By 1850, the wealth of most people in the South reached the top of the bell curve. It was not so different in Lexington, SC except for a section in lower Lexington where this peak had occurred about 10 years earlier. It was a place where a high level of education had played an important role since the latter part of the 1700s. In this place, a small school taught children of all races a high level of education by age 10. Using books written by a 1777 Harvard graduate, this early Lexington school set a foundation that helped create a prosperous community. A sampler by the granddaughter of the founder of this community is on display at the Lexington Museum. It is a sample made by Martha Jeffcoat in 1805 at age 10. The founder of this small 18th century (Lexington) community was part of a national network of Wesleyan leaders who monitored the progress of each student at school and even at home. These men were founders and leaders of church communities and felt it was their obligation to visit the home of each student periodically to make sure the student was in a healthy environment.
In this small community a thriving timber business, mills and moderate farming became the basis of substantial wealth. By 1840, a third generation was at the helm of community and industry. Prosperity was reaching its peak. Early estate and legal documents reveal estates of $50,000 to $100,000. In today's dollars, these amount's equate to $1,250,000 to $2,500,000. The Civil War brought the decline of much of this wealth but some did survive.
Today, exquisite examples of this wealth can be seen through the places where these people lived. Hidden in the woods and groves are magnificent examples of houses from the middle 1700s to 1850. Some of these houses are just standing and are in poor condition while others have been preserved and are inhabited by members of the same families that built them. One beautiful example is the Martin-Jeffcoat House, a beautiful example of the Greek Revival style, c. 1842. There are many other houses from 1760s to the 1850s.
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The attached image is of a fifth generation descendant of the community's founder, Samuel Jeffcoat. This image of Braxton Bragg Jeffcoat was taken during the first quarter of the 20th century. Braxton was born after the height of prosperity at Big Pond Branch near present day Swansea, South Carolina. The early educational foundation and the earned wealth helped to sustain through the fifth generation.