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Gray Court, SC
1946 Statistics: C&WC Station #B105, 23 car siding, 104.9 miles from Augusta and 26 miles from Greenville.
Gray Court was lightly settled as early as 1874, but heavy development and incorporation of the town came after the C&WC laid tracks through the town in 1885. The map below pinpoints Gray Court in Laurens County.
The following is some Gray Court history that ties it directly to the C&WC. This is an excerpt from www.sciway.net.
"The community was named Dorroh, or Dorrohville, honoring Mr. and Mrs. David R. Dorroh. Their home, one of the first to be built in the small town, stands today in good condition. . . . An engineer on the newly constructed railroad, whose name is not known, admired Mr. R.L. Gray, the depot agent, and suggested to some of the residents that the town and post office be named for Mr. Gray. Too, as the train passed through the town, the engineer said he would be reminded of Gray Court, New York, the prettiest spot in his native state." Petitions were "cirulated by friends of the two families, one group favoring the name Dorroh and the other, Gray Court. When the votes were counted, Gray Court received the greater number. On October 17, 1899, the name Dorroh gave way to Gray Court."
The C&WC arrived (as the Greenville and Laurens) in 1885, with the depot being built in 1887. By 1900, 181 people were living in the community.
The following is a photo of the depot and Main Street in 1906.
The town layout in 1939 shows the depot located in Main Street. It is noted to be a one story frame structure with cotton platform on the north side. The two visible doors should be the waiting room doors (white and black). The depot measured about 25 feet wide by 55 feet long. The cotton platform (including the depot) was about 45 feet wide and 100 feet long. ( The arrow shows the position of the photographer for the above picture.)
The following shows Gray Court in 1958. The depot has apparently been razed by this time.
The following picture is Gray Court today. The X marks the approximate spot of the depot site.
bravenet.com