Cotton Press (Latta, South Carolina) Explained

Early Cotton Press
Nearest City:	Latta, South Carolina
Coordinates:	34.3378°N -79.5239°W
Built:	1798
Architect:	Berry, Stephen
Architecture:	Early Cotton Press
Added:	November 15, 1972
Refnum:	72001206

The Latta Cotton Press is an early mule-powered, wooden cotton press built around 1798. It was built and operated at Berry's Crossroad on South Carolina Highway 38 south of Latta in Dillon County, South Carolina. It was moved about 2.5abbr=onNaNabbr=on west around 1950. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 15, 1972.^{[1] [2]}

History

The cotton press was built around 1798 for baling ginned cotton. It is constructed of pegged and doweled oak. It has a 16abbr=onNaNabbr=on diameter oak screw that was hand chiseled. Turning the screw compressed cotton into a wooden frame to form a bale. The press has a small rectangular, shingled hip roof to protect the machinery from the weather. Four beams forming a pyramidal frame support the screw. Two long shingled booms that are hinged to the screw extend out from the machine. These booms or poles have been called "buzzard wings."^[3] Mules or oxen were used to rotate the screw.^{[2] [4] [5] [6]} The cotton press was either built by or for Stephen Berry^[2] or "Buck Swamp" John Bethea.^[5]

In 1950, it was moved from Berry's Crossroad to private property on the south side of South Carolina Highway 38 about 0.5abbr=onNaNabbr=on west of its intersection of South Carolina Highway 917 and can be viewed from the roadside. Except for minor repairs at its base and roof, the cotton press is constructed of original materials. In 1961, the press was considered to be in excellent condition and an excellent example of handmade craftsmanship.^[2] It is the only cotton press of this era in South Carolina.^[4] There is a similar wooden cotton press on the Town Common in Tarboro, North Carolina.^[7] Another antebellum cotton press without the buzzard wings poles is at Magnolia Plantation near Derry, Louisiana. This press has a fixed screw and its base is rotated to compress the cotton.^{[8] [9]}

There are additional pictures of the cotton press taken for the Historic American Engineering Record.^{[10] [11]}

Notes and References

1. Web site: Early Cotton Press, Dillon County (jct. of SC Hwys. 917 & 38, Latta vicinity) . National Register Properties in South Carolina . South Carolina Department of Archives and History . 22 April 2009.
2. Web site: McGrath . Dollie . Early Cotton Press . National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form . National Park Service . August 4, 1971 . 22 April 2009.
3. Book: Jones, C. Allan . Texas Roots . Texas A&M University Press . 2005 . College Station . 1-58544-429-4.
4. Web site: Pittenger . Nancy . Powers . J. Tracy . Cotton Press, Near Routes 917 & 38, moved from Berry's Crossroad, Latta vicinity, Dillon County, SC (Site Data Form) . April 5, 1988 . Historic American Engineering Record . Library of Congress . Washington, D.C. . August 7, 2021.
5. Book: Stokes, Durward T. . [{{Google books |1UgTAAAAYAAJ |plainurl=yes}} The History of Dillon County, South Carolina ]. University of South Carolina Press . 1978 . Columbia, South Carolina . 50 . 0-87249-366-0.
6. Book: Julien . Carl Thomas . Dabbs . James McBride . [{{Google books |fkMTAAAAYAAJ |plainurl=yes}} Pee Dee Panorama ]. University of South Carolina Press . 1951 . Columbia, South Carolina . August 7, 2021.
7. Web site: Norfleet Cotton Press, Tarboro, North Carolina . The Built Heritage of North Carolina . North Carolina State University . 26 April 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110716201806/http://images.lib.ncsu.edu:8180/luna/servlet/detail/SCDRLUNA-VC~102~3~100203253~221551:Norfleet-Cotton-Press,-Tarboro,-No . July 16, 2011 . dead.
8. Web site: Magnolia Plantation . Cane River National Heritage Area . National Park Service . April 26, 2009.
9. Web site: Fricker . Jonathon . Fricker . Donna . Magnolia Plantation . National Historic Landmark Nomination . National Park Service . November 1999 . April 26, 2009.
10. Web site: Boucher . Jack . Cotton Press, Near Routes 917 & 38, moved from Berry's Crossroad, Latta vicinity, Dillon County, SC (Photographs) . Historic American Engineering Record . National Park Service . April 7, 1987 . August 7, 2021.
11. Book: Baldwin, William . [{{Google books |d5xQvgAACAAJ |plainurl=yes}} Carolina Plantations: Lost Photographs from the Historic American Buildings Survey ]. The History Press . 2007 . Charleston, South Carolina . 87 . 978-1-59629-347-2.