This story on an abandoned estate in the Upstate has more than just stunning photographs of a great old house being reclaimed by nature. It’s that old saying about not really appreciating what you have until it’s gone. This exquisite South Carolina, you see, was demolished a few years ago after sitting unoccupied and succumbing to progressive decay for years. Fortunately, there are still many beautiful photos of this area to enjoy; the structure may be gone, but the memories live on.
John B. Cleveland, often regarded as Spartanburg’s “first citizen,” constructed Bon Haven in 1884
The unusual architecture of this historic home blended Second Empire style with Neo-Classical adaptations from the 1920s. A castle turret might be likened to the great exterior tower.
Due to the excessive growth of plants and vegetation around the propertys perimeter, it was barely visible from the street when it was located at 728 N. Church Street
Although some individuals did get a good look at it throughout the years, it was on private property.
This historic mansion was situated on 6.39 acres in the heart of Spartanburg and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976
Despite the fact that we were informed that the grounds had not been adequately maintained in years, the reflection pool was stunning. Was this all that remained of the formal gardens that had once graced this land?
Here is another gorgeous photo of this stately home’s façade. We’ll soon look at images of the abandoned Bon Haven’s interior!
These outside photos demonstrate how long this lovely home has been unoccupied. The fading window air conditioner in the lower center of this image is a great example of the manor’s obsolete equipment.
However, despite its severe degradation, Bon Haven’s architectural features and finishing were incredibly stunning
The color palette and moldings around this window, for example, were stunning.
…And this porch railing was painted in complementary colors
Bon Haven was likely developed by the same guy who founded Converse College and the city’s first bank; he also served as Spartanburg County’s representative in the South Carolina House of Representatives. Bon Haven’s external elements surely added to the beauty and attractiveness of the ancient Spartanburg home.
This estate had a number of outbuildings in the back
One of these might have been the brick “tea house” or servants’ quarters listed on the 1976 National Register of Historic Places registration form. We’re not sure. Maybe. It’s fun to think about!
Bon Haven delivered just as much awe-factor on the interior as she did on the outside
Southern Accents Architectural Antiques’ YouTube channel captured these photographs in 2015. According to what we’ve discovered since then, a salvage firm was hired to pull down Bon Haven’s interior, an evident and laudable effort to transfer her body parts to another worthy house before she was laid to rest.
A modest entryway with a tiled floor and lofty ceilings was present on the main floor. The doors and panels were made of walnut
A staircase was located at the end of the central corridor, just before the double doors. It is depicted in the image below.
The back of the home contained a brick kitchen. As you can see, it had essentially been destroyed, and the ceiling was in bad shape
Even though they were taken in February 2015, these photographs clearly revealed an abandoned Bon Haven.
Strangely, this bathroom – with its beautiful tiled wall – still looked as if it was ready for the next person in line.
Even the built-in shelf next to the mirror and above the sink included a brand-new roll of paper!
This ancient South Carolina mansion was destroyed to make room for who knows what kind of development, despite significant efforts to rescue it
There don’t seem to be any records of how many rooms this house had or whether there were any estate sales or auctions to get rid of the remainder of its belongings before it was demolished. According to one source, some of the floors had previously been removed as part of the repurposing process.
It is hoped that further information about the history of this South Carolina gem will be discovered so that she can, at the very least, live on via documentation.
