Clevedale History
Clevedale, once a thriving 440 acre farm, was first named in the latter 19th century by Jesse Franklin Cleveland.
He was a descendant of the Cleveland family that traces its roots to a tract of land in North Riding of Yorkshire, England which produced such notables as Moses Cleaveland, the founder of Cleveland, Ohio, and Steven Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th President of the United States.
The original dwelling, facing South, was built in the 1790s. Shortly before World War I in 1913, the current structure was razed as a wedding gift for Conrad Cleveland, Sr. and his wife, Louise. As the story goes, Louise disliked country living so much that a home in downtown Spartanburg was built and Clevedale became their vacation property.
Louise and Conrad had two children, Conrad Jr. and Elisabeth.The current homestead, of colonial design, is accented by stately pillars on the front portico. The outbuildings, especially the greenhouses, reflect the interest of Conrad Cleveland, Jr., who, among a variety of artistic avocational pursuits, was an avid horticulturist. Conrad, Jr., claimed Clevedale as his home from the mid-1940s until his death in 1985, after which the property was sold to the developer of Hawk Creek and later businessman Hugh Brown took ownership.In January 2012, Clevedale was purchased by Pontheolla Mack Abernathy and Paul Roberts Abernathy. Pontheolla, a native of South Carolina, had a desire to own and operate a bed and breakfast since her collegiate days at the University of South Carolina, Columbia. That dream, shared by her husband, Paul, who hails from St. Louis, Missouri, has come to fulfillment in Clevedale Historic Inn and Gardens. "The property had good bones thus renovating this Southern lady would be my pleasure," stated Pontheolla.
The renovations took a year and half. Upon wrapping up renovations, the Abernathys got a visit from Elisabeth Cleveland Welch. "I wanted to come see my birthplace. On the night I was born, the train nearby broke down and my dad walked to the train to invite passengers into this house for tea," she recounted.
Elisabeth died shortly thereafter, however the story told was filed in the back of Pontheolla's mind. Seven years after owning Clevedale, Pontheolla and Paul added a 1947 Southern Railway caboose to the property in keeping with Elisabeth's story and Spartanburg's Hub City history.Clevedale is situated a half mile from Warren H. Abernathy Boulevard, named for the state director for the late James Strom Thurmond, the long-serving United States Senator for South Carolina. Though bearing no relation, Pontheolla and Paul feel this fortuitous coincidence harbors an especial blessing on their venture.
