The Duncan-DuPre' House

(Also known as the Bishop William Wallace Duncan House)

 “Saving the DuPré”
Interested in the preservation of the DuPré House? For more information, contact the Preservation Trust of Spartanburg, Inc at 864-542-2282. To make a donation, send check to:
The DuPré House Preservation Fund
Spartanburg County Foundation
424 East Kennedy Street
Spartanburg, SC 29302

In his book about the City of Spartanburg’s oldest church, Central United Methodist Church – The First Hundred Years, noted South Carolina historian, Lewis P. Jones, calls The DuPré House, “a familiar manifestation of ties among a family, a college and a church.” (page 102) The DuPré House is significant for its relationship to Wofford College, Central United Methodist Church, and the person who lived in it from 1875 to 1899 – Methodist Bishop William Wallace Duncan.

William Wallace Duncan was the son of David Duncan, a member of the original faculty of Wofford College. He attended Wofford College and graduated in 1858. After graduation, he entered the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. After serving as a chaplain in Lee’s Confederate Army, he joined the Wofford College faculty in 1875 and taught at the college until he was elected bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church South in 1886. During his time of service as bishop, Duncan traveled widely presiding over Methodist annual conferences in several states. Much of the business of these conferences would have been handled from Bishop Duncan's study in the DuPré House.

Historian Lewis P. Jones explains that the name DuPré became associated with the house when the Bishop’s daughter, Carrie Duncan, married Warren DuPré (of another Wofford College family), and they lived in the house as did their son, Wallace Duncan DuPré.

The DuPré House, built circa 1886, is a two story structure of the Queen Anne architectural style. The front features two large, shingled turrets, a one-story porch, and a chimney with cartouche and chimney pots. Interior features include numerous parlors, a library, five (5) bedrooms, and a stately oak paneled banquet room used for entertaining up to 30 dinner guests. It was the first residence in Spartanburg to be outfitted with indoor plumbing, a milestone in construction and sign of wealth.

The Preservation Trust of Spartanburg, Inc. is pursuing a plan to stabilize and fully restore this beautiful and important downtown Spartanburg home. An anchor for the north side of Spartanburg’s downtown, the DuPré House restoration will encourage investment in the Magnolia Street corridor of downtown and will include office space for the Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau and serve as a warm welcome for visitors to the area. Additional office space will be available for lease and will generate income to further sustain the maintenance of the building. The adjacent land will be utilized as a downtown passive urban recreational site.

ENTRY FIREPLACE	INTERIOR DETAIL	DOORKNOB DETAIL
FIRST HOUSE WITH INDOOR PLUMBING	DUPRE HOUSE	WINDOW DETAIL