Name/Title
TrunkEntry/Object ID
1971.201.1Description
Small carriage trunk made of pine with leather outer covering and brass tacked in an ornamental design. There are brass bail handles with a brass plaque on top, which reads, "S.C. Hall, So. Ca."Context
This trunk belonged to Sarah Cooke Goodwyn Hall (1791–1867), the wife of Ainsley Hall (1783–1823). After Ainsley sold their former home—now known as the Hampton-Preston Mansion—to General Wade Hampton I (1751–1835) in 1823, Ainsley contracted architect Robert Mills (1781–1855) to build a new home—the present-day Robert Mills House—across the street. With construction underway, Sarah left Columbia for New York with trunks like this one. Not long after that, Ainsley left Columbia to join her but fell ill on the way and died in Virginia.
Given that their new house was not accounted for in Ainsley’s will, his death ultimately left Sarah without a primary residence. While her husbands’ executors sought to sell the house, Sarah fought for ownership of the estate and took her case to the district court. There, Chancellor Henry William DeSaussure (1763–1839) ruled in favor of the executors but granted Sarah a portion of the real estate. In 1828, John Hopkins (1765–1832), Sarah’s uncle, bought the house at auction and transferred the home to Sarah. By then, a sharp downturn in the real estate market prompted Sarah to sell the house and its surrounding property to the Presbyterian synod. In 1851, a county court declared Sarah legally insane.Inscription/Signature/Marks
Type
LabelLocation
TopTranscription
S.C. Hall, So. Ca.Material/Technique
ImprintNotes
On plaqueDimensions
Height
11 inWidth
21-1/2 inDepth
14 inMaterial
Wood, Metal, LeatherRelationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Sarah Cooke Goodwyn Hall
