2712 Wilmot Avenue

Date: About 1912 to about 2000
Location: 2712 Wilmot Avenue, Columbia, Richland, South Carolina
Surnames/tags: Oliver DePass Parker

1912 to 1974

Nov. 29, 1908, there is an ad in the State Newspaper that reads "Two very desirable houses on large lots in the Town of Shandon". Person to call is R W Shand, Pres. at 1328 Main Street. To find out more about Shandon you can look at this history of the neighborhood: History of Shandon

Sewall Kemper Oliver and his wife Lucy Hardy Oliver were the first owners when it was built in 1912. They lived there with their three children. Mr Oliver first worked as manager at the "Duck Mill" (Columbia Mills Building) which is now the South Carolina State Museum.In 1928, he founded the Oliver Motor Company. At the time they bought the house, the name of the street was "First Avenue". According to an article in The State paper on June 3 1927, the name "Wilmot Avenue" was first used to refer to what was formally known as "First Avenue in South Shandon and Shandon Annex". During the time that the Oliver's lived there they advertised in the State Newspaper several times with chickens (Rhode Island Reds) for sale and at one time 50 pigeons. They also advertised to hire a cook who appears on the 1920 census as Olivia Jeter who was 20 years old at the time.

The property appears to have changed hands sometime around September 1932 when an ad ran in The State Newspaper to lease the house. The contact for the lease was Mrs. John Dubose at 1131 Washington Street.

From about 1935-1938 Mr and Mrs John A Brockman lived there. Mr Brockman was a Colonel from Georgia. Entered the Army as an enlisted man in 1893. Graduate of Army School of the Line. He retired in 1936. In 1939 he and his wife Nellie R are living at 817 Abelia Road after moving from the house n Wilmot Avenue. During 1930 census living on Hollywood Drive.

The house was again listed in an ad to rent in The State paper on Nov 21, 1938 by a Mrs John Dubose at 1341 Main Street.

On Oct 22, 1939, the State Newspaper reported that the house had been purchased by William Lambert DePass (1884-1973). He lived there with his wife Eugenia McDonald DePass until Mr Depass passed away in 1973. Mrs DePass sold the house in 1974.

My Childhood Home 1974-2000

When my family moved into the house in 1974, I was about 5 years old and my brother was around 7. My most vivid memory of the day we moved in was of a power box on a line in the backyard exploding and the fire department coming.