof, adorned with an applied garland frieze and balustrade crest.
- The right turret, under a metal shingled tent roof, featuring imbricated shingles covering a third floor above the weatherboarded lower two floors.
- A uniquely molded chimney stack extending from one turret wall and penetrating the turret roof.
These varied textures and intricate details make the George Mower House the city’s only authentic Queen Anne specimen.
George Mower was a prominent figure in Newberry’s history. He served as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1888 to 1890 and again from 1910 to 1916, and as a member of the South Carolina Senate from 1893 to 1904. Beyond his political career, Mower was a respected attorney and the director of Newberry Cotton Mills, playing a significant role in the region’s economic development.
Recognizing its architectural and historical significance, the George Mower House was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 26, 1980.
