Jacob Bedenbaugh House

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The Jacob Bedenbaugh House was built circa 1860 by Jacob Bedenbaugh. Jacob and Sarah Bedenbaugh were an interracial couple who weathered the prejudices of a society that was bent on keeping whites and blacks as separate as possible. This couple lived in defiance of the prevailing social mores during the Civil War, Reconstruction, and Jim Crow eras, as interracial relationships were considered “unnatural” during this period. Jacob Bedenbaugh purchased the property in 1858 and the two-story I-house was constructed shortly thereafter. Sometime between 1860 and 1864, Jacob Bedenbaugh entered into a relationship with a mulatto woman named Sarah. The couple never married, although Sarah took the Bedenbaugh name. They remained together for approximately 42 years and had eight children. Jacob died in 1915 and Sarah died in 1936.

Location: Near Prosperity, South Carolina

Author: chris

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