Courtesy of the Lowndes and Burke families via Galen Reuther.

THE LOWNDES HOUSE c. 1884
The Holiday Inn

Wherever you go in our lovely little village, you’re liable to see something new, charming, historic, and interesting. A house that fits the bill is one almost everyone goes by often, perhaps without a thought about who built it, who lived there, why it’s right in that specific location or its “life” up until now.

The Lowndes House is now part of the Flat Rock Playhouse complex, but it certainly didn’t begin as such. Flat Rock’s history can’t be written without acknowledging the importance of the Lowndes family. Rice planters from South Carolina, they were among the first of the Low Country families to establish Flat Rock as their summer enclave. The first member of the family to build in Flat Rock was Thomas Lowndes, who built a big two-story Charleston–style house on the Greenville Highway, right across from St. John in the Wilderness church (1). The whole family summered there year after year. It was called Dolce Farniente – (Sweet Nothing to Do!) Time has taken its toll and the house no longer stands. All that’s visible of the original 1830’s property is the granite fencing, built without mortar, and the circular drive, still lined with tired hydrangeas.

In c. 1847 (2), one of the Lowndes’s sons, Richard Henry Lowndes, and his wife Susan Middleton Parker bought the old St. John in the Wilderness parsonage from Charles Baring. The parsonage, a big comfortable house, was built by the Baring’s for their British pastor, brought with them to be the rector at St. John in the Wilderness church. It was also a school for young children. The Lowndes family named the house Diamond in the Desert. They lived there throughout the Civil War, stabling their horses beneath the house. Located just north of the present-day Playhouse property, it was struck by lightning and burned to the ground in 1960, coincidentally the same year Dolce Farniente was taken down.

In c. 1884, Richard Henry Lowndes leased the southern portion of his property to his son Richard I’on Lowndes. Here, Richard I’on built his house right on top of “the great flat rock”, and named it – you guessed it – The Rock. Fast forward to 1948. The house and land by then had gone through numerous owners, and it was the era of Ruth and Alex Conrad of Aiken, SC. They purchased the house, changed the name to Rockworth, and opened The Holiday Inn. Mrs. Conrad ran the Inn as a guest house until 1951 when she leased the entire property to the Vagabond Players. That signaled the end of the Holiday Inn and the beginning of The Flat Rock Playhouse complex as we know it today.

Big top tent used by the Vagabond players in the early 1950s From 50 Years with the Vagabonds by Louise Howe Bailey

The Vagabond Players erected a big top tent on the property and began staging performances there. When fall arrived, Robroy and Leona Farquar, organizers of the theatre, moved into Rockworh and began to winterize it and organize the space to better serve the theatre. (4) After making numerous offers to buy the property, they were finally successful in 1956 (2). The house, as we see it now, includes the original house, servants’ quarters, and a connection building. It is used for offices, meeting space, reception areas, and the box office.

The Lowndes House, in addition to being an important part of today’s Playhouse complex, is a testimony to one of Flat Rock’s important founding summer resort families. In 1993, Historic Flat Rock, Inc. received a Preservation Agreement on the house in exchange for renovation assistance (3). The next time you visit, listen for the sounds of guests at The Holiday Inn. I wonder how many of them returned to stay. And while you’re there, appreciate the gardens designed and maintained by the Flat Rock Playhouse Garden Volunteers since 2009.

-Galen Reuther

Galen has called Flat Rock home for over 20 years. She is a life long writer of articles about things that interest her. Her book "Flat Rock" can be purchased from independent bookstores, Historic Flat Rock, Amazon or from Galen direct at leegalen@aol.com.

(1) Preservation Agreement donated to HFR by Dr. & Mrs. David Hubbell 2007

(2) National Register of Historic Places

(3) Preservation Agreement donated to HFR by Flat Rock Playhouse in exchange for renovation assistance 1993.

(4)Fifty Years With the Vagabonds, Louise Howe Bailey