Lawson's Pond house in 1977 when it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house was constructed of black cypress and put together with wooden pegs.The Doric columns are original cypress logs. Philip Porcher purchased Lawson's Pond and the surrounding land soon after 1800 and turned it into a working cotton farm. Philip left the property to his son, Charles Cordes Porcher (1801- 1877) who built a house on the plantation in 1823.

When Charles C. Porcher died, Lawson's Pond Plantation passed to Peter J. Couturier (1839- 1890) and his wife, Elizabeth (1838- 1898). Peter left the plantation to his son, Elias Francis Couturier (1869- 1932).

Elias married Anna Sinkler Gaillard in 1902. Their son, Elias F. Couturier Jr., inherited Lawson's Pond Plantation at his father's death.

Elias Jr. married Eliza Read Spiers (b. 1921) in 1946. Eliza was born at the nearby Fountain Head Plantation, now covered by Lake Marion. She graduated from Winthrop College and taught at Eutawville and Cross Elementary Schools for 37 years. She is very active in the Church of the Epiphany (Episcopal) in Eutawville. Elias Jr. died in 1973.

Lawson's Pond house in 2007 Eliza has two daughters, Mary Elizabeth (b. 1947) and Martha (b. 1958), three grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. All live near Lawson's Pond.

The house on Lawson's Pond Plantation has survived the Civil War, the 1886 earthquake (one damaged chimney), the Santee- Cooper Project, and Hurricane Hugo (damaged tin roof and column). It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

(Next week: The Pineville Chapel)

Lawson's Pond house, typical of Santee River homes, had two single front doors. The side windows of Lawson's Pond house have the original paneled shutters. The interior door frames of the Lawson's Pond house are heavily handcarved with sunburst, fan, and Chippendale fretwork motifs. Eliza Couturier is the current owner of Lawson's Pond Plantation, which has been in her family since 1880. The mantelpiece in the Lawson's Pond house is marbleized cypress with a brick and stucco fireplace. This chunkey disc, found on Lawson's Pond Plantation years ago, was a man's game played by the Indians. The stone disc was rolled ahead of the players who threw sticks at it to make it stop rolling.