Wishing the ‘Queen of Claussen’ much happiness

I see that a piece of Florence County history is to be auctioned. I wish her much success with her new owners and I hope her new owners love and care for her the way she deserves!

The Gregg Napier Auction Group issued a press release this past week to make it official: the home known in the county as the “Claussen House,” built in 1830 on a coach and trade road that led to Camden and parts above, will be auctioned on June 27.

Placed on the National Historic register in 2001, the home will be sold to the highest bidder over the minimum starting bid of $255,000. The house a.k.a. the Howard--Harllee--Claussen House is at 5109 Old River Road. It's an intact 3,585 square foot Greek revival home that has undergone renovations, the latest of which won it an an award from the state Department of Archives and History; weathered time and abandonment and is still standing after storms of nature tried to bring it to its knees.

The site includes five structures, a main house, guest cottage, kitchen cottage, smoke house and greenhouse on 2.35 acres. It will be open for preview from 2-5 p.m. on June 14, for those seeking a gander at the good ole' days. For those who know her and her story, it hasn't always been a happy one. Monarchy can be that way.

“Just to walk the grounds, takes a fellow back in time” remarked Napier in his press release about the auction. Just looking at her does that, evoking images stored in the recesses of the mind from every movie or book with a plantation home setting.

Here's a toast to the old home's future. May the Queen of Claussen's reign continue.

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