One of the Upstate’s Oldest Homes Hides Along Highway 11

Traveling along the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway, it’s easy to admire the mountain scenery while overlooking one of Greenville County’s most remarkable historic treasures. Tucked beside Highway 11 near the intersection with Lima Baptist Church Road stands the John H. Goodwin House, a home whose story stretches back more than 230 years.

Although the house is not regularly open for tours, visitors are welcome to stop, read the historical marker, and admire the property from the grounds. It is one of those rare places where the architecture tells the story of generations of Upstate history.

A Home That Began as a Frontier Log Cabin

The story begins around 1793, when pioneer Robert Cooke constructed a modest two-room log cabin on what was then South Carolina’s western frontier. At the time, Greenville County was still sparsely settled, and the surrounding countryside was a rugged landscape of forests, farms, and Cherokee lands transitioning to European settlement.

Unlike many early homes that have since disappeared, Cooke’s cabin survived.

As the family prospered and the region grew, the house expanded. What began as a simple log structure evolved into a dogtrot house, a distinctive Southern design featuring an open breezeway through the center that helped cool the home during hot Carolina summers.

Around 1842, John H. Goodwin purchased the property along with approximately 600 acres. Rather than replacing the older structure, Goodwin built around it, transforming the farmhouse into the impressive Greek Revival home visitors see today. Evidence of the original log construction can still be found within the structure, making the house a living record of nearly fifty years of architectural evolution.

What Is a Dogtrot House?

Many visitors have never heard the term “dogtrot,” but it describes one of the South’s most practical architectural styles.

A traditional dogtrot house consists of two separate living spaces connected by a large covered breezeway. Before air conditioning, this open passage allowed mountain breezes to flow through the home, creating natural ventilation while providing a shaded place for work and relaxation.

The John H. Goodwin House is especially significant because historians can trace its evolution from:

• A frontier log cabin (c. 1793)
• A two-story dogtrot house
• A Greek Revival farmhouse (c. 1842)

Very few surviving homes in South Carolina clearly illustrate this progression.

More Than Just a Family Home

The Goodwin House was far more than a residence.

Before the Civil War, it served as the center of a working plantation where, according to the historical marker, 30 enslaved people lived in four separate dwellings on the property. Their labor helped support the farm’s agricultural operation and shaped the farm’s history.

The property also likely housed the Orleans-Lima Post Office during John Goodwin’s tenure as postmaster, making it an important communication center for local residents.

After the Civil War, the house took on another role.

Located roughly halfway between Greenville and Asheville, it became a popular stagecoach stop and inn, providing travelers with food, lodging, and supplies before continuing their journey through the Blue Ridge foothills. Long before interstate highways and hotels, this was one of the area’s essential stopping places.

The Historic Store

Near the highway sits a small white frame building that many visitors mistake for an ordinary country store.

Constructed around 1870, the building served as a trading post and post office for the surrounding community. Farmers could purchase supplies, collect mail, and exchange goods without traveling to Greenville.

In recent years, preservation groups restored the building with plans to use it as a Highway 11 visitor center. Although those plans have not resulted in regular public hours, the restored structure remains an important part of the property’s history.

Goodwin Chapel

Standing beside the historic home is the picturesque white chapel that completes one of the most recognizable historic scenes along Highway 11.

Known as Goodwin Chapel, the small country church reflects the importance of faith in rural Upstate communities during the nineteenth century. While modest in size, the chapel has become one of the property’s most photographed features thanks to its classic white siding, steeple, and peaceful setting beneath mature trees.

Like the house, the chapel is generally not open for regular public tours, but visitors may appreciate its beauty from the surrounding grounds.

Together, the house, chapel, and historic store create a rare glimpse into what a rural crossroads community once looked like in the Upstate.

Saved from Disappearing

By the early 2000s, the future of the property was uncertain.

In 2005, preservation organizations acquired the site and placed it under a conservation easement to protect it from future development. Since then, work has included stabilizing the historic house, repairing portions of the roof and foundation, and restoring the nearby store building.

Although the full restoration has not yet been completed, these efforts have ensured that one of Greenville County’s oldest homes will survive for future generations rather than be lost forever.

Can You Visit?

Yes.

Visitors may stop at the historical marker, photograph the buildings, and enjoy the grounds surrounding the property.

At this time:

• The John H. Goodwin House is not regularly open for interior tours.
• Goodwin Chapel is not generally open to the public.
• The restored store building does not currently maintain regular visitor hours.

Even so, the property remains one of the most worthwhile historical stops along the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway.

Planning Your Visit

Location: 3782 Highway 11, Cleveland, South Carolina

Allow 15 to 30 minutes to explore the grounds, read the historical marker, and photograph the house, chapel, and historic store.

Morning and late afternoon provide the best lighting for photography, while autumn offers spectacular mountain scenery throughout the surrounding countryside.

Why It Matters

Thousands of motorists pass this property every year without realizing they are looking at one of Greenville County’s oldest surviving homes.

Behind its white columns is a story that spans the frontier era, early settlement, plantation agriculture, the Civil War, Reconstruction, stagecoach travel, postal history, and modern preservation efforts.

Even without stepping inside, the John H. Goodwin House stands as a remarkable reminder of how generations of South Carolinians built, expanded, and adapted their homes while helping shape the history of the Upstate.

If you’re exploring Highway 11, it’s well worth pulling over for a closer look.